Exercising non-clipped horses

[pottamus]

Does anyone manage to keep their horses exercised but not clipped throughout the winter? If so, how do you manage and what do you do?
I guess the main problem is the sweating/chill factor of putting a horse back outside when sweaty.
If they are cool but still wet from sweat...are they okay to go out with a rug on? Just thinking what is best for my horse who really gets arsy in bad weather despite being rugged...I am concerned as to the effect clipping him will have...he could be unmanageable (temperament wise)...which I don't want and once the hair is gone it is too late...

 

[Tierra]

I dont clip my boy and hes in a pretty reasonable amount of work over winter. That being said, he's inside and rugged and doesnt grow much of a coat so its a different story really :/ Especially since he's then hot wragged after every ride.

If you're using modern rugs, I think you should be ok. Most of the rugs these days are breathable and allow sweat to escape. I'd be more concerned if using the old style turnouts that just trap everything inside.

 

[air78]

This is our first full winter together, but i'm hoping not to clip. He's worked six days a week and comes back a little moist on the neck (but not really sweaty) and is wet where the saddle has been.
I give the saddle patch 10-15 mins to dry a bit, then put on his breathable turnout and he goes out. I do brush him really well every day though to remove dried on sweat.

 

[buffy2]

My mare is not clipped , not rugged,and lives out 24/7 and i managed to ride a lot,last winter ,didnt ride when she was soaked,but if it rained while i was out ,just chucked her out when i got back,my friend whos pony is clipped and rugged add more problems getting hers dry to turn out again.

 

[B_2_B]

At mossburn only one of the horses is clipped coz she has really long feathers and the rest do fine but they really don't do much work - only hacking

 

[alfirules]

mine is exercised regularly, unclipped and is t/o 24/7 and only occasionally gets rugged (he's a native).

i only really do hacking with him so if he's sweaty i walk himfor about 20 mins on the way home and he's left to dry for a further 10-15 mins. then once he's dry i thoroughly brush sweat off or towel dry any damp patches and he seems fine.

 

[Bess]

Mine has never been clipped, he's a tbx, ridden 5 days a week, he would only get a little bit sweaty if we had a lesson in the winter. Then I give him his feed and leave him to dry off in a stable, brush him off when he's dry, put rug back on and put him out again.

 

[ginniebee]

I do more or less the same as bess, but try to ride earlier in the afternoon, that way she has a little more time to dry off, the fitter shes getting the less sweatier she is, if shes dripping i give her a rub down with damp sponge and put her cooler rug on brush her off before putting L.W turn out on and chucking her back out again!!!!

 

[Salcey]

I'm with Tierra, neither of ours our clipped but they are permanently stabled at night. We always make sure we rug quite early as this really does seem to help. Ours are both quite fit and we mainly hack out about 4 times a week in the winter

 

[sorona]

When my boys werent clipped and ridden very hard, we would sponge or hose them off and sweat scrape them off then towel dry them and put their turnout rugs on and turned them out and they were absolutely fine and dried underneath their rugs fine. They are in takka rugs which seem to wick any moisture away. Even if ours were walked back and the sweat dried, I tend to wash off rather than just brush off unless it is particularly cold or late.

 

[Theresa_F]

I am about to clip Cairo - chaser does nicely, though I do often take off all the neck.

He sweats up badly even with 15 minutes walk as he has a very thick coat. 30 mins gentle schooling and he is a foam machine.

I am going to do a low trace on Chancer as he is the same, 10 minutes long reining and he is dripping under his coat.

I used to clip my TB once and then leave her - but she did not have a huge coat and dried off quickly.

If they live out without rugs, then it is not too bad as they can go and roll and walk about to keep warm if going out still damp, and if it is raining, well they are going to get wet anyway. I make sure they are cooled down first.

I don't like to leave a damp horse in overnight or put rugs on a damp horse when I cannot return later (I have 1 hour trip to the yard), but I am a fuss pot.