Clipping

[musical comedy]

Am I the only one here that body clips when the horse starts to grow a winter coat?

[Tsavo]

In Canada where we rode in a heated indoor, horses were clipped. I have not clipped since but maybe you work more than I was working my horse.

[DJR]

I clip as soon as I move mine to their winter boarding place (where I have access to an indoor arena). Mine are already getting shaggy but still manageable. I have a nice outdoor ring that has LED flood lights so we ride out there until the footing becomes impossible. I don't clip any of mine that stay at my place for the winter.

[Ponichiwa]

I clipped when I lived in Pittsburgh. Tried the full-body and trace clip options and preferred the full body clip for my guy that was in heavy work. Plus, it gave me an excuse to buy a ton of liners/coolers/quartersheets, which is always fun.

Now that I live in a much warmer spot, my horses don't really grow the same coat that they used to and I haven't needed to clip.

[tlkidding]

I clip - usually a high trace or blanket clip sometime in late October or November. I used to do it earlier and clip again at Christmas but didn't like how it looked or grew in/shed out the rest of the winter.

Last year was the first time I did a blanket clip and took the whole neck off. I'm in WI and the horses get 10+ hours of turnout every day. I don't trust my horse with a full neck blanket for daily wear (he's incredibly destructive), but I got one with a neck last year from SmartPak with the guarantee/replacement that I can use on exceptionally cold days and he wears Rambo Wugs the rest of the time.

[Chisamba]

I try to blanket early enough to avoid clipping but I have two that need clipping anyway. It just takes so.long to cool them after work if I dont control the fur.

[Hayburner]

Speaking of clipping, I have only ever clipped my horse that had Cushings. He grew a coat that came off like a fur blanket, ugh......I took his coat down all the way...

Is there a way to clip lightly? And not get all the way down to the hide? As in leave just a shorter coat?

I used a #10 wide blade.

[Ryeissa]

No, I never body clip. I might trace clip, but now my indoor is not heated.

[kande50]

Speaking of clipping, I have only ever clipped my horse that had Cushings. He grew a coat that came off like a fur blanket, ugh......I took his coat down all the way...

Is there a way to clip lightly? And not get all the way down to the hide? As in leave just a shorter coat?

I used a #10 wide blade.

Most companies make a "thick plucking" blade, but my experience with it has been that it leaves more, but still not enough. I used to clip my donkey in the direction of the hair growth and that left enough, but it wasn't as smooth a clip and I had to use really sharp blades.

[StraightForward]

I usually do a bib or a trace clip. I never bothered with Annabelle last winter as she doesn't grow much of a coat, but she'll be working more this winter, so if sweat becomes an issue, I'll clip her. She's still summer-slick though, so it will be a while.

Maya had really soft hair, so I could get a pretty nice job done going in the direction of the hair to leave it a little longer, so I'd say it depends on the horse's coat and the clippers/blades you're using. When I tried it on Obie, it was awful, and I had to just go against the hair to get a smooth clip.

[Srhorselady]

When we showed dogs we had Bedlington Terriers who don’t shed and have to be scissored and clipped. On the show dogs we would use clipper blades of 10, 15, and 40. A 40 is a surgical blade so the higher the number the shorter the cut. However, we would also use a 5 and a 7 blade for a longer clip to avoid having to scissor groom the dogs not being shown. So you could use a 5 or 7 blade but they will probably be hard to find in a wide blade. On the dogs who have a very fine (softer than poodle) cottony coat these blades did a decent longer clip. We used Oster A5 clippers.

[heddylamar]

Is there a way to clip lightly? And not get all the way down to the hide? As in leave just a shorter coat?

In her later years Joy was terrible about shedding out, and it gets hot early here. I'd fluff her winter hair up, then run the clippers over her with a steady hand, not touching her hide, just trimming the ends off the long winter coat. She was wiggly, so it could be a bit spotty but, she normally fully shed out by mid-June.

If you're looking for something neater, human clippers come with guards. You could use a guard a get a neat, full body one-length clip.

[Hayburner]

I have the Double K clippers. I'm going to start looking for a smaller number blade for it, and give it a try once she has her full winter coat. The barn I'm at is fairly warm most of the winter and they are really good about blanketing, But the indoor is not heated. She has every weight of blanket so I'm not worried about her getting cold.

[Hayburner]

Thanks heddylamar for the suggestion! I have a pair of oster human clippers that do have a blade guard, not sure if they still work or not as someone gave them to me.

[heddylamar]

I trace clipped Anzia when she was in heavy work, and will do the same with Maia this year. Both are blanketed and tend toward very light coats. I only clip once, normally in mid-November, and that's plenty to help cool out. Anzia gets her once a year face whisker trim then too.

I didn't bother clipping Maia last year -- we weren't doing too heavy of work yet -- and it worked out because first I injurred a hip, spent December-February in physical therapy, then broke a wrist a few days later.

[khall]

I do a modified trace clip of blanket clip for Rip and whoever needs clipping in the winter. Jo has no winter hair really so nothing for her. Gaila we will see this year. I leave the legs because my horses get TO so much during the winter. Blanketed when needed and only up with inclement weather (which means cold rain or the occasional snow storm, or high winds) I got new clippers last Christmas, now I need to learn how to use them! I've had the same pair of Oster Clipmasters for 30+ yrs.

[Kyra's Mom]

It depends for me. I usually do a trace or bib clip to help with cooling. I don't do a full body clip...Kyra is out 24/7 and we have a lot of wind so even with blankets, I would be hesitant to do a full body clip. My barn, other than feeding is pretty self service so when she is blanketed, you have to follow the weather reports pretty closely so you can get out there and adjust clothes accordingly.

I got to ride very little last winter since my back was messed up so she went au naturale. It was a fairly mild winter and she did fine. This winter I am probably going to leave her hairy for the winter. My plan is to continue working on MY fitness off the horse and maybe riding lightly 2-3 days a week. We won't work too hard so I doubt sweating will be an issue. Hopefully, late winter or early spring I will be able to start working on both our fitness and will probably do a clip and blanket her at that time.

Susan

[Josette]

I already started a trace clip on my guy. How extreme I make it will depend on the weather. I always blanket and add layers in the winter even though I only ride outdoors. He gets too sweaty in this current heat and humidity.

[Flight]

I have clipped before because 1/2 friesian furriness, but because I leave for work so early and come home late and random I can't do the rugging properly. We can get quite a temperature spread, so I have been leaving them furry and unrugged for as much of winter as possible.

[Sue B]

I do a bib or modified trace clip if need be, usually around Christmas time.

Have to add though, that I bought the "new" Rambo Dry Rug, which is like a sweatshirt for horses, made of microfiber, and I love it. Really dries the horse fast. Downsides, however, 1) sized small so that a medium fits my 15.3hh, short-coupled TB, 2) microfiber and shavings = big mess. Anyhow, I bought it on sale last year and now wish I had gotten a size lrg too for Tio.

[piedmontfields]

If my horse grew a winter coat, I would clip, as it just takes too long to cool out a sweaty horse. But my mare really doesn't grow much coat + she tends to get cold easily---so I don't.

Most do full clips here at my barn and then sheet/blanket appropriately (having staff helps). It is fairly common for horses to be clipped more than once per winter season.

[Chisamba]

My horses that live out I clip all the areas I can cover by blanket and leave the parts I dont cover hairy. I rarely clip top of neck or face or legs but my gypsy has to get his feather clipped in winter or it is a care nightmare. The feather freezes and I cannot get the ice out for days on end. Its not clean ice either.

[Fatcat]

I trace clip my driving pony as she puts on a yak coat. I'm trying to hold out for another month so she doesn't just grow it back in. My riding mare doesn't grow much coat so no clipping required.

[Moutaineer]

I shall be clipping within the next week or so. I'll probably do a blanket clip but I'm wavering about doing a hunter and not having quite so much shedding to deal with in the spring...

[StephanieM]

I body clipped a week ago!

[Moutaineer]

Well, that's that job done! I will now spend the next few days removing microscopic pieces of hair from unusual places...

[MysticOak]

Almost everyone I know does either trace, field, or full body clips! I trace clip in the Fall (by two are both trace clipped already), then go to a "field clip" (no leg clipping) once it is cold enough to leave a blanket on. Our days have huge temp fluctuations this time of year - it is in the mid or even low 40s in the morning, and into the mid 80s in the afternoon. The poor ponies are a sweaty mess if we don't clip them AND expect them to work!

[blob]

I used to always clip (full body with a fade into legs) and then blanket appropriately. Weather here is not super predictable (can be suddenly warm and suddenly chilly) and unclipped horses could easily get sweaty.

But, the barn I'm at now and have been for the past year doesn't blanket unless there is rain. I'm at the barn nearly every day, but I can't be sure that I will be there every single day and I definitely can't be there multiple times a day to adjust blanketing for day v. night. So, last year I let my mare stay unclipped and despite the fact that she looked like a shaggy goat (and sometimes a mud covered shaggy goat), I actually found it a big relief. I ended up worrying less because i wasn't worried if she got the RIGHT blanket for the occasion and instead trusted that her winter coat was designed to handle much harsher weather and to fluff up or down accordingly.

I have a second horse now and plan on leaving him unclipped also for the same reasons. Though, I'm not sure quite what his winter coat will be like. I'm hoping he's not one of those that barely gets anything at all.

ETA: I will clip in the spring, however, depending on weather. Weather usually gets very warm here before coats have time to shed out and our show season picks back up. Plus, it saves me coming home every day during shedding season covered in hair.