Does anyone NOT clip?

madamebonnie

madamebonnie

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I didn't have to worry about it last year as horse was rehabbing so never really got to any sort of work that would make him sweat. He never really got particularly hairy but was in poor condition that could have contributed to a poor coat.
He's a tb×id but just looks like a TB who gets cold quite easily. We'll be hoping to keep up medium work over the winter a mixture of schooling, pole work and a few slow hacks. Stabled and night and a poor doer so I definitely don't want him getting too cold.

I'm hoping to get a good wicking rug if he does sweat up....but I'll be ok without clipping right?
 
Also yes! Have had hairy highland in full work over winter months and never had to clip, that being said he is not overly sweaty and gets rugged earlier to prevent the mammoth look!
This year he is unclipped and unrugged and is making a great field ornament most of the time!
 
I never clipped my angloarab even when she was in medium work... she was never in heavy work. She would sweat but dried quickly after a quick sponge off so it didn't interfere with the next ride or her ability to keep warm. My young mare is a much heavier, hotter horse and her winter coat is thick and doesn't dry easily so even in similar work she gets a blanket clip if not more. It does depend on the horse. I tend towards minimal clipping but I thing my young mare is going to challenge my views. Lol.
 
I don't clip. We live in northern Spain where we get frosts and snow. I have never seen a clipped or rugged horse here. My horses always come back from our hacks soaked with sweat. In winter I just give them a longer walk home to cool down slowly and towel dry then turn out. They are out 24.7, and can often get up a bit ofa sweat having a hooley around the fields on their own anyway.
 
I also don't clip simply because my horse needs sedation! its fine the only problem I had was on a mild night after working him he got very sweaty. This was initially a worry as he lives out but I invested in a Rambo dry rug and popped this under his lightweight rug! so I would advise getting a good drying rug!!!! good luck!
 
I don't clip, like MDB it can get seriously cold here and my Arab doesn't grow much of a coat, the other horse does get sweaty but i sponge him off, dry him and pop him in his stable for a while before turning him back out with a light rug or none depending on the temperature.
 
I don't clip as mine live out and I like to have the rugs off them on brighter days for their health. They cope fine with a moderate workload
 
I have an Arab. I dont do enough through winter to warrant clipping. If we over excert, he is rugged appropriately. Clipping is meant to help prevent loss of condition through exercise. Hate the trend of clipping for appearances sake. Have a horse on local yard, diagnosed with problem so can't be ridden. Just had hunter clip..but "looks so much better." I despair....
 
Gingerwitch doesn't grow much coat, and work levels in winter aren't enough to warrant it so I don't bother :) I might if we get round to putting lights up so I can ride in the evenings but unlikely even then
 
madamebonnie said:
I didn't have to worry about it last year as horse was rehabbing so never really got to any sort of work that would make him sweat. He never really got particularly hairy but was in poor condition that could have contributed to a poor coat.
He's a tb×id but just looks like a TB who gets cold quite easily. We'll be hoping to keep up medium work over the winter a mixture of schooling, pole work and a few slow hacks. Stabled and night and a poor doer so I definitely don't want him getting too cold.

I'm hoping to get a good wicking rug if he does sweat up....but I'll be ok without clipping right?
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I have not clipped anything since 2013
 
I tried not clipping one winter as my horse doesn't have much of a winter clip and we aren't doing sweaty work. But I found I liked the clipping as it looked smarter, and it was easier to clip and keep a rug on, rather than wonder if he needed a rug or not and having to scrape all the mud off when I wanted to ride.
 
I clipped my WB the first two winters I had him just because it was the thing to do but not in the last 10 years. He's grows minimal winter coat and is just not a dirty or particularly sweaty horse. He's now 22 so he is only doing hacking and a bit of light schooling which doesn't warrant clipping.

If he were hunting or working very hard then it may have been needed. As it is I always sweat more than him! :D
 
I do clip but tend to do the absolute bare minimum as my horse is a pain to clip. He gets a very thick coat and I always start with the minimum I think I can get away with - it leads to some odd looking clips but it works for us. However, he's not sweating yet and won't be clipped until he does! If you can get away without, why bother!
 
I only clip if I feel its necessary, not purely out of habit. I basically only do it if the horse is regularly getting sweaty after exercise / competing. Or the other reason - I'll be clipping my sons dartmoor in the next few days to help keep her weight in check, she's a nightmare for living on fresh air so a trace clip and no rug helps keep her from turning into an elephant over the winter.
 
i didn't clip previous horse, KWPN but didnt grow much coat at all, was in light work (only a 4/5yo) and never had an issue.... he would sweat up under girth and round his nuts (was entire, which i have heard people say help keep a finer coat??) but apart from that...no floof and no sweat!

current one is only 2 so clearly not a consideration yet, but despite being welsh has been show produced and is also entire and thus far...no coat really. i am praying i dont have to clip him either as i hate it and it makes my back and neck hurt.

some horses do however lose condition from sweating and thus taking the whole lot off is easier than worrying and feeding more and more.
 
I only clip two of my horses (and not the other two) because their coat is so thick at times they will literally stand in the field just sweating and overheating especially in the spring when they are malting. Although the other two sweat in work, a quick sponge always sorts it out so have never felt the need for them. If there is no need to clip, then there is no point.
 
my 17.2 competition horse is never clipped. he is now 20 but I haven't clipped him for the last ten years. he is rugged up to the nines already (not everyone's idea of what to do) however, he doesn't grow enough winter coat to bother clipping. he has a lesson with our trainer every week without sweating and competes most weekends without sweating so it obviously works for us. I deliberately rug him up so I don't have to clip him.
 
I always clipped my pony without fail but she was very sweaty and hairy. My new horse is an anglo arab I can't see the point in clipping her, she doesn't have any hair! Lol
 
I didn't clip mine last year for the first time, but boy, did I regret it when he started dropping his coat! Endless white hair everywhere! He's a sweaty thing, I might clip quite soon, I just need to ensure I have 2 sets of very sharp coarse blades to get through his thick cob coat.
 
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