Whiskers?! This one has been bothering me...

No. I don't shave my horses. The closest they ever come is getting a bridle path when they're being ridden all the time and that's just for my own convenience. A bridle path makes putting the bridle on much easier for me because I don't like having to separate the forelock from the rest of the mane and make sure that only a certain amount is under the bridle.

I don't trim whiskers, but I do trim my mare's fetlocks, bridle path ( accidently trimmed it TOO much this last time though. Oops...hehe) and beard in the winter to make her bridle and polos fit better. I let her look like she's half cat though, as they aren't long enough to interfere with her bridle or bit.

Really? I didn't know that !! Interesting! Do they have any other interesting rules??

This is interesting. I did not know FEI was against it.

I personally clip mine for show, because I like the look, and for certain function. For instance, I have a horse who must wear a flymask for UV protection. If I didn't clip his eye whiskers and some of his nose whiskers, they get caught in the mask. I'm not sure if the whiskers contacting the mask is annoying to him, but if they get "plucked" when removing the mask, it certainly bothers him.

I also trim ears to keep the gnats out. If their ears are bald, the gnats cannot grab on and are easily shaken out. A little ointment keeps the skin soft and also prevents bites.

I normally just trim their whiskers to look even and uniform but last time I was trimming my boy's he moved and I had cut them so unevenly! Too short to salvage so off they went.

I also trim bridle paths, fetlocks and ears. I like the look but I know it isn't for everyone. My mom wouldn't touch a pair of clippers or hair cutting scissors with a 10 foot pole so our horses look VERY different even though they share the same field. Her horses have long manes and tails, no bridle paths and have all of their whiskers while mine have short manes, tails that are just above their fetlocks, bridle paths, and shorter whiskers.

I clip them up for pictures or shows, too, but most of the time they're natural.

I don't shave Aires. Mainly because he has an intense dislike (bordering on impassioned hate) of the clippers. His bridle path gets done by hand with a pair of scissors and I hand-comb his fetlocks.
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Yeah. Allowing bute.

Lol I'm trying (have tried) to get my girl used to clippers, but I just could never get the nerve up to actually use them on her...so I mostly just turn the clippers ON then let it vibrate next to her skin. No bridle path either.... I just let the hair grow. XD

Oh.....that's reassuring! oh you said bute.....thought you meant boot!