The Horse Who Refuses To Have His Moustache Trimmed

First, I never knew horses could have moustaches. I don’t know what gave me that impression, maybe because I have never seen one grow, but then, I haven’t seen that many horses either. But even if you have spent your childhood in some old country farmhouse and grew up together with the horses, I’m pretty sure, you haven't seen a moustache as dandy as that on Alfie. At an impressive seven inches long when unfurled it is, his owners believe, the longest in Britain.

While most horses have their moustaches snipped every six months, his has been growing for five years and he is said to growl if stable hands try to give it a trim. Alfie, who is kept at stables in Bitton, near Bristol, is a very headstrong horse and is very proud of his moustache.

‘It was bizarre when I first saw it and my first inkling was we need to shave it off. But he does not let you anywhere near it. You have to be very brave to try and tackle his curls’, says stable manager Hayley Coxteth, 20.

Horses have whiskers around the muzzle to help them judge the distance of food and other objects, but moustaches are usually seen only in Friesian breeds.

Dave Prince, from the British Horse Society, said: 'Whilst some horses do develop moustache-like hair growths, they don't tend to be anywhere near as long or thick as this and are usually higher up the muzzle.

'I can't say whether this is any sort of record but it is certainly the thickest and longest I have ever seen. It would be interesting to see if anybody else has a horse that can rival it.'

[via DailyMail]