Clipping questions/ recommendations

[DarkHorseB]

I have a 5yo 16.2hh ISH. His coat has got a bit thicker than his summer one but is no means alot of coat (my old TB has more for instance) but it is starting to get very sweaty when we are doing more intensive work.

He is going to a show once a week either dressage or SJ and one or two lessons a week plus whatever other flatwork or hacking I can fit in. Questions are:

1. What time of year do you usually clip first? A couple of weeks the guy that was going to clip him said he wasn't really hairy enough though it has grown a little.

2. What sort of clip should I get him? The TBs just tended to have their neck and belly done. But I was thinking maybe a hunter clip. He is stabled but try to make sure he gets let out most days usually just onto the arena. I want to be practical but still look smart for dressage.

3. Depending on clip would he need rugged in stable or just outside. He has a big stone barn stable with very thick walls (about 200 years old!) so it is quite cosy

 

[posie_honey]

i have 8yr old ISH - lives out 24/7 365. hunted, lessons, comps you name it - all straight from the field

1. i clip as soon as horse needs it - ie as soon as she's getting sweaty and too hot in ridden work - this year she had her first clip 4 weeks ago - not much came off but def helped - she's having another one done on fri - she's quite hairy again

2. she had blanket first time = this time will be hunter with fine blades - plan to not clip her again though as i'm away all of feb - so she'll be turned away - so allowing it to mostly grow back for then

3. she currently has MW half neck on over night (we're having frosts at night up here) and that, LW with fill or nought during day depening on weather.

after fri clip she'll have HW combo on at night - then when really cold a stable rug or combo under rug under that. during day it depends again on weather - if fine i try to give her an hour or so without to let her make mud pies - she loves it!

 

[monkeymad]

My horse events and had her first clip at beginning of September! As long as your horse is rugged up take off as much as you like. Mine has a very high blanket-clip, this is purely because I go to shows on my own and have no-one to whip a rug on and off her in the warm up, my physio also said she thought taking off all the hair from a horses back can cause tightness. I re-clip mine as she needs it (at the moment almost every 2-3 weeks).

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

mine are on their 3rd clip, one on his fourth!! all rugged up and snuggly whether in the stable or in the field! according to weather and whether the horse is a cold or hot type!

 

[DarkHorseB]

Thanks all. More thinking to be done before I rush into it I think!

 

[suzysparkle]

I always say take of what you need to and when you need to! I do a cross between a chaser and a blanket clip - whole neck off and chaser on the body with whole head on. Mine lives out all year and I try not to take off too much. That said I may need to do more as he is starting to get hot even with that. Take off as little as you think to start....you can always take more off but you can't put it back on!! If you think you need a lot I would go for a blanket clip first. You can always take more off to make it a hunter clip. I first clipped in September....needed to earlier this year than normal which seems to have been common!!