The trimming of a horse’s whiskers is illegal in Germany while many English and American associations still promote this practice.
One of the first things we purchased after our initial horses arrived was an electric clipper. We were told that we must have one so we could start desensitizing our horses to the noise they make. I am so ashamed that we had no more sense than to listen to these people. Thankfully, before the box was ever opened, we began to think. And ask questions. And ultimately, without even brushing the thick layer of dust off the box, it was tossed in the trash, still unopened. We thought for a moment about trying to sell it and get some of our money back. But only for a moment. We didn’t want to be responsible for someone else making the same mistake we almost made.
A horse’s whiskers (vibrissae) are actually an incredibly important sensory instrument to them. The whiskers around the eyes and muzzle are extremely sensitive and have a rich nerve supply. Each whisker has a region of the sensory cortex dedicated to it. Equine behaviorist and scientist P.D. McGreevy says, “This dedication of a portion of the cortex to each vibrissa indicates that they must be extremely important to their sensory system and should not be removed for cosmetic purposes.”
Why horses need their whiskers:
They use them to judge texture and distance to things.
Horses Need Their Whiskers
By Joe Camp