Clipping advice needed from the experts!

[pottamus]

I have decided to clip some hair off my boy this year as last year he kept getting sweaty and was worried about him getting a chill when put back outside. This year I need to keep him pretty fit over the winter ready for some endurance rides starting in Feb...
He has never been clipped before so we want to take the minimum off and see how he goes as we can always take a bit more off for the second clip.
I was just thinking and being a worried mother...but if I give him a low neck and bib clip will he a) need a neck cover on his rug and b) will this be enough for him to stay a bt cooler during exercise?
He is a native but wears a rug in winter and will be in at night. Thanks!

 

[KatB]

You should be fine with a nice warm rug without a neck cover if hes in at night, and should certainly reduce the sweatyness as thats the sweatiest area!! May find you might have to take it to a low trace or chaser, but should be fine to start with and see how you get on!!

 

[mistymoo]

I fully clip my standardbred and never use a neck rug (she's hard as nails thou!!!). I hate neck rugs as they always seem to rub out manes, i do like the half neck rambo/rhino rugs thou, keep them warmer and had one for 3 years and sold it still going strong!

Also i'd go for a chaser type clip, if he's native he'll be fine.

 

[Ashf]

If he is prone to dropping his condition in the winter, then clipping him will make it worse and push your feed bill up if he's not rugged properly.

We have a rug with a built in neck cover for Ebony which is fine and didn't rub her mane, but I got a masta neck cover given for Jessie which attached to the loops on her saxon rug and it rubbed a good part of her mane away

 

[threeponies]

You won't need a neck cover if he's in at night. My Highland had a blanket clip last winter and wore an ordinary turnout rug.

 

[MagicMelon]

If he's a native, you shouldn't need to worry too much! If its just a low bib clip then I wouldnt say he needs a neck cover at all. You can if you like but he's a native so probably should be fine. Last year my TB and native got hunter clips. The TB obviously had full neck rugs on all winter but the native just had a standard (cosy) turnout rug, although I had an attachable neck which I did put on when the weather was blowing a blizzard but he wasnt cold once! Oh and they all lived out 24/7 through the whole winter (yes, even the TB).

Stable rug wise - Id say just a usual stable rug, no neck necessary but I guess you can get a full neck which you can flip down or up depending on how cold it gets.

It really depends how woosy he is! I didnt find a bib clip enough for any of my horses (who are show jumped all winter), maybe a high bib clip would be better. But like you say, do a low one and see how he is. If he needs more then take it off.

 

[MagicMelon]

Darn it, I meant mine get TRACE clips NOT hunter clips (I always get those two mixed up, for goodness sake Ive been clipping for like years now and still dont get the terminology correct!)

 

[pottamus]

Thanks for the advice guys, will keep him as is then in his medium turnout and see how we go. Did not really want a neck cover anyway because I hear horra stories of them rubbing manes and he has a full flowing mane and would like to keep it that way!!!
Stencilbum...no he is definately not the type to loose condition...last year he managed to put on a bit of weight!!! He lives off thin air and thrives off nothing...just he is a bit of a wimp for a native and likes his rug on!

 

[Ashf]

Jessie is the same for the pies. We left her on the grass in the field last winter and Happy Hoof to give her the vitamins and minerals. She was clipped and rugged in November, and come Christmas I took the opportunity to stick both Jessie and Ebony on the scales @ Hartpury when we were there for a show.

Jessie is 13:2hh and tipped the scales at 475kg

Ebony is 15:3hh and tipped the scales at 445kg

Suffice to say, Jessie has been on a diet ever since and has lost a few kg over the summer

 

[sojeph]

2 of my natives had a bib and belly last year and lived out 24/7 with no rug on at all. I would have thought he would be fine without a neck cover on.