clipping in summer

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cpendle

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My 4 year old is still really woolly and is getting very hot when worked. I'm wondering whether I should clip him?

I've never had a horse that needed to be clipped in summer before. If I go down this route when should it be done?

I'm not sure how long to wait? He is still shedding hair - do you think he might just be late in turning his coat?

Any advice much appreciated!
 
I'd wait a bit longer before going down the clipping route at this time of year. If you clip him now his coat probably won't be it's best for the rest of the year.
 
Hang on a bit - a couple of mine are still shedding coats - does he have any native blood in him? My 3 yr old warmblood hasn't quite lost all her coat yet. As Nadine said, if you clip him now then his coat will not look good. Also, don't forget he will get hot as the weather has warmed right up.
 
Dont clip you will ruin the coat, wait for nature to do its thing
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I never understand the "ruin the coat" idea of clipping in the summer. This is only a problem if you show as obviously they need a nice coat for that. I have clipped all year round before. Last year I clipped my TB x Luso out all summer as he got sweaty eventing. I have also JUST this moment come in from clipping 2 of my veteran natives! One is 20, the other 18 and because they're older they take ages to shed and the 20 yr old never loses his tummy hair. They were actually sweating today it was so warm, so one got a trace, the other a full body (kept legs). They have been zooming about since so I assume they're more comfortable!

If yours is a heavy type who generally sweats quite often / a lot and you dont show then Id personally clip him.
 
My old boy HAD to be clipped today. He is a native and due to the hot weather was very hot and sweaty so it seemed kinder to clip him (full clip). I've never clipped in the summer before but he really needed it because he was hanging on to his thick winter coat. He looked much happier when I turned him back out minus his coat!!
 
Blanket clipped my veteran yesterday as he was getting very sticky even without doing any work.

Its rubbish to say clipping will ruin the coat. Ive clipped countless competition, hunt and show horses over the years, some of them every 3 or 4 weeks and not one has had a problem.
 
I clipped out my friends very hairy cob on Friday as he gets very hot. He must feel so much better and his coat will grow back ok. Going back next week to do the other.
 
Clipped mine yesterday, he is a TB cross. Wasnt fair on him to be stood in the field sweating, and with the amount of coat he had I would have felt guilty asking him to gallop round a XC course. He looks and feels alot better for it now! Though have to put a fly rug on in the field to stop him from burning his white patchs!!!
 
clipped our 18 year old today- he'd grown a really long summer coat. as KatB said, it wasn't fair for him to be stood sweating- he looks so much better for it and loved his hot ragging afterwards!
 
Clipping does in some ways 'ruin the coat'.
If you clip late, when your horse has started growing his summer coat, you clip off the pointy smooth ends of the hairs...and leave the summer coat less shiney when it does come through (because it has blunt ends) - so not advisable if you intend to show with a full summer coat.
On the other hand, clipping doesn't do anything to the hair follicles, so doesn't do anything harmful to them - and if you're going to keep clipping throughout the year then it won't matter about the summer coat ends.
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hi all just wondering re clipping in summer does it make them easier to be eaten by flies? mine wears a fly rug but it cant pritect the underside?
 
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