Burrs

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

It would take years to get the tail back. No way would I cut them, I use Cowboy Magic for burrs and also dreadlocks in the manes.

I second the use of Cowboy magic. Burrs aren't just a northern thing we get them here in the south too.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

O my goodness, Lindy-loo!!! What a mess! I thought it was bad when mine come in with cockleburs but those burs are a hundred times worse! Poor horses that get those! I can't imagine a foal with all those burs next to their skin. Yikes!

Besides cockleburs we also have buffalo thistle. I've been on a mission for the last 10 years we've lived here to eradicate both. I think water birds bring the cockleburs, however, as they are worst around the ponds. Even when we think they are all pulled up, more appear the next year. The big lake near us is very low right now. We have been out treasure hunting on it and the bed is nothing but a solid mass of cockleburrs. It must be the water birds that distribute them.

Probably the woodland animals are spreading the burdock. I don't think you could ever stop the seeding totally.

The buffalo thistle is much easier to control. Nothing eats them, to my knowledge, as they are stickery even when tiny. Their yellow bloom is a flag that says "here I am! Come and dig me up before my yellow flowers turn into seeds", so they are not hard to find. But you pretty well need gloves to get them out of manes/tails. And I think they have some sort of toxin in their tips, as they hurt. I always put thistles and cockleburs in trash bags or on the burn pile.

 

[HGFarm]

I dont have that problem where I live, but did live in an area once that had them BAD. I NEVER cut hair to remove them.. I found out that the Grand Champion coat conditioner that you use to make their coat shiny and slick works AWESOME. Spray it on really well and the burrs practically slide out. I would just start seperating the hair and removing them with my hands and voila, a conditioned mane, tail and forelock and no burrs!

 

[Zipper]

Oh Im reading this with great interest as when I called the ponies in last night all I see are BURRS

I dont know what my boy had been doing all day but im sure he went looking for BURRS to add to his already huge collection

Iv never seen so many in one mane..yesterday he had a lovely long thick mane today its just a mass of these awfull things..its going to take me hours to get them out

..Iv looked all over for the offending article/s but I cant find a single one where did he get them from its a mistery but I know what Im going to be doing today

 

couldnt resist showing you..its both sides too

 

 

tut tut

 

That is nothing compared to the ones I have to do. Trade U. lol Will get pictures. Out to the barn to do more picking and the sad part is the horses arent even friendly were they want you to touch them.

 

[Lindi-loo]

Well it didnt really take as long as i expected..altough hes very patient and loves a brush he did get a lil bored with me pulling at his forelock and as already mentioned be very careful not to get them in ears or eyes..and not a pair of scissors in sight

..teased the hair apart after i smothered it in dark n lovely cholestrol conditioner and brushed as well as pulled out the stuborn ones

..hes looking goegeous again but today Im on a mission to find the plants just incase

..have fun with your BURRS all Grrrr

 

[orin]

They drive me crazy!! And somehow the horses always manage to find the only plant in the field lol. We find that platting the tail etc helps a lot as well.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I was given a pony years ago that came with burrs all over. He looked like he was wearing rollers. I found that my dog grooming tool that looks like short and long teeth on a handle was a cool tool for working out burrs. I was amazed. the teeth could just stick down through the burrs and you could pull them out little by little. Really didn't take all that long and I didn't use showsheen or cowboy magic. I had him cleaned up in less than a half hour. Not sure if I can post a link to the tool here. Let me know if I can and I will link.. if not, pm me for more specific details.

Didn't lose much hair in the process either. Adair