|
Post by Louise Dixon on Mar 10, 2015 19:57:30 GMT
I am contemplating a serious trimming job on Hamish Shetland - mane hogged, feather clipped, tail trimmed and pulled. The main reason for this is for convenience, I keep the boy's ponies in the field by the house as it is the only place for them where the boys can help care for them and I can get the ponies in to tack up and so on without anyone to help with the children. BUT there is a major sticky burr problem in the field, I mean the huge nasty ones which are just about impossible to get out, so H's mane, tail and feather are usually just a complete matt of these, spend hours getting them out one day and you are back to square one the next, which is a particular nightmare if you are wanting to go somewhere where you want the ponies to look smart. Also, Angus gets his fingers/reins tangled in H's mane, which he really doesn't like. Hamish isn't registered, and we don't show anyway, just do fun stuff - what do you all think? Photo is about a year old, he is hunter clipped just now.
|
|
|
Post by fanfarefan on Mar 10, 2015 20:01:41 GMT
no no no no no , dont hog him ,,,, youll regret it ,,,,, put long plaits in his mane , to stop the sticky burrs , and conditioner every where else ,,,, we have the same problem with burdocks ,,,, we try and cut them down before they produce the burrs , but not always possible
|
|
|
Post by titch on Mar 10, 2015 20:08:12 GMT
No way he is a lovely Shetland. You could get a tail bag and do an arrow plait sprayed with conditioner. Xx
|
|
|
Post by Louise Dixon on Mar 10, 2015 20:21:09 GMT
I keep his mane plaited up and covered in conditioner all the time, it makes no difference to the ****** burrs, they just get stuck in the plait and I still can't get them out. We've sprayed and sprayed the field, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. It's really frustrating, because before I had children, I loved spending hours doing grooming type tuff, and it wouldn't have worried me at all, but now time is so limited, and I hate taking them out looking scruffy, and some places you just can't. Of course, if I didn't have the children, I wouldn't have the little hairies!
|
|
|
Post by dancer on Mar 10, 2015 20:59:46 GMT
Maybe take the feathers off & try using a tail/mane bags as a compromise before you commit to hogging!
|
|
|
Post by Wiltshire Man on Mar 10, 2015 21:43:49 GMT
Put plenty of pig oil once or twice a week so burrs couldn't stuck on his tail nor mane as they will kept slipped away.
|
|
|
Post by ChartsideStud on Mar 10, 2015 23:42:08 GMT
Not very conventional, but WD40 is brilliant at getting burr's out! And helps keep them out. Or you could try 'seven day mud away' by Nettex as this is oil based and will stop them sticking to the mane but wont make him greasy. Also tail bags like dancer said are great.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Mar 11, 2015 7:13:33 GMT
Well as you don't show, I'm inclined to say go for it and give it a try - hair will always grow back if it doesn't work out. Time with and for your children is much more important than how your shetland looks. They do look lovely together in your photo above.
|
|
|
Post by CarolineNelson on Mar 11, 2015 7:43:46 GMT
Well as you don't show, I'm inclined to say go for it and give it a try - hair will always grow back if it doesn't work out. Time with and for your children is much more important than how your shetland looks. They do look lovely together in your photo above. Louise, I'm with Sarah here. And knowing you / your family, since you've hit on the idea you'll probably do it anyway! He'd look great as a wee 'Cob' and probably feel much more comfortable. Burrs are a nightmare. Last November I was roped in to help prepare sheep for a well-known (Suffolk sheep) flock retirement dispersal - the gentleman's whole ewe lamb crop had been in the ***** burrs. No oil, WD40 or any other topical treatment could be used here and obviously you couldn't cut the darn things out of the wool as it would leave holes - as Louise will agree, these are a close skinned short-wool breed and had to look perfect. It took absolute ages!
|
|
|
Post by tabbyx on Mar 11, 2015 19:06:18 GMT
Why not just trim and pull his mane as you would a section B? Far less for the burrs to get stuck in but your little boy also has a little bit of mane to get hold of should he need it.
|
|
|
Post by mcnaughty on Mar 11, 2015 21:21:29 GMT
Do not trim! Get rid of the sticky burr plants and try a snuggy hood or plaits.
|
|
|
Post by catkin on Mar 12, 2015 15:41:17 GMT
Burrs are extremely well designed to stick. Flipping things. I can't believe I am saying this, but I am inclined to agree with SarahP. If he is not going anywhere then hogging might just be the answer. However, perhaps its time to revisit getting rid of the burrs? I had a problem and my goats have done the most fantastic job of clearing them. They love the young shoots as they come through and in one season seemed to knock the burr population almost totally on the head. I then spot sprayed and killed the rest off that way. I tethered the goats on the spot I needed to and had a full on attack though!
|
|
|
Post by titch on Mar 12, 2015 16:51:00 GMT
Ponies need their mane unless a fly rug is going to be put on.
|
|
|
Post by jayandpodge on Mar 12, 2015 17:29:55 GMT
Don't trim him!! Ditto the pig oil
|
|
|
Post by flee on Mar 16, 2015 21:32:14 GMT
Fly sheet , tail bag and gaiters ?
|
|