Dubarry Tuesday Video: Battle of the Burrs

October 14, 2014Leslie WylieSponsoredLeave a comment

It’s a war zone out there — here’s how to win.

Photo: Leslie Wylie/Horse Nation

My horse lives out in the pasture 24/7, and this time of the year I’m pretty sure he spends about 23 out of those 24 hours wandering around his pasture sticking his head into cocklebur plants. By the time I catch up to him at the end of the day, he’s fashioned his mane and tail into dreadlocked mess that cuts into precious riding time to untangle.

Up close and personal with a cocklebur. No wonder they wreak hair havoc — look at all those tiny hooks! Photo: Flickr/gahoward/Creative Commons License

Yesterday I spent five minutes clearing a burr-free zone in his mane just so I could get his halter on to lead him out of the field. Short of roaching his mane, which has definitely crossed my mind but I’d probably regret it (mohawks aren’t exactly “in” for event horses right now), what can be done?

Here’s a how-to video showing you how to de-burr your horse’s tail. The narrator uses Showsheen but there are a number of products on the market that will do the trick — right now I’m obsessed with Magic Sheen by Shapley’s and even WD-40 will work in a pinch.

If your horse is a burr magnet like mine, you can tack on one more preventative measure as well: Braiding the forelock and tail prevents tangling and makes it easier to pick off the burrs.

Have a picture of your horse sporting an amazing burr-do? Email it to [email protected] or post it on our Facebook wall!