Conference noted::equitation

	My horses are starting to shed too (in Southern NH).

	Melinda
	

    
    My mare has free access to her stall at all times, and is only shut
    in in the worst of weather. She has an incredibly long coat right
    now, although she wears a New Zealand turnout rug all the time.
    In the summer she has almost nothing, she is not just a heavy-haired
    horse. She is showing no signs of shedding yet at all. I wish she
    would hurry up, though, she looks more like a yak than a horse!
    
    My gelding is in all the time in a huge barn with an indoor attached.
    He wears a Baker winter blanket, and has very little coat underneath.
    But then, he is worked heavily while the mare has done almost nothing
    all winter. He too is normally thin-haired...he is a Thoroughbred,
    she a Standardbred and both breeds do seem to be thin-skinned. He
    is not shedding yet either, although I can't imagine that he will
    much anyway, else he'll end up bald! :-)
    
    Linda
    
    

    I'm glad to see someone ask this question.  I've been asking my barn
    manager for a couple of weeks now.  I have not been into horses for a
    long time and the last time I actually owned any was in Puerto Rico.
    
    So I got a horse in April and started taking serious lessons.  Then I
    moved into a great barn. The owner asked that I get a blanket and my
    instructor schooled me about the winter and blankets.
    
    Then, here comes January and when I start using the curry comb hair
    starts to come off this horse like there's no tomorrow.
    
    After lots of questions every horse in the barn is shedding and
    everyone thinks it's perfectly normal..
    
    

    My mare started to shed in February last year when she was pregnant,
    and I was kind of worried because it seems so early.  She made it
    through without any complications though.  This year both she and her
    foal have been shedding for about a week now, the mare more so than 
    the foal, probably cause the mare wears blankets.

    
    My Appendix QuarterHorse starting shedding 3 weeks ago. He is
    blanketed (Boy do I hate taking off and putting on blankets, it's
    almost the worse part of winter riding). Just about all the horses
    in the barn are shedding (25+ individuals). MY last horse shed all
    year round so this is an improvement.
    
    Nancy
    

    I am in Pittsburgh PA and of my 3 kids 2 are shedding. I do not blanket
    at all. The one not shedding yet is a 20 month shetland pony colt.
    Spring is on its way!!!!!!8^)
    Sandy
    

    My mare looks like I have clipped her this winter and she is turned out
    in pasture.  Its been strange weather all around, but especially here
    in South Carolina.

    Shedding! Shedding! Shedding!  I am contemplating opening a business
    is horse down pillows.  Folks tell me that the 'wooly beast syndrome'
    is related to the amount of daylight.  So, as we move into Feb., with
    its longer days, mother nature kicks in.  All the horses at our barn
    are shedding, by the by, regardless of whether or not they were
    blanketed this winter.
    
    							Char
      

    
    Horse down pillows?! When I was little, umpteen years ago, there
    were two very old little spinster ladies who lived next door. They
    would get us kids in the neighborhood to go to the local store for
    their milk and bread if they ran out. Well, they'd also give us a
    penny to get some candy for ourselves, and then we'd feel obliged
    to say yes to their invitation to come in and visit with them
    when we brought back their milk.
    
    Anyhow, we'd have to sit on their living room sofa in our little
    shorts - their black, horsehair sofa. That thing was soooo *PICKY*
    on the back of our little legs. We squirmed and wormed around for
    about 5 or 10 minutes then made some excuse to get out of there.
    
    So I don't know about any good use for that hair. Although, every
    bird's nest within miles of my house is made of horse hair. And
    they're tied to the trees with the long tail-hairs!!! No kidding,
    those birds are crafty. I don't THINK they take it right off the
    horse...I'm sure they find it on the ground. Don't they??
    
    -julie
    
    

    I agree....horse hair furniture is not comfy at all! I have two
    pieces in my living room. Both are antigues I inherited from my
    grandfathers' estate last summer when he died. They are lovely,
    but neither is very practical. One is a Rosewood loveseat, it needs
    to be reapolstered (sp?) and there is a small slit in the seat.
    The horse hair is coming out through the slit...I keep a quilt over
    that part of it until I can get the work done (it is awfully expensive
    I have found out!)....but it is nasty stuff to sit on! :-) The other
    piece is a rocking chair in great condition but still harsh and
    stiff to sit in. I can see why horse hair is not used for furniture
    these days! But my Dad has a good use for it...he ties flies (for
    fly fishing), and loves to visit my brother and myself to pull tail
    hairs out of our horses! He doesn't use the body hair...says its
    not long enough to be useful, but the tail hair is real strong and
    he seems to feel he has hit the jackpot because he has his choice
    of chestnut or black! :-)