Ever had a horse that doesn't really need clipping?

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Hemirjtm

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And he's in full work..hardly ever has a rug on...etc!

Hemir is still not growing a winter coat, so as of yet is not being clipped. He may not even get clipped if his coat doesn't grow
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All my other horses are hairy monsters (although they don't get clipped!), and Hemir, the one horse who I would like to be clipped, just isn't growing a coat
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But he's not cold either??

My only reason for clipping him will be if he starts to get really sweaty, but at the moment he was getting sweatier in the summer (but then summers in France are hot
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). Maybe he's just strange?!
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Anyway, has anyone else experienced this? Someone said it might be because he is really fit and well, and very healthy so is able to keep warm without growing a good coat...
 
Yep! I wouldn't clip one of mine in winter, even when she was in quite a decent amount of work.
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Also, when I used to work at a showjumping yard, they didn't tend to clip, just rug up, and they all had sleek coats.
 
I don't rug him up though! His coat just isn't growing, and it's still shiny and full of condition...this is the first year it has not grown! lol! But he has never been fitter IMO! He doesn't get any hard feed either...!! He basically lives out in a field, with a field shelter at the moment! (well obv I take care of him, but he's not a showjumper on a big yard who is wrapped up nice and warm!
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My horse that I'm talking about is not fit atm (she's broken), but she is also not rugged, also currently has no coat and is bursting with condition
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She is also is out 24/7 and only on supplements, no hard feed. Hey, count your blessings! I know I am!
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Yup. Old gal when she was out on semi retirement.
We had her clipped every year while me and my sister were riding her 5/6 times a week. When we retired her from competition and hacked 3/4 times a week at just walk and a bit of trot it seemed unfair to clip.
 
No but then I have a yeti!

Used to work at a RS that only clipped the natives. The finer types were left hairy and they all managed fine.
 
I have a section D X. I don't need to clip. I give him a bib sometimes and you can't tell that much that he's been clipped. He is Black and always looks clean, which is a bonus as he hates being groomed.
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None of my 5 get clipped at all. Okay, so 2 of them are retired veterans so I wouldn't think of clipping them. But the 3 boys are all in work and still won't be clipped. Yes, they do get winter coats, but not of the really thick and hairy kind.

In the winter I can only ride at the weekends, and yes, sometimes they do get a bit sweaty, but on balance, especially as they live out all year anyway, I find it's better for them to not be clipped and maybe get slightly sweaty once or twice a week rather than clipping them which would mean they'd be colder and need even more rugs/feed etc.

The sweat is usually got rid of anyway by letting them have a good old roll after work and before putting their rugs back on.

I honestly believe that too many people over clip their horses - you know, the type whose horse gets ridden two or three times a week for up to an hour a time and whose owner considers the horse to be in hard work, and thinks that the horse looking "smart" will gain her more respect from her peers, and who won't even consider that the horse might actually be far better off with just a trace or blanket clip.
 
Well, I fully clip mine, he is ridden (by my mum) 2 or so times mid week and out at the weekend - may compete SJing/XC. He looks awful hairy - he really does - and his coat goes horible and stary. He also will get lethargic as he hates being too hot.

He does look smarter clipped yes but I do it all year round. If his coat is too thick he really changes, is lethargic and generally a bit miserable. When he's clipped he just seems much more full of beans!
 
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