clipping for the wrong reasons (is it very wrong!)

S

swampdonkey

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 January 2009
Messages
573
Location
warwickshire
Visit site
My grey connie x is such a warm little horse if I put a no fill rain sheet on he sweats, although it is now quite chilly, raining and windy. I would prefer for him to have a rug on, but it is purely for selfish reasons,, i.e, I want him clean! and dry so that I can ride him.
Tried just a fly sheet and it helps a little with the dirt but obvs doesn't keep him dry.
I won't be working him that hard this winter as I am still recovering from broken sacrum so it would be for all the wrong reasons.
Would it be completely wrong to clip him or would you do it?
I am hoping he will live out all winter but do have stable if needed.
It is my first winter with him but he is a good doer.
 
You can just give him a minimal clip, just a bit off his neck and belly. If we're honest, keeping a horse to ride in the first place is for selfish reasons, if given the choice they would probably just want to wander round wild in a herd! (sorry, just kidding really!)

If you want to keep him clean and stop him getting too hot when rugged and when you ride him then clipping him is a sensible option. Go for it!
 
mine is the same tbh..........gets too hot with a rug (and hates wearing them anyhow)! - gets majorly sweaty when worked etc...

so i igave her a fulll clip :o and now shes in a 140 with a neck... and just right in terms of warmness :)
 
I shall be having mine clipped in next week or two as I will be working him well in the winter, and the fact he is a grey and likes to lay in his own poo I too cannot wait to clip the hairy monster to keep him clean lol :p

I am giving him a full clip too, but head left on as he doesn't like his head being touched much, was going to trim his feathers but will be leaving on for the winter.
 
I agree with the others above. Clip away some fur and put a rug or two on depending on the temperature. He will be fine and on mild days will actually feel much nicer I reckon. I always clip, otherwise, it's like asking your horse to do a workout with a massive coat on. Now that is unfair!!
 
hessy12 said:
I agree with the others above. Clip away some fur and put a rug or two on depending on the temperature. He will be fine and on mild days will actually feel much nicer I reckon. I always clip, otherwise, it's like asking your horse to do a workout with a massive coat on. Now that is unfair!!
Click to expand...

Ditto
 
I have given my pony a full clip......everything apart from face (can't get near it) and legs has come off.....She isn't in regular work, but she gets ridden occasionally, comes in every night, and has a nice selection of rugs to wear to compensate.....I don't feel mean at all......
 
I clip my grey mare who only gets ridden once or twice a week because
1) she is easier to keep clean = rugged so less mud scraping
2) dries quicker when washed so quicker to get ready for shows lessons etc
3) generally looks smarter
4) dry when I want to ride
5) she is a hot mare who sweats when ridden and gets uncomfortable if in full coat and even a lw.
6) less winter to moult White hairs everywhere come spring!

If she looks well and it works for you, go for it
 
I give my shetland (who is never ridden!) a trace clip at this time of year - she grows such a thick coat and is a filthy mare who lies in any pee/poo patch she can find. As a result her stomach hair is permanently soaking and stinks - it even get matted when bad enough. Hence clipping it off keeps her so much more comfortable - she loves it. She gets a hunter clip in the spring too as she gets so hot and fed up over the summer.
 
I've full clipped one of my ponies that is unlikely to do any work over the winter - he grows a very thick coat and is very hot all the time, as in was too warm last winter to rug even when it was -10, and also gets rainscald and manky skin conditions if he's left unrugged as its ideal warm and wet conditions down by his skin for things to fester.
 
I used to clip all mine right out if they worked, even my daughter's ponies had full clips, legs, heads, the lot.

So much easier, they had the appropriate clothing, and yard rules meant that they were stabled anyway, besides that I like the look of clipped horses, damp, sweaty horses in winter are a pain.

As I am a bolshy mare I could never have cared less whether people thought I was doing right or wrong, my horses, my business, they never suffered so I don't see the problem.

I always think that if people want to clip, for whatever reason, then that's just fine and dandy by me, as long as the horse is managed accordingly then I see no harm in it.

Magic Melon, like you I used to clip the ponies out in Springtime too.
 
Rowreach said:
OP it sounds to me like you are clipping for all the right reasons :)
Click to expand...

Totally agree my very good doer will live out with appropriate rug and have neck and belly off so that she is comfortable for a couple of lazy hacks a week.
 
I am seriously considering slipping my shetlands this year even if its just a neck and belly.

One of them sweats even when no rug and out all the time. They will come in at night to dry off (suffers from rain scold so has a very thin summer rain mack rug to keep him dry them off at night while in) and he just ends up in a mass of sweat and matted hair.

The other one is being ridden regularly now and is already getting hot under the girth so again I am thinking take it off to keep him comfortable. It wouldn't do either of them any harm to shiver a bit of fat off either.

The old boy can get as hairy as he likes but he doesn't tend to as he is well rugged.
 
I wouldn't think twice about clipping him, rugs are so good these days they come in a huge range of fillings and there is absolutely no reason at all why a clipped horse can't still live out if rugged properly! My working horse is hunter clipped as it's convienient for me to have him clean, dry and ready for when he is ridden which is 5-6 times a week.
My 4 year old who lives out 24/7 and will be in light work will have a low trace this winter, so he is more comfy and I don't have to wait ages for him to dry and risk a chill.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top