Horse whiskers: why they should never be trimmed

The horse whiskers, commonly known as moustaches are thick, stiff hairs that grow mainly on the muzzle, around the nostrils, lips and eyes. Although they may look like simple hairs, they are actually  sensory organs essential   for the horse’s balance and perception.

What are horse whiskers?

Vibrissae are special hairs, hard but flexible, which develop in the womb. Each horse has its own natural length of vibrissae, which do not grow indefinitely but regenerate cyclically: for every vibrissa that falls out, a new one grows back.
Just like human hair, they grow from a root and renew themselves over time.

Why whiskers are so important

Equine whiskers differ from other body hairs in that they are blood-filled hairs: their roots sink deep into the dermis, where they come into contact with blood vessels, nerve endings and muscle fibres.
This means that each vibrissa is a true tactile receptor, connected directly to the nervous system and specific areas of the horse’s brain.

Thanks to these, the horse can sense:

• air movements and temperature variations,
• distanza dagli oggetti,
• presenza di cibo, acqua o altri cavalli,
• persino i campi magnetici e i cambiamenti atmosferici.
  
  

Le vibrisse funzionano come una sorta di radar naturale che aiuta il cavallo a esplorare e comprendere l’ambiente che lo circonda.

Whiskers and blind horses: a valuable aid

Have you ever noticed how  a blind or visually impaired horse  can still move around with confidence?
This is thanks to their whiskers, which compensate for their lack of sight and allow the animal to orientate itself, avoiding obstacles and recognising the spaces around it.

Why you should not trim a horse’s whiskers

Tagliare le vibrisse significa privare il cavallo di uno dei suoi sensi più importanti.
Oltre a causare disagio, questo gesto interferisce con il suo equilibrio sensoriale e con la capacità di percepire il mondo circostante.
Non a caso, in molti Paesi europei (come la Germania e la Svizzera) tagliare le vibrisse è vietato per legge, proprio per tutelare il benessere del cavallo.

Nature does nothing by chance.

Whiskers are not an aesthetic detail, but a   complex and indispensable organ.

Allowing them to grow naturally means respecting the physiology of the horse and ensuring it has a more peaceful life and is more aware of its environment.
Nature never does anything by chance: every detail of a horse’s body has a specific function — and whiskers are the perfect example of this.