Clipping pros cons and cost?

Lintel

Lintel

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Thinking about getting the hairy monsters clipped- full bodies.
This is purely down to me not wanting to deal with the mass abundance of hair that they shed for weeks and weeks and weeeeeeeeeeeeks on end...
Neither have been clipped before so goodness knows how it would go!

What are the pros and cons and how much do you think a shetland and highland full body clip would cost?

More than happy for everyone to point out cons I realise being lazy isn't the best reason for clipping the boys!
Or any advice on how to deal with the torture of them shedding their coats would be appreciated :)
 
It takes me the best part of 2 hours to clip a Shetland at this time of year. Going over once with course blades to get rid of the worst of the coat then again with mediums to neaten it all up. I suspect a highland would be the same. I would charge £80 per pony for a full clip at this time of year on ponies that have never been clipped before.

As for shedding - birds come down and pluck my ponies coats out if there isn't enough on the ground to make their nests with. I groom them with a shedding blade at the first sign of moulting. And then with a black Lincoln grooming block once the coat gets a bit looser. No one else's grooming blocks work. You should have the majority of the coat out in 2 weeks weather dependent doing that.
 
I hate clipping but love a clipped horse so paying someone to do it is very appealing although I have no idea of cost now, I used to clip for money years ago never again,

Pros they don't sweat when ridden and keep cleaner, no hair shed in spring, mud comes off clipped hair much easier and they look smart.

Cons you need decent warm rugs and exercise rain sheets and rugs for cold weather riding, you do often get bald patches from rugs rubbing, the expense if you don't own your own clippers.
 
If your ponies are being worked they will probably be more comfortable being clipped, I wouldn't leave it too late though. I think £80 to clip a pony is rather expensive unless you're talking about a full clip including legs which wouldn't be recommended for a highland or a shetland. The cost in my area is around £35 - £40.
 
gallopingby said:
If your ponies are being worked they will probably be more comfortable being clipped, I wouldn't leave it too late though. I think £80 to clip a pony is rather expensive unless you're talking about a full clip including legs which wouldn't be recommended for a highland or a shetland. The cost in my area is around £35 - £40.
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Have you ever clipped a Shetland or highland in full winter glory?!? 😂😂😂 Its not a quick zip That's for sure! Plus they wreck blades.
 
I don't clip mine, but that means I also don't do anything very sweaty. Just clipping because you can't be bothered with shedding hair is a bit lazy, yes; but hey they're yours to do with as you will.

*Who on earth clips shetlands???
 
I think £80 probably is over the top but I don't think many people would clip for £40 at this time of year it will take the best part of 4 hours to do a decent/ professional job on them both, then at least 2 pairs of blades to get sharpened, I would expect to pay around £140 for both if the job is good.

I am one who would not clip purely to save the hair issue, the extra work involved dealing with rugs every day until the weather is warm enough would be worse in my view.
 
Cortez said:
*Who on earth clips shetlands???
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People who race them! The odd one I know hunts a full day but the majority won't do enough to justify more than a big clip at best. I haven't clipped any of mine this year though I do know people who clipped them out at the start of October so they have a good coat for the early shows. Pointless if you ask me as part of the breed description is having a thick double coat in winter - which you can't tell if they do or not if they have been stripped right down to the joints.
 
Thanks all so far. Nobody is in real work but it's like impending doom waiting for their coats to come out.

- and I have a rather large collection of rugs I have never uaed because I own a highland and shetland!
 
EKW said:
Have you ever clipped a Shetland or highland in full winter glory?!? 😂😂😂 Its not a quick zip That's for sure! Plus they wreck blades.
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Actually yes! Each unto their own..... if you have sharp blades and decent clippers it doesn’t take me two hours!
 
If you really don't want to deal with the hair coming out why not get them clipped in the spring when the weather improves, provided you don't show, of course. i used to do this with my elderly horse with cushings, he tended to hang on to his coat but struggled if it got warmer. A quick clip in april when the weather improved and he was sorted.
 
oldie48 said:
If you really don't want to deal with the hair coming out why not get them clipped in the spring when the weather improves, provided you don't show, of course. i used to do this with my elderly horse with cushings, he tended to hang on to his coat but struggled if it got warmer. A quick clip in april when the weather improved and he was sorted.
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I do that. Coarse blades are the key.
 
OP I have always clipped late feb/march, no fear of any coat coming out before then. #

I am also having a bit the same dilemma this year as he is not in work even if it's not me dealing with the hair, just because he is otherwise sooooo slow to lose any hair he gets too hot, and then he gets scabby.
I have currently shelved the decision making and will probably leave it up to the one who does have to deal with the hair.
 
I full clip my Sect A every Feb/March (he is out, unrugged with a chaser all winter prior to that). Reason? He is a yak and otherwise he hangs on to the last of his winter coat until mid-July (just a few wispy bits!) and starts growing his new winter coat 3 days after the last of his previous winter coat falls out!

I would love to get away with just a bib clip on my fine coated Arab, unfortunately though fine his coat is really dense and he is a sweaty mess after an hours walking hack. After seeing him start an eczema patch in one arm pit this December (I suspect due to sweat) I bit the bullet did a high chaser early December and he has been much more comfortable since. He will get unsightly rubs no matter what I do from next month on however its a case of damned if I do and damned if I don't.....

Motto of the story? There is no perfect answer!
 
I hated the idea of doing a full clip on my 'in light work' horse - we only hack and not at great speed so an Irish chaser is all we needed as far as her level of work and sweating was concerned. However unfortunately I suffer from emphysema and for a couple of springs I was very, very debilitated when she was shedding, so much so I wasn't fit to ride after grooming her.

Last February my son did a full clip on her for me to avoid this old biddy huffing and puffing and moaning about the place - and I have to say the spring was a joy....lively horse, equally lively rider and a lot of fun was had without heaving to breathe anytime I went near her. We have numerous rugs of all types so rugging her up to compensate was no problem, but under normal circumstances I do not clip and then rug for no good reason. He is going to do a full clip for me again in a couple of weeks. :)
 
Cortez said:
I now have a strong desire to roam around the countryside, clipping shetlands....
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You could end up with a whole host that look like this ...

nJ8oi1o.jpg
 
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