Am giving up on the hairies: gonna clip this weekend

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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OK so this autumn decided to do the "natural" thing for my two and they've been turned out without anything on!!! (apart from traddie-man who has to wear his sweet-itch robe!).

So they've been out 24/7, and its been total bliss......... no mucking out, no rugs to faff around with and have to make decisions over, just two "naked" horses.

Today, went for a ride with a friend. We were out for two and a half hours and did a fair bit of canter work. Result: two sweaty frothy horses on return! And the problem of what to do with them. Mare wasn't so bad, coz she never is, but traddie-man has a coat like a thatched cottage and was literally dripping, poor lad.

So that's it, all the autumn resolutions to leave them out, hairy, all through the winter, whilst at the same time trying to keep them fit and in work, have been banished.

Have got friend with clippers coming (hopefully) this weekend....... traddie is having the full works, legs the lot; mare is having a chaser clip as she doesn't grow a huge coat.

Then on with the rugs!!!

(Then wait for the cold weather, as it ALWAYS gets cold after clipping!).

Anyone else started the autumn off resolute that they were going "au naterel" but now given up on their hairies and itching to get going on the the clippers??
 
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Me!! My coloured was dripping after his lesson and took a while to cool off, I am often on a schedule, so will clip the lot off both boys and rug accordingly! The mare can get as hairy as she likes, she is not worked, nor rugged.. I hate rugs though, they really are the worst bit of winter!! The faffing they entail, dripping with mud and when you remove the blasted things you get plastered too. I refuse to use full necks though, they always rub my welsh so he ends up looking stupid...horses survived with full clips without neck rugs before!! I suspect I will be branded cruel again this weekend as well as the coloured will be full clipped and he lives out, this has shocked a couple of other liveries before - he has a rug on for god's sake, why does it matter if he's stabled or not?? and he's always nice and comfy under the rug when he is checked, so where's the problem? Too many people humanising their horses if you ask me.
 
Never understood why the legs get clipped, don't they get cold legs as not covered? Especially if lying down on wet grass..... I have yet to do full clip but have whipped some off to try to help ....may full clip soon but leave half head and legs on.
 
My clydie x was out naked until this weekend past, I also gave up on the au natural look and gave her a blanket clip. She was so sweaty after exercise and was taking ages to dry so just went for the clip. She only has a rain sheet on for a bit of protection but I am pretty sure she could still be naked as it's been quite mild here and when I went to check on her at 10pm the other night and she was very toasty under her rain sheet!
 
I've clipped my hairy too! Last year by the time I'd finished teasing all the wet mud out of the fluff around the girth area I had no time left to ride, so the whole lot has come off this year.
 
maisie06 said:
I suspect I will be branded cruel again this weekend as well as the coloured will be full clipped and he lives out, this has shocked a couple of other liveries before - he has a rug on for god's sake, why does it matter if he's stabled or not?? and he's always nice and comfy under the rug when he is checked, so where's the problem? Too many people humanising their horses if you ask me.
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OOOOhhhhh!!!! my traddie/coloured boy is ALWAYS bunged out in the field after he's had a full clip. What's wrong with that FFS???? I clip mine primarily because he's got so MUCH hair that he's just struggling with it, and guess yours is the same too. Also as mine has Sweet Itch he just doesn't need a whole lot of hair to make him get hot with.

Plus I clip his legs as he gets really itchy and scabby down there so if he's clipped its so much easier than having to deal with four hairy legs that are basically like wet mops to deal with - nice clean clipped legs are SO much easier to manage, and no, it doesn't make him more susceptible to mud fever, you just bung on a proprietory brand and its so much easier to keep an eye on what's happening. Farrier prefers it too! (i.e. vital, keep farrier happy:))
 
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