Clipping horse in March?

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melissa7793

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My mare has really been sweating alot when worked recently, she is half clipped but where shes not, she is sweating alot, she hasnt started molting yet, and we will be competeing alot more soon and i dont really want her overheating. Have a left it too late to full clip her? and what damage will i do if i was to clip her this late?
 
I'd like to know too. Our 12.2 is trace clipped & has been going out naked the last few days, however, she's very hairy & is only just starting to moult.

A few others in the pony club have clipped theirs out completely & rugged accordingly. I used to think this was a no no, but am beginning to think it makes sense, as ponies can hang on to their coats till the end of May, beginning of June & there'll be some hot days between now & then.
 
I clipped my horse out last weekend, previous clip was a blanket, I normally do my last clip mid Feb, but with the snow and lack of work I've put it off. He'd only grown cat hairs around his "blanket". He's not moulting yet but will hang onto his winter woolies until May if left unclipped! I persnonally don't think his summer coat will be spoilt, I think a lot of horses will moult later this year as the weather has been so cold.
 
I think that not clipping at certain times of the year is an outdated concept. I clip all year round and no matter when it is if I don't clip for say one month the coat returns to its usual state for the time of year. I would rather have a comfortable horse that is easy to keep clean than a sweaty one with a 'natural coat'. Perhaps the idea of not clipping after a certain time came from the days when hunters were turned out to grass and roughed off. With modern rugs there is no need to do this now as there is always a suitable rug for whatever the climate throws at us. If the horse is getting hot now then clip it and its natural coat for whatever season it is will come through anyway. Incidentally I clip my dogs too to stop them getting hot in the summer and their natural coats have never changed either.
 
I will be full clipping my shettie this weekend as he as cushings and never really sheds his coat even before cushings he would never really shed it fully untill june.
My cob mare always gets a clip around now even though she is shedding hers like mad, she as always had a summer coat a TB would be proud of in the winter.
She can sweat quite heavily on hot days when I ride her so always try to go early or later in the day when it's not so warm, so keeping her clipped does help her while she still has a thicker coat than most in the spring and early summer keeps her more comfortable.
 
Unless you are showing at county + level then there is no problem with clipping at any time of year.

The tale about not clipping after the turn of the year is to preserve a perfect summer coat for showing - all the hair ends taper to a fine point rather than end bluntly. This won't matter if you are only local showing. Nor will it matter for working hunter etc. when the judges will expect the pony to be clipped to work in the winter.

Otherwise - clip if you need to. Why let ned suffer in his winter woolies if it is not appropriate to the work he is being asked to do.
 
yup clip it. I have the same problem with my welshie, blanket most of the year but takes so long to use it that its v warm (has been a few days recently) that he sweats buckets so I took it all off a couple of weeks ago...... still not started moulting ;)
 
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