Clipping a horse in light work, opinions?

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LauraL23

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Due to work committments i am only going to be able to ride my horse about twice a week this winter, and this is only going to be hacking. He lives out all year round and is a cob/native type who has always been a fairly good doer. Normally i would not bother clipping a horse in this amount of work but due to him being unrugged until now and the weather we have had he has grown a really thick coat, meaning whenever he is ridden he sweats alot. Today he was hacked in walk for no more than half an hour and was very sweaty all over his neck and around his saddle area. Previous years he has always had at least a trace clip but this is the first year where he will be doing less work.

Would you clip a horse that was only going to be doing light hacking max twice a week? I am always short for time so it is not really going to be possible to wait for him to fully dry out before returning him to his field and i have no access to warm water to sponge him off with.

Would be grateful of any opinions? :)
 
I would probably do a modified chaser clip so that he does not get too sweaty under his elbows and neck. I gather from your comment that he is unrugged at the moment means you will be rugging when the weather changes.
 
Sorry should have been more clear, i have just started rugging him! last night was the first night he wore a light fil turnout as the temperature dropped so much and it had been wet i gave in and rugged him! Rugs are not an issue, like most horse owners i seem to have aquired quite a collection!!
 
I certainly would clip. If you have enough rugs then its better for him to be comfortable when worked surely, than hot and sweaty.
My boy is in fairly light work and I clip him otherwise he is too hot to rug, therefore is always too muddy or wet to tack up.
Do whatever works for you and your horse :)
 
defo clip! my mare is 27, out all yr round and only in light work now but due to a thick coat she has a blanket clip! she gets very sweaty, so I don't want her getting sores that I can't see because its hidden under so much fluff!
 
I'd clip even in light work, we have one who gets sore spots very easily from sweating when working, even if you brush her off thoroughly, and clipping makes life so much easier.
 
ive clipped mine, a sort of trace taking half of the head and neck and going back behind the line of the girth and she is in a lightweight nz and is hacked 5 or 6 times a week for an hour or so...
 
If he is sweating, then really he needs a clip, especially when living out, or you end up with problems drying him to put his rug back on and get him out again.. I would start with a trace and see how he does with that - with my hot, sweaty mare that is fine for general hacking, she needs more off as she gets fitter/doing more work.. I always take of the minimum that I need to for them to be comfortable in the work they're doing, and leave them warm when out, rather than taking too much off and having them cold/loaded up with rugs in the field when I'm only doing light work..
 
I'd clip, my mare is in similar work, maybe 3-4 times a week but just light hacking but cause she's hairy she's sweating and aside from the drying long hair thats all sweaty has got to catch slightly in their girth so the horse is going to be more comfortable if given a clip. You can always just take of the lower neck and belly to start with.
 
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