clipping - this time of year? for and against?

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Horsekaren

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My boy looks an utter mess!
He has a growing out chase clip (done in September) a very badly shaven belly from the vets scans (Jan)

Im wanting to get it off and start again, is now the wrong time of year to be thinking about buzzing it all off? It has taken 11 weeks and he finally has a small bit fur on his bald bits from this scans.

What would you do?


- he does get hot when being worked during summer
- he will live out 24/7 in the next few weeks

Thanks
 
if his hot and you don't intend showing him any time soon just clip him people only tend not to in spring if they show there horses as they want a nice summer coat.
 
I used to work with show jumpers and they tend to be clipped year round, so I don't see anything wrong with clipping whenever you want to. That said, you may find the reason he looks particularly messy at the moment is because his coat is starting to change. His summer coat will likely be coming through soon and if you can wait a month or two I'm sure he will soon look lovely again. Disadvantages of a full clip at this time of year (especially if he has been in a chase clip) is that it is still pretty chilly at night so he will need rugging more. However, it won't ruin his coat, that is an old wives' tale! In fact, if you clip now, you will avoid the moulting phase and his summer coat will soon come through.
 
Clip him. I have two coming back home from winter grazing this weekend and they are hairy mammoths ... they are both being clipped out. They will only get hot and sweaty being brought back into work anyway and i cant stand to deal with the hairy!
 
Yep, I've just clipped mine. She's had a few medical problems over the winter so I was just planning on leaving her natural. However, bringing her back into work slowly was making her very sweaty.

It turns out she has a rain-scald-like rash on her flanks, but as she's rugged, it can't be rain scald! We reckon it's a sweat rash from being too hot in her winter coat. Very glad she's now clipped! Must have been very uncomfortable for her.

Also means that I won't have to battle with her shedding her winter coat all over my clothes! haha! Phew!
 
I intend to clip my oldie, had planned it for last weekend but the white stuff put an end to that! His comfort is far more important than looks.
 
My younger one was clipped out a couple of weeks ago, removing enough hair to cover a small mammoth. He was getting really hot when worked. I was concerned about his summer coat but this is now coming through very nicely and he has lovely dapples on his neck already (he is chestnut). I'd say go for it - a comfortable horse is a happy one!
 
Just clipped our two out fully, we don’t show though.....this is the first time I’ve done them this time of year and it’s lovely not to have to deal with the shedding hair
 
I have just clipped our show pony as she was so itchy and not shedding at all. last year we were showing and another pony at the show was obviously freshly clipped at end April as bald, no quarter markings etc, and by end June was winning at county level with a beautiful summer coat.
 
It's a fallacy that it will ruin the summer coat. If the horse needs clipping it then I would just get on and clip. I often used to clip my old mare at this time of year and never had a problem.
 
I'm looking at clipping out my cob who has a blanket clip but is starting to get very itchy as the coat sheds - a week before a show. But I'm only doing the show for the experience so not bothered if he's a bit bald looking!
 
I will be clipping one of mine again later today, I'm more concerned about the horse getting too hot than how he looks, I clip all year round if I need to though!
 
I wouldn't if the summer coat is already coming through - mine are clipped and can just see the sheen of summer coat coming through in the clipped bits. I've seen horses that were obviously clipped late as still had a clip line late summer and you could see the difference in coat colour so presumably the summer coat was already through enough that the clippers could take the tips off the hair. I used 6mm clippers on my dun in january as he'd started casting and hoping that his summer coat will come through nicely. all casting at speed right now so won't be long before the winter coat is out and not an issue. I would clip if there was a health issue though.
 
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