Clipping in February

JennBags

JennBags

HHOSS Wonder Woman
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My old boy is an absolute woolly mammoth. I haven't clipped him this year as he's been out of work for so long, but I've just started bringing him back into work, and he is sweating up already, even in (what is supposed to be) walk work.

When I got to the yard this evening, he was dripping in sweat under his MW rug, which gives me even more desire to clip him :rolleyes:

So, I know you're not supposed to clip so late in the season, but I don't know why :confused:

Can anyone enlighten me, or tell me that it's really OK to clip now?
 
I feel exactly the same, wish I had clipped earlier. I won't do it now because my boy is moulting and I have heard that it will ruin his summer coat. Getting covered in grey hair every day is not my idea of fun, especially when its windy and grooming him causes me hair in eyes, mouth and its hard to groom with your eyes scrunched closed and mouth tightly shut. Must look a right idiot!!
 
Is he starting to moult at all, if he is then his summer coat is growing under his winter one. If you clip now you risk ruining his summer coat.

Of course is you dont show in summer it doesn't really matter.

Personally I would try to just get the coat out. Rugging, grooming and I have always been told leaving the light on longer to simulate longer days should work.
 
Ruins their summer coat, just don't rug him up,if he's got a thick coat as 4 of mine haven't been rugged at all this winter and look great and the only one I have is my mare who suffers from sweet itch and it has been very warm this week,so why did you think he needed rugging?
 
The reasons not to clip are only cosmetic. In your case, clipping your horse will make him happier and more comfortable, so I'd say go for it!

I know some horses (hairy beasties) that are clipped all year round to make them more comfortable. It does no harm at all other than (possibly) affecting the coat ... but I suppose that depends how good you are at clipping!

If he's sweating up, can't you move him in to a lighter rug? Mine has been naked since Wednesday because it's been so much warmer.
 
rockysmum said:
Is he starting to moult at all, if he is then his summer coat is growing under his winter one. If you clip now you risk ruining his summer coat.

Of course is you dont show in summer it doesn't really matter.
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OK, that's what I thought, but I don't show him so no problems there ;)

Echo Bravo said:
Ruins their summer coat, just don't rug him up,if he's got a thick coat as 4 of mine haven't been rugged at all this winter and look great and the only one I have is my mare who suffers from sweet itch and it has been very warm this week,so why did you think he needed rugging?
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EB, I know where you're coming from, but believe me, I am not an over-rugger, I don't rug for the sake of it - at my yard (of almost 40 horses) I'm known as the one that takes rugs off first in the spring & puts them on last in the autumn! However, he's a funny chap, he gets warm very quickly but also gets cold very quickly, he's actually quite a difficult horse to keep at a good temperature.
 
I clip mine again about now as it saves weeks of being coated in white fluff - one is a cob and her coat is about 4 inches deep if left and then she gets hot as she can't shed it fast enough so then itches and scratches herself raw to bleeding so definitely better to clip her (she is unrugged as much as possible as well:o)*felt the need to add the explanation to stop being told I am wrong....:rolleyes:*

My WB will be clipped again in the next week or so - then his summer coat will grow through:)

My cobs coat grows like the proverbial weed:rolleyes: the WB not as fast but both are 'hot' horses and it has never affected their coats badly:)
 
Theocat said:
I know some horses (hairy beasties) that are clipped all year round to make them more comfortable. It does no harm at all other than (possibly) affecting the coat ... but I suppose that depends how good you are at clipping!

.
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Our show cob is fully clipped all year round, it makes it easier to keep her clean and she looks great, she is black and white. How well it works depends on the colour of the horse, my other bay cob looks absolutely dreadful fully clipped in summer, instead of his beautiful dappled bay coat he looks a dull dun colour.

It really only works if the horse is hogged and legs trimmed, otherwise you can tell they have been clipped.

Only real problem it ever causes is sunburn on the white bits where the skin is pink. I have to use a fly rug and sunscreen in very hot weather. And you have to use a lightweight turnout if the weather turns bad.
 
Theocat said:
The reasons not to clip are only cosmetic. In your case, clipping your horse will make him happier and more comfortable, so I'd say go for it!

I know some horses (hairy beasties) that are clipped all year round to make them more comfortable. It does no harm at all other than (possibly) affecting the coat ... but I suppose that depends how good you are at clipping!

If he's sweating up, can't you move him in to a lighter rug? Mine has been naked since Wednesday because it's been so much warmer.
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Thanks, as it's just cosmetic I think the clippers will be out this weekend. His rug came off as soon as I got to the yard tonight & realised he'd sweated up (he would have been fine in the field, just got too warm once he came in), and he's just got his thermatex on tonight. He'll be back in his LW tomorrow morning. It's hard as I chuck them out at 6am, and have no idea what the temperature's going to be like all day - someone else brings them in for me, and I get there about 7.30 to check on them.
 
clip away. it will not effect/affect his coat, but does do away with the moult. a MW with a full coat is probably making him too hot, and itchy. dont forget the old (yes old) saying of never clipping after jan was when we had autumn in sept, winter in nov/dec and spring by end of feb/march. the seasons have changed somewhat! and trying to work a horse in full coat in reasonable temps will result in a hairy sweaty smelly itchy mess! which you have to try to sponge off, towel and get comfortable before you whack your MW rug back on. CLIP!!!!
 
I just clipped my laddie, I know I am in Spain, but, the cold snap has ended and he was sweating. I do it every year. Just before he starts to lose his winter coat. He grows a great summer coat, so go for it.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I thought it was cosmetic only, but didn't want to do it & then find out there was some other reason :eek: Clippers out tomorrow :)

EchoBravo, "she" is not going to justify anymore why "she" was rugging her horse in what "she" felt was appropriate for "her" horse.
 
I put a similar thread on CR this week! I've just clipped my two again. You are a lot further south than me, and spring comes earlier there (used to live in Brighton!) so you may have a different scenario. I was always taught that you could clip until the end of Feb, other people said late Jan.

I did a facebook poll, and most people around me are still clipping.
 
I've done a full clip on my tbx today (though no-one told him he's meant to be mostly tb clearly...was hairier than my cob!!). He was hairy as a yak which meant he was sweating when working then taking ages to dry after. I always clip about this time and have never had any ill effects from it - infact clipped him later last year and he had a lovely, shiny summer coat come through ready for showing over summer months!
 
I've clipped as late as the beginning of April before and my horse has always had a lovely glossy coat through the summer. If left unclipped he'd still be moulting in June, and he starts getting wooly late August.... just in case, you know! :)
 
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