Clipping & TBs

[C&C]

Do you or dont you??

I clipped my new TB end of Oct not long after i got him but TBH i dont know if i will bother next time. He is good to do (apart from by his ears!) but i was the only TB owner who bothered on the yard, everyone else (3 others) did not bother clipping. A friend came back off a hack with her TB mare today and she only had the smallest patch of sweat on her flanks...and another friend schools almost everyday, jumping as well and she didnt bother either. she said he doesnt sweat up so why bother.

Thinking i may give it a miss next time round and see how we go

 

[Girlracer]

I don't think it's particular to a TB, it depends on the horse and the work load. Major has this clip -

And has been coming in from the school very sweaty and steamy the past week (now that i've upped his work after an 8week holiday) so i'll be taking a bit more off this weekend. Probably a blanket...

It entirely depends on the individual horse rather than the breed, yes they have less coat than a native but you could also argue a TB is more prone to hotting up than a native... if we were going to continue with the stereo typical theme

 

[C&C]

I gave Khan a hunter clip so its pretty much all off. He was pretty unfit tho when i had him so started to sweat up when ridden....i think i'l just see how we go next time as he will be alot fitter so may be OK. Otheriwise i may go for a blanket as well.

I always do a full (hunter) clip as its just easier than fannying about with lines and getting them level

 

[Ginger Bear]

I don't clip my boy, I had him clipped when I first got him, just a trace clip and hated it! He's bright chestnut and I hate the two tone flesh and ginger colours. Plus now he's fit, he doesn't sweat much and I've rugged him the last two winters well enough that he hardly has a coat. I only like chestnuts fully clipped but would feel mean to do that to my boy..Mum usually blanket clips her mate, she always look nice, dark bay tho.

 

[C&C]

I don't clip my boy, I had him clipped when I first got him, just a trace clip and hated it! He's bright chestnut and I hate the two tone flesh and ginger colours. Plus now he's fit, he doesn't sweat much and I've rugged him the last two winters well enough that he hardly has a coat. I only like chestnuts fully clipped but would feel mean to do that to my boy..Mum usually blanket clips her mate, she always look nice, dark bay tho.

I love chestnuts clipped My old boy is chestnut, he was fully clipped (hunter, i call it full) but i let it grow out when he did his check ligament. he is slowly coming back into work now but i dont think i will bother clipping him again this year.

Khan is bright bay, i think he will look nice with a trace or blanket

 

[Lennyfan]

My TB is a big, wooly teddy bear. Clipped once beginning of Oct (when he'd already got hairy & we had 30 degrees to deal with!) and once a couple of weeks ago but he has most of Nov/Dec off so he goes au natural. Really easy to clip apart from left ear which you can't get anywhere near, enjoyed discovering this the first time I clipped him after doing the right ear! Really wish I could get away with not doing it but he's like a mammoth.

 

[Ginger Bear]

I like them fully clipped but as I can get away without clipping I would rather not clip.

 

[C&C]

My TB is a big, wooly teddy bear. Clipped once beginning of Oct (when he'd already got hairy & we had 30 degrees to deal with!) and once a couple of weeks ago but he has most of Nov/Dec off so he goes au natural. Really easy to clip apart from left ear which you can't get anywhere near, enjoyed discovering this the first time I clipped him after doing the right ear! Really wish I could get away with not doing it but he's like a mammoth.

I know alot of TBs that are 'ear shy'.........du think they get ear twitched in the race yards?????

 

[Ginger Bear]

I know alot of TBs that are 'ear shy'.........du think they get ear twitched in the race yards?????

My mums mare was ex racer she doesn't like her ears being touched or her mane done up by her ears..

My boy never raced, intact not sure that he ever trained either.. And he's not ear shy a all.. So maybe it is something to do with racing yards??

 

[helencharlie]

Charlie has a full clip. He gets quite a sweaty boy if not clipped. Clipping to him is a major non event, he usually sleeps through it. Not even headshy around his ears or around his boy bits. So easy to do. But then he is very laid back in temperament.

 

[McNally]

I know alot of TBs that are 'ear shy'.........du think they get ear twitched in the race yards?????

I have wondered this, I work at a racing yard and literally nearly every horse who arrives at the yard takes me ages before they are happy with their ears being touched. We certainly never ear twitch but i do think it must be fairly common.

My own TB is soon to be clipped hes only just come into work his coat it so thick i can loose my hand in his neck! He's only doing walk and a bit of trot but gets sweaty.

 

[Horseback Rider]

My TB Ex racer doesn't get that woolly but I clip him all year round as he gets really sweaty really easily including all the white stuff coming out from under his tail. I have never really understood why he gets so sweaty as he is fit but so blooomin lazy! Luckily he is really good to clip

 

[GypsyGirl]

I have wondered this, I work at a racing yard and literally nearly every horse who arrives at the yard takes me ages before they are happy with their ears being touched. We certainly never ear twitch but i do think it must be fairly common.

My own TB is soon to be clipped hes only just come into work his coat it so thick i can loose my hand in his neck! He's only doing walk and a bit of trot but gets sweaty.

My YO is a racehorse trainer and he actully had my mare for a while aswell, then she left to become a broodmare didnt work out then i bought her back in august 2010 and moved down to this yard back in july .. anyway when i bought her back he new her and he said how different she is now no joggness etc but also the fact that she will let you touch her ears now .. apparently when he had her she wouldnt let anyone touch her ears and was very ear shy (she had previously been at another racing yard before going to him) but to be honest i didnt even know that ear twitching was even around lol!

Back to normal question last year I didnt clip as she was living out she grew a massive winter coat (she wasnt really in work last winter though so no need) now we have moved she was hunter clipped in november and next week when I buy my own clippers I will be hunter clipping again.

Only reason being is that she is worked so much more now whatever the weather and she sweats alot, so its easier to wash her down after (hot water) then can pop a sheet on her to dry so she doesnt get cold in her cosy stable .. If it snows this year then I will just layer her up in rugs (she has plenty) so she wont get cold

 

[GypsyGirl]

Also just to add, we have a lot of ex racers on the yard and all of them have been clipped .. the only one that isnt is a retired ex racer who sits in the field and comes in at night doesnt need clipping and we have a 2year old filly who is still a racehorse but is on box rest at the moment but she doesnt need clipping nor does she have a winter coat really just like baby fluff she has lol

 

[Lennyfan]

I know alot of TBs that are 'ear shy'.........du think they get ear twitched in the race yards?????

Exactly what I suspected! Still, hate clipping heads anyway so half head it is, wished he'd let me get near it with some scissors atleast so I could remove the tufts!

 

[C&C]

Exactly what I suspected! Still, hate clipping heads anyway so half head it is, wished he'd let me get near it with some scissors atleast so I could remove the tufts!

Yep i do half head to. First time i clipped him i wasnt aware of his 'dodgy ears' and ended up taking half his mane off at the top coz he decided to chuck his head up and be a tit! lol

He was even really bad to groom around his ears, really threw his toys out of his pram about it. Now he is beginning to trust me i can scrub them with my fingers to get the mud off and even brush them. I dont think i will get a pair of clippers by them tho however he was ALOT better with the small trimmers but it was still a mission!

 

[The Amber Gambler]

I don't have a choice, my chesnut TB mare doesn't like to be clipped and wont be clipped! This suits me as I hate clipping!

Seriously though, I wouldn't clip her even if I could, her coat is still beautifully shiney, people always comment on her coat condition & and although she may sweat up a little if we are competing or out on a fast hack, I dont think it warrants clipping her.

We are both happy with the decision not to clip!

 

[C&C]

I don't have a choice, my chesnut TB mare doesn't like to be clipped and wont be clipped! This suits me as I hate clipping!

Seriously though, I wouldn't clip her even if I could, her coat is still beautifully shiney, people always comment on her coat condition & and although she may sweat up a little if we are competing or out on a fast hack, I dont think it warrants clipping her.

We are both happy with the decision not to clip!

My friends mare is the same, she has a lovely shiny coat and it isnt that thick either. She hasnt bothered clipping which is why it got me thinking

 

[whizzer]

My TB grows a coat like a yak & he's very energetic so ends up sweating like a pig at the smallest amount of exercise! I have to chaser clip from about sept onwards then once they're stabled at night from Nov onwards he's fully clipped. Had about 3-4 clips before Xmas as grows it back so fast! Stops growing after that so I do final clip end jan/start of feb & that lasts thru til spring.

 

[blakeney]

I have clipped my American TB ex-racer three times already this year, she has hunter clip with half-face

She is in hard work and I also find it much easier for grooming clipped horses and much more comfortable for her when working & she can buck, gallop and play in the field (which she does a lot!!) without sweating up if clipped.

Have to agree with everyone on the TB ear problem due to twitching, my girl had same problem when I first bought her and couldnt even clip her face (always a star to clip body tho) but now she's completely fine with ears and face after two years gaining her trust and now she allows clipping of face and ear trimming without a problem

 

[LaurenM]

My mare was clipped around October & its only just growing back!

 

[Kelly1982]

I don't clip my mare!! Her winter coat is no thicker than her summer coat and she doesn't sweat up so don't see no point.

 

[Fantasy_World]

My mare has a clip similar to that of Girlracer's horse, except my clip goes to just behind the front legs and not as much of the belly removed. She has had a full clip twice in the past, once due to lice( she came to me with them) and another when I clipped her out all over as she was in work and would get sweaty as she has a real long winter coat for a TB.
I have clipped her this time as she can get stressed in a stable at times and gets sweaty on neck and under legs and has had a rash in the past. So to avoid this I have clipped her and would rather layer her up when cold than risk her getting bad skin.
She is starting back into work next month as not been ridden since last August due to illness, was quite poorly and lost a lot of weight, muscle tone and energy.
I would imagine that the clip she has will suffice for now but for next winter I may rug her up earlier to see if it stops the mammoth coat.

 

[tonitot]

I clipped my girl in November, was my first clip and it was kinda bad I thought, "no worries, it'll grow out soon enough!" ... It hasn't even started growing back! She needed it though, was wooly and got very sweaty when in work.

 

[LiveryList]

I have always clipped my horses out with a hunter whatever breed or type they are even if they do not sweat too much. I do alot of competing over the winter usually so always find it easier for management/ quicker grroming time (and better presentation!) and as long as they are rugged up okay they are not at all bothered. I clipped my 3yo TB mare for the first time this winter (only a trace) even though she has only just been backed but had to turn her away due to injury and you can still see her clip lines lol but for her it was good to do as she is only a baby and it was one more thing to tick off of her list of new things!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

In nearly 8 years working a racing yard I have never, ever once ear swtiched a horse. Skin twitched and nose twitched yes, but never ear.

All of ours gets fully clipped out bar legs and half head. Some don't get their heads done s they just won't tolerate it on their jaws but they do get all the way up to their ears done and they generally aren't a bother to do this. I have the odd few sedated and I recently remembered that we had a pair of earplugs which have worked on a few of them.

Some of them have only been clipped twice, others I have clipped 5 times this season. It all depends on how hairy they get and when I first clip them. 4 months and nearly 250 clips later I will be cleaning the clippers and sending the blades away for sharpening at the end of the month . WOOHOOOOOO!!!

 

[leflynn]

Mine is unclipped as he only really sweats up out on hacks and we are only hacking once a week at the moment so I just dry him off before he gets rugged up again.

 

[Aces_High]

In nearly 8 years working a racing yard I have never, ever once ear swtiched a horse. Skin twitched and nose twitched yes, but never ear.

All of ours gets fully clipped out bar legs and half head. Some don't get their heads done s they just won't tolerate it on their jaws but they do get all the way up to their ears done and they generally aren't a bother to do this. I have the odd few sedated and I recently remembered that we had a pair of earplugs which have worked on a few of them.

Some of them have only been clipped twice, others I have clipped 5 times this season. It all depends on how hairy they get and when I first clip them. 4 months and nearly 250 clips later I will be cleaning the clippers and sending the blades away for sharpening at the end of the month . WOOHOOOOOO!!!

Finally someone is sticking up for the racing industry! I have never seen a horse ear twitched either. 90% of flat horses only have a trace clip and their heads are left. If you are clipping 100 odd horses would you really faff with clipping all of their heads out?! I am a believer in only take off the hair that needs to come off. There isn't much point in clipping them out to walk around the school or the lanes for 15 minutes.