leg warmers for horses, plus question

newforest

newforest

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Mar 15, 2008
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http://db.tt/Nht2dn3N

These are her leg warmers, I know they are really called feathers but a sweet little child said "oh she has legwarmers on is she cold" :giggle:

The name feather must have originated from somewhere if anyone wants to search.

Does anyone else with hairy bods find that the hind feathers go bushy and curly and are nothing like the fronts. The fronts are long and hang down, the backs are short and bushy.
 
Lol I thought this thread was going to be about leg wraps or horse socks! Hehee. Chloe's feathers never really get a chance as we try and keep them away due to the rotten mud fever - she suffers all year round mainly because of her Cushings.
 
newforest said:
http://db.tt/Nht2dn3N


The name feather must have originated from somewhere if anyone wants to search.
Click to expand...

I think it's just because they look feathery.

This is what the OED says (it's about feathering, not feather, but you can see how one could come from the other):

. In various concrete senses: The plumage of birds; the feather of an arrow; feather-like structure in the coat of an animal.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 219/1 Fedderyng of a shafte.
1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 57 The Beauty of whose Shells..is as remarkable as the diversity of Feathering in Birds.
1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xxi. 268 The ptarmigan shows a singular backwardness in assuming the summer feathering.
1875 G. W. Dasent Vikings I. 46 An arrow on which a golden thread was twisted in the feathering.
1885 Cent. Mag. 31 121 His [the Irish setter's] coat..where it extends into what is technically known as feathering, is like spun silk in quality.
1891 J. L. Kipling Beast & Man in India viii. 199 In Indian horse lore the set of these featherings..ending sometimes in circles or whorls, are all mapped out like currents on a mariner's chart.
 
Ah, here's the entry for feather.

Although the horse quote seems to be more about whorls, doesn't it? It looks from this as if it was applied to dogs first in our sense.

eather

III. Something resembling a feather.

b. On horses: (see quot. 1803). Also on other animals.
1566** T. Blundeville Arte of Rydynge (rev. ed.) i. ii. f. 3, in Fower Offices Horsemanshippe,** The horse that hath an Ostriche fether..on his forheade..can neuer be euill horse.
1598** J. Florio Worlde of Wordes,** Circhiello, that which is called a feather in a horse.
1607** G. Markham Cavelarice ii. 7** Euery horse..hath a feather in his fore-head.
1682** London Gaz. No. 1692/4,** A light Grey Nag..a Feather in the..Neck.
1740** H. Bracken Farriery Improv'd (ed. 2) II. i. 7** Feathers, or different Turnings of the Hair, in several parts of a Horse's body.
1803** W. Taplin Sporting Dict. 248** Feather. The Centrical division, and different directions, of the surrounding hair in a horse's forehead is so called: they are also frequently seen upon the neck..the mane, and..the hind quarters, and are considered natural ornaments.
1878** C. Hallock Amer. Club List & Sportsman's Gloss. p. iv/2** Feather, the long, flowing hairs which adorn the legs of a dog.
1883** G. Stables Our Friend the Dog vii. 60** Feather, the long hair on chest, legs, and tail, &c., of some breeds. The hair generally.
1897** Outing 30 413/1** The coat [of the Russian wolfhound] is long.., forming a liberal ‘feather’ upon the legs, chest, belly and hindquarters.
1914** N.Z. Farmer Apr.,** Although the General Trend of the hair [sc. on the part between the hock and the vulva of a cow] is in an ascending direction there are variations on certain points where changes in the direction of the growth makes the hair stand up on ridges, sometimes forming figures. These variations are called feathers. There are in all seven feathers. 1 The Oval feather. 2 The Buttock feather. 3 The Babine feather. 4 The Vulvous feather. 5 The Bastard feather. 6 The Thigh feather. 7 The Dart feather.
1942** ‘M. Innes’ Daffodil Affair i. 30** ‘A nice dog,’ Appleby said... Mr. Gee swung round. ‘Dish-faced,’ he said... ‘Cow-hocked. No feather. Apple-headed. Pily’.
1954** E. Megargee Dog Dict. 47** There is abundant feather on the chest, belly, hindquarters, and legs [of a field spaniel].
 
It mentions ascending direction, her back ones grow horizontal and short and bushy.
I blame the parents myself. :giggle:
 
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