We’ve had some unseasonably warm temperatures here in east Tennessee lately and it seems to have kicked off the shedding season. Cash is the shaggiest horse we have and the poor thing is itching all over because of it. He’s scratching on trees, fence posts, stall doors and even humans. We spent some time brushing him the other day and practically made another horse! I will have to take some pictures of what he does when being scratched. There are a few spots that turn him to butter. You have to watch him because it looks like he’s about to fall over on you while in his scratching trance. I brushed him gently and then watched as he bit himself and tugged at his hide to take care of an itch. I don’t think I’m brushing too hard. What seems to work well is this glove brush we bought at a tack auction last year. It’s rubber with little nubs on it and it’s just perfect for brushing a shedding horse. It’s not too tough to rub the face, neck and belly with, too.
The other horses got a brushing but they are no where near as shaggy as poor Cash. Has the shedding season started at your place?
Oh my goodness. My horse has been shedding out for three or four weeks now. It started WAAAY earlier than I expected and will. not. cease. Riding her bareback last week was hilarious: it looked like I had full-seat breeches made out of white horsehair! If I had saved the hair I’m fully convinced I actually could have built another horse, just like you
Yep…started a few weeks ago. When I brush LH (using a shedding blade), I leave enough horse hair behind to make a mattress. A friend has been using the Furminator on her horse, but it’s too pricey for me.
Btw…it’s not temp that starts the shedding, but the increase in daylight hours.
My horses have been shedding for weeks now. They shed and grow and grow and shed. Our temperatures can get into the 60s by day and 20s by night. Just touching them, I get hair all over my clothes, in my mouth and face, everywhere! This will go on until late April, most likely. I expect us to get at least another snowstorm or two. It’s crazy!
Sure wish there was someway to use horse hair to make non-itchy yarn, though.
I’m currently hand processing my sheep and angora goat fiber and it’s so soft and binds together nicely. They will make lovely handspun yarn. Besides giving all that hair to the birds, horse hair is pretty useless (except to the horse…lol!).
~Lisa
My poor boy is so itchy. He scratched himself bald on his lovely forehead. The spot is about 4 inches long and half an inch wide with no blood thank goodness. His bangs cover it nicley, no sun burn! I bet he wishes he had his winter woolies back as it was 80 two days ago and 37 now!
Mine is shedding too I thought it was early this year. Oh well I’m glad he’s shedding normal though. He shed in patches last year. Parts of him had long hair and other parts he had short hair. He was also so itchy I felt so bad for him. I hope Cash isn’t to miserable (:
We have horse hair all over everything. One must be careful not to carry on a conversation while grooming…