See that one wimpy wisp of feather sticking out off the very back of the fetlock? That's it! For comparison, the other feet look like this one:
He's been turned out with other horses on grass for the first time since April recently, so I thought maybe the missing feathers were linked to the random grass stains on his coronet band, shoulder, and points of his hocks (it appears he slid down a hill on his hocks. Or something.)
When I ran my fingers through what remained and a few strands of feather came with them, I started to get an inkling of what was going on, but it wasn't until I talked to his breeder that I learned that they shed their feathers like the rest of their body (seems so obvious now) and that he's gearing up for winter. Blegh, winter. Thanks for the reminder, Connor!
3 comments:
No! Yay winter! So tired of the heat. Love the feathers - they add so much personality.
Yep all of mine have done the summer shed and are starting the winter coat. I see trace clips coming soon.
Weird. I've never seen drafts shed their feathers. Maybe it's just for "lighter" feathered horses.
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