clipping hairy sweet itch pony now?

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Jericho

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23 yr old pony has had winter off and although he has been rugged all winter has grown a huge yak like coat (he was traced clipped at the beginning of November to keep him cool when he was working then). He hates being hot, gets very scurfy and also suffers from sweetitch albeit quite mildly. I suspect most of his scratchiness comes from being hot. However when it rains/windy he gets cold quickly and loses condition due to his age. He is now coming back into light work and is getting hot after only a minute or so of trotting. Left his rug off today as was quite mild and he proceeded to scratch mane and tail a lot and his coat was coming out in handfuls. With his work load increasing and off to PC events I am toying with actually clipping him out completely - 1) to keep him cool, 2) to reduce the itchiness 3) hopefully do away with the copious amounts of hair coming off him and 4) reduce scurf. I wont leave him unrugged as he will scratch with no rug and also will lose condition from the colder nights etc. We wont be showing and clipping him out will actually help with keeping him cleaner, cooler and I can actually see how his condition is without the massive coat. Do you think this would work for him? Anyone clip out moulting winter coat for convenience or for sweetitch sufferers?
 
I have a similar problem with my traddie mammoth (with SI) who grows a coat you could use as a fire-rug.

Also have had an oldie who we clipped out at odd times coz he'd had cushings - and he'd always get boiling hot because of his coat, poor old lad, so we clipped him out and rugged him up well and he was a lot more comfy.

Personally I'd say clip yours out, legs & all; but I'd be inclined to just wait a few days as I think this cold snap is due to end mid-week? It is a tad chilly at the mo, IMO, to clip out an oldie...... which is why I suggest you wait just a few days to see if it does get any warmer.

I'll probably do mine in the very near future too :)

Sorry forgot to say that you can always bung on a sweet itch hoody rug UNDERNEATH the normal turn-out rug, so you don't need to worry about them getting bitten AND can keep them warm. Sorry you probably already know this, grandmother/sucking eggs etc!!
 
Did my 16 yr old shettie yesterday. Everything except his legs. I have put a 400 gm turnout on to replace his humungal woolly coat! ( It was 0° here last night) when the temperature goes above 8° I'll put his Boett on and a lower fill rug.
 
I am about to clip out my 2 retired natives, as they having Cushings and have put up the most enormous winter coats, which they then struggle to shed in the Spring and get so hot and itchy when the weather improves.

They will be much happier clipped out and it is easier for me to see how they are doing weight wise. :)
 
Thank you all - I decided to go ahead and clip today (would have preferred to wait a little longer but this was my only free day before he is off to PC clinic on Saturday.)

He certainly looks a lot smarter and I was pleased to see that under all that coat he is very shiny and looking really well. I dont think he was too impressed with being a lot cooler at the moment so he has two rugs on tonight but come the warmer weather and during exercise I am sure he will feel a lot better.

I have a question about clipping though as I have always left legs on. As he is quite a traditional type (hairy feathers etc) after clipping his body out he looked ridiculous with massive fluffy legs so started on them. I havent ever clipped legs before and at the moment they are looking a little emmmm chopped particularly around fetlocks. Sadly my clippers were struggling at this point and light was fading so I stopped and will finish job tomorrrow. ANy tips on clipping out hariry legs properly? Perhaps I should start a new thread on clipping hairy legs!!
 
Yes I always have my traddie boy's legs clipped as well. You'll probably find a whole load of horrid cr@ppy scurfy stuff under there; so be prepared for a shock!

Mine hates his legs being done; which is why I always pay someone to clip him out, and then stand and bribe him with rattling some cubes into a bucket very slowly while she clips! It works for us........ speed and dexterity being of the essence.
 
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