[BetterOffRed]

Nobody panic! Just breathe!

I know I am about to commit some sort of friesian fairieland high treason but my friend's friesian is not a good sweater. Doesn't handle Texas heat well, and has anhydrosis. As an aside, this is a nice horse, nice manners, doesn't go to shows. I am a good clipper and I just have the the horse's well being as my top priority and am doing the clipping at the owner's request.

In my experience (I have a nonsweater too), clipping helps them in the heat so much better. So, regardless of what the friesian 'rules' say, this hairy po is getting body clipped.

I give my own horse the full monty, but what do I do about all of this big boy's sparkly fairy magikal hair? Obvs, I want to leave his feathers so he can keep some of his magikal hair ...but my question is what do I do about the legs? Do I leave them alone from the the elbows and thighs down or from the hocks and knees down?

[dogponyshow]

I clip one here at my barn and stop right below the knees, so it looks like he has bell bottoms!

[ASBnTX]

We just had Miss Priss clipped yesterday! She also doesn't do so well in the Texas heat and isn't a great sweater. We stopped AT THE KNEES - I don't even WANT to know what terrible curses will fall on you if you trim the majikal hair.... I think she looks pretty snazzy with her new trim!

[BetterOffRed]

Thanks Friesian Peeps! May the majikal friesian fairieland powers be with you!

[Daatje]

Trust me, there is nothing magical about Friesian hair. It's a royal pain in the a$$!

When I give my mare a full body clip, I take everything off the head, neck, body AND legs, leaving only a little feather off the back of the fetlock to hide those ugly thickly skinned ankles and pasterns the breed has.

I clip all the way around her coronary band and pastern, the front of the ankle, blending the sides into the feathers I leave in the back for asthetic reasons. Trust me, if she had nice looking ankles I'd shave it all off! (I hate feathers)

I then clip front and sides of the cannon bone, blending the back of the tendons into the ankle about half way between the back of the knee and the fetlock.

I do this for the hinds too, just replace "knee" with "hock" and it's the same procedure.

I've even been known to pull her mane and trim the dock of her tail.

I have not yet been struck down by lightning.

Have at it, make the horse comfortable. To hell with all that hair!

ETA: http://daatje2009.webs.com/All%20New...0Meet%2013.jpg Here's a good look at how I trim her legs.

[ASBnTX]

[Megaladon]

I like to go until just below the knee so that there is nice definition--no stove pipe leg!!

Daatje--nice dapples!!

[RougeEmpire]

Some Freisians look better with fully shaves legs anyhow as MANY have crap for feathers. Crossbreds almost always have to be shaved to avoid the "five oclock shadow" look like a man's beard. The feathers seem to not pass on unless they come from a the other parent if it is a hairy legged breed, lols.

[Daatje]

Daatje--nice dapples!!

Hey, thanks! She's got crazy dapples. Even now, coming out of winter, although her shedding coat is more of a chocolate-y color. It's all that good food she's so serious about eating.

[TimelyImpulse]

ETA: http://daatje2009.webs.com/All%20New...0Meet%2013.jpg Here's a good look at how I trim her legs.

Wow, wow, WOW! What a fantastic horse! Your turnout is lovely too.

Happy hunting!

And, I would clip whatever horse needed clipping, feathers be damned!

[Daatje]

Wow, wow, WOW! What a fantastic horse! Your turnout is lovely too.

Happy hunting!

Thanks! She's my baby doll. Happy hunting we will go! I can't wait until August, when our season starts up again.

[birdsong]

When my friend's first arrived she clipped him completely ASAP!
She keeps his feathers off always. I think he looks incredible. His feathers are so fast growing that she clips them often.
He looks less "drafty" when cleaned up. Still has the nice mane and tail though.