Care of mature cedar hedge

Orangeville, ON(Zone 4b)

Hello!
Hoping someone could help here before I let DH have his way with the hedge trimmers this coming weekend. We moved to a property last year that has 20ft tall cedar hedging on a good portion of the perimeter. The cedars appear to be in good health and are teeming with wildlife. I would like to know how we should go about pruning these cedars considering that they haven't been pruned in nearly a decade with the exception of one portion being cut away by the electric company (growth too close to hydro lines) according to a neighbour. The growth is definitely unruly in many places with thicker branches jutting out.
I live in a hamlet called Cedar Valley in Ontario zone 5a ....so when and how to tackle this would be most helpful. I guess it wouldn't hurt to know the proper name of these cedars as well.
Here are some pics to give you an idea.

Many thanks,
Erynne

Thumbnail by Erynne
Orangeville, ON(Zone 4b)

a bit closer

Thumbnail by Erynne
Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

They look like arborvitae Thuja. Definitely not cedars Cedrus.

Arborvitae can only be cut back small amounts if you want them to regenerate; regrowth only develops from green shoots. Cut back into brown-barked shoots, and you'll be left with a permanent bare patch. So proceed with care!

Resin

Orangeville, ON(Zone 4b)

Thanks Resin! I'm glad I asked first and I think I shall do the pruning in this case. And thanks for the name. I had no idea about what I had here and was going by what the neighbour was calling them. Well!
These things sure are monsters and DH said they are more like 30ft tall....whatever, I look up and I see big.
Time to do some homework and learn my trees.

Cheers,
Erynne

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