Clipping a companion pony.

L

loopylouise12

Member
Joined
23 May 2015
Messages
11
Visit site
What are peoples thoughts on clipping a companion pony. His coat is like a sheepskin rug, he 16 years old, a tad on the 'looking well' side and spends his days charging round the field mainly annoying or trying to heard my TB x Connemara mare. He gets horrendously hot quickly as not in any work due to an old injury, ie not fit and takes an age to dry off, same if it rains. He has light weight rugs to keep the worst off and a rhino wug in 200g if it gets into the minus temperature range as it quite often does. I try to under rug him normally as he such a hairy good doer. I was just wondering should i clip him to try and keep him more comfortable plus easier to clean, rug etc. What are peoples thoughts.
 
I have been having the same thougths about my retired pony, he is basically a companion to daughter's horse now as too stiff to ride, and also a hairy good doer. With the recent mild weather he has been sweating up overnight a bit, so we may give him a bit of a low neck & belly clip. However due to stiffness (and greed :)) he tends not to chase around in the field, so less of an issue for us than you. My main worry is that we'll clip him and it will promptly freeze, but I guess that's what rugs are for...
 
If the pony is uncomfortable and getting sweaty, I would give him a small bib clip, just the gullet area and finish it between his front legs. I used to do this to my elderly pony, she grew a massive winter coat, was never rugged but would sweat up just grazing in the paddock.
 
When my old girl grew a yak coat, I clipped her whole body from the neck down, leaving the head and legs on. You could almost see the relief on her face as the coat came off. She was much happier and even in foul weather never needed more than 200g. Her skin improved too.
 
I do my fat companion pony as she too resembles some sort of yak! She sweats just stood in her stable unless it's really cold and I also like to keep her body using calories to burn fat! Sadly she's horrid to clip and I have to wait till after Christmas when she has her teeth done so I can do it whilst she's sedated!! She doesn't speak to me for days afterwards but she's definitely cooler.....
I just do a bib-type clip (chest, between front legs and back to where the girth would go) and half a head as her chin hair gets in the way!! :D
Forgot to add that I still don't rug her - never found her to be cold yet...
 
We gave our companion pony a bib and belly clip this year. She has cushings and gets incredibly hairy. Because her coat is so thick she takes 2 days to dry out if she gets wet and as she is about 28 I worry about her getting cold if her coat is wet for days. She is also a nightmare to clip so we do it in October while she is sedated for her teeth. If I'd realised this winter was going to be so mild I'd have clipped off more as it all growing back now!
 
Super thanks everyone. When hes going for it he sweats everywhere face, back legs! HE is a total wind up merchant for the others. Im tempted to give him a blanket clip and see how he gets on. I know my old girl used to love being clipped to take off her ridiculous coat, I was just worried that it would seem unnecessary as hes not in work. But whilst grooming him today after him getting wet on Sunday hes still damp in places and you never really get him clean as his coat is so thick. Boiler suit at the ready!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top