Most mammals I know of have whiskers, and maybe one or two non-mammals, as well , like the catfish. Dogs feature whiskers, as do cats and cows. And horses, too , have whiskers. You could just about say that nature gave each mammal whiskers with a purpose, whatever that purpose could be. Science has it this purpose is for whiskers to function as a kind of antenna, particularly in natural blind spots or in the dark. Be that as it may, whiskers are as much a normal part of mammals as warm blood, bones and skin.
So why on earth do we insist upon clipping whiskers on our horses?
I have looked into this matter in great depth, and I can find no reason that seems sensible. On the contrary, I get the feeling we do our horses a great disfavour by clipping their whiskers. Whiskers are part of a horse’s survival mechanism, endowed naturally. Whiskers enable a pony to feel things it may not see, like when it is grazing, of drinking water. Whiskers also help horses when they are eating hay or grain and when they are nuzzling each other. Like with other mammals, nature endowed horses with whiskers to make for visible blind spots at the ends of their noses.
Through whatever we are able to trace of horses’ history, all thru their evolutionary progress to the glorious animals they are we see assorted modifications in body size and conformation. But whiskers were an enduring feature. They were there right at the start, and they are there now. Does that let us know anything?
If they served no purpose, evolution would have disposed of them.
As a relatively veteran horseman who has done her share of pony whisker clipping, I am able to claim that the only reason horse owners clip their animals’ whiskers is to pretty up their horses. That of course implies that whiskers aren’t conducive to good looks, a statement that may be debated. I was an inveterate whisker-clipper before one fine day, out of nowhere, I questioned just what I was doing and what I was hoping to achieve as I was clipping a pony. There’s simply no connection in the slightest that I could make out between clipping whiskers and health, ease of life, or any other factor that would contribute to the animal’s well being.
I also doubt if any horse owner has ever asked his pony for an opinion about getting clipped. Ideally, since horses can’t talk, you might take a horse to a mirror, let him look at himself before and after clipping and let him express his viewpoint. I am happy to bet the pony isn’t going to have anything complimentary to say of getting his whiskers clipped, and he will potentially wish to sue his owner for infringing on his natural rights.
Maybe it is time we gave some significant consideration to the pros and the cons of clean shaving our horses. Even better, perhaps we will just let Mother Nature have her way.
Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers click here
Recent Comments