for those of you who cant clip your horse....

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ldlp111

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...do you start rugging them earlier to stop them getting so hairy, if so when? last year mine stayed out 24/7 i plan on stabling this year at night over winter so field doesnt get so churned up. she is a definite no-go with clippers so how do you keep them less hairy??
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You can't really....they get as hairy as they need to depending on their breed and type.
Rugging just flattens the hair but there is just as much of it!
 
I eventually gave up trying to accustome my horse to clippers and got the vet to sedate him, he was then as good as gold. Worth the money in my oppinion to save all the stress and hassle of trying to clip a horse who hates it.
 
it`s the daylight hours that make a coat grow,so i suppose that if you wanted a shorter coat you should have lights on in the stable at night.
 
my clipper hating warmblood always needs to lose weight, so ruggin up in not an option.

once they are in at night, I will leave his light on until late nets.

he will be quite fluffy by the time he is clipped under sedation as losing the pounds is the priority.
 
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You can't really....they get as hairy as they need to depending on their breed and type.
Rugging just flattens the hair but there is just as much of it!

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You know, I know that's what they say, but last year (when she lived out until June or so) PF was MUCH hairier than this year when I started rugging her lightly in May or so.
 
Cahill is right about the light factor, but rugging defintely helps - after all look at horses you see out in public in the winter who haven't been rugged enough and they have horrid cat-hairs. Using a full neck rug or hood saves at least one clip over the winter too.
 
Rugging does make a difference but you will have to start now. We never clip our quarter horse mare - she has a mark todd stable sheet on now and as soon as it goes any cooler at night will have a heavier rug on.
Make sure your horse is warm enough in the field too - our livery yard last year was on top of a hill and completely windswept and she grew a bit more hair than was ideal.
With a fine skinned TB, arab or quarter horse type you should be able to get away without clipping unless you're doing heavy work such as hunting. Not sure about a warmblood - they can be a bit hairy!
Light is important - we don't use artificial lights too much but our new yard is a monarch barn with really good natural light and our mare started to she much earlier this spring.
 
Why can't you clip your horse?

Mine used to rear and barge at the site of the clipper case and would turn herself inside out if you actually switched a pair of clippers on.

Fast forward two years, and alot of work, and she now stands to be clipped with mains clippers from head to toe. I started off with Moser Avalons but have been able to progress.

It can be done. I am proof of that. P's previous owner will tell you just how bad she was. I think we joked that I'd need to have my will made out before I tried to dessensitise her.
 
Nope, I just used to get the vet out to sedatee.

It's perfectly possible to get a horse used to clipping, just takes time. My last horse wouldn't be clipped when I got him. I found that out the first time I tried
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Next time I had the vet out to knock him out, second time a whole tube of Sedalin, then slowly reduced the amount of sedative until he didn't need it at all. When I put him out on loan (and subsequently sold him), it was as a horse who was good to clip because by then he was.

It just takes time to get them used to it when they're nervous.
 
Contrary to popular belief, it is the shortening days more than the temperature that affects hair growth.
 
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