Fully clip a native ?

N

Notimetoride

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 August 2014
Messages
1,093
Visit site
I have actually never had a horse clipped as always believed they grow a coat for a reason, and prefer to leave alone and lightly rug in winter. I was also never riding enough to warrant it. Last year we did some indoor training and my horse would be dripping wet. This year, we are at a yard with an indoor arena, and that is the only one available to use. We do dressage and are training far more than we used to, so will be schooling in the indoor probably three times a week, with a hack or two, weather permitting, at weekends. So I am thinking I will really need to clip this year. Thing is, I would actually prefer to just take the whole lot off. She is stabled at night and will stay in on the occasional really stormy day, otherwise out, rugged during the day from about 8 - 4 or 5. Does anyone else fully clip their natives ?
 
Yup, Irish Cob that grows a thiiick winter coat, she gets fully clipped and just a lightweight rug. She did well like this last winter, where she was mostly living out. She gets very hot and sweaty otherwise, even just for a hack.
 
I used to blanket clip my welshie who was in during the night, and out in daytime, but I full clipped him one year and he was fine. Rugs are so good now, its easy to be prepared.

I love PE rugs because of the huge neck covers and being deep enough to cover their tummies, and I believe that even if you don't like PE rugs, that their neck covers fit on other brands of rug such as Rambo.

ID mare is full clipped (except legs obviously) every winter and it works well, she wears either 200 or 400g PE rug with neck cover.

It really is down to personal preference.

Fiona
 
I try to not clip right out till after Xmas/New Year.

However, from end Sept/early Oct, I'll have a chaser clip, then deepen it, so by end November, will have the whole of front off - inc half face, everything in front of saddle, belly and a trace line from above elbow to point of stifle.
Then after xmas the whole lot comes off (leaving legs ON) and repeated at end of January for final clip. On the final clip, I might well blend in legs to knees - thus keeping the feather on the lower legs.
By not taking all off before xmas, means I am happier if I have to leave fuzzies out longer than intended to suit my schedules.
 
Yep. My gelding lives out full time and grows a very thick coat, so he gets fully clipped, otherwise he'd be uncomfortable in work. I have underblankets for his rugs so I can layer up if it's very cold, but he rarely needs more than a 250/300g unless it's really miserable. His first clip will be this week as he's already quite hairy and sweating up a lot.

As with Fiona, legs (and half face) are left on.
 
I suppose you could call mine a native, he's an IDx something. Although his coat doesn't look that thick it's incredibly dense so he has a lot of hair. Apart from one winter when he was just coming back into work after a long lay off, he's been fully clipped for the last 12 years (with legs left on for protection as he's out every day no matter the weather and 1/2 face left on because he won't let us do his ears so he'd look daft) He probably doesn't do the work to warrant a full clip but he's a very warm horse and a good doer so it doesn't cost me any more in rugs (he never needs more than a 300g) or feed and it's so much easier to deal with - especially when he's moulting in Spring as I avoid getting white hair everywhere.

I'd leave it as late as possible to clip. Arch gets done mid-late November and I can get away with just one clip doing that.
 
Fiona said:
Definitely leave half face on too, not fair otherwise if they're out in the rain.

FIona
Click to expand...

Or go for a snuggy hood - Arch has one as he's grey and a mud monster. It's the only way I can keep him anywhere near clean enough to get a bridle on regularly.
 
I take the lot off... much easier to present them for shows that way and I have a vast wardrobe of rugs etc... I don't see any issue with it as long as you have stables and the time / money to change /get someone to change rugs as and when needed...
I find it much easier to have a horse clipped out so I can get them dry and warm after exercise but I don't turn out much in the winter (they go out every day for 2 to 3 hours most days) and they are at my home so it's easy for me to fiddle with rugs if needed... or suddenly goes warm in the evening etc.
 
See, I did it the other way round! Mine would grow her winter coat early, then complain she was too hot. So I started with a hunter clip in late summer / autumn, then as the weather got colder I changed to a blanket clip. It did mean I had some funny regrowth patterns (unclipped saddle patch, regrowth blanket clip then clipped out neck / chest / belly)
She retired this summer so I will be letting my native 'go native' for the first time this winter.
 
Nasicus said:
Yup, Irish Cob that grows a thiiick winter coat, she gets fully clipped and just a lightweight rug. She did well like this last winter, where she was mostly living out. She gets very hot and sweaty otherwise, even just for a hack.
Click to expand...

Forgot to say, I leave face and ears on. No need for it to come off, and even if I wanted to I think the mare would have other ideas :p
 
DO NOT TAKE THE LEGS OFF!!!!! (if your showing or planning on).

I'll be clipping the end of this month no doubt and then later on nearer Christmas and then probably Jan.
 
I used to clip my cobby lad as late a poss and then do a low trace. So if he needed more off (he never did) then I always had the option.

I love clipping, have four sets of clippers but never get to do it nowadays. :(

(I'm pretty good at the more unusual clips too, good fun and interesting to do but very much down to taste. Tigerrrr :eek:....)
 
Mines a cob so not a native. Hes clipped all year round. He works hard and sweats most sessions, becaused hes clipped I hose him off and hes pretty much dry after I've scraped him. Its much easier to decide on rugs if they are clipped as well :)
 
annagain said:
They can't roll as much or as effectively as mine does. I've seen cheaper ones move but the Snuggy Hood doesn't budge.
Click to expand...

It does on mine, despite being a tight fit. He's managed to get his hood stuck over his eyes twice. Am not putting him through that again and I now have the zip version with a full neck cover and that stays in place. Selling the hood...
 
Yes, mines a sweaty beast. All comes off except for legs.

Out for about 10-12 hours in the day (TO early!) and in overnight - last winter didn't need anything more than a MW rug.
 
My New Forest gets the full works every year... head, legs, mane... I take everything he's got! He does very well with rugs. It really helps as his winter coat gets super thick (even on his legs, hence th clipping them as he gets sweaty there too!) and I work him throughout the winter
 
annagain said:
They can't roll as much or as effectively as mine does. I've seen cheaper ones move but the Snuggy Hood doesn't budge.
Click to expand...

Depends on the horse, sometimes they do move and either blindfold the horse or injure the eyes. This seems to happen more with a pony with a lot of mane but when it does it's awful. Would never use one again.
 
My highland was clipped last week, legs and face left on for now. Hes still out naked with a lw sheet at night if its raining. He will be rugged as necessary through the winter and lives out as much as possible, just coming in at night to save the field if we get loads of rain.
 
All off here. Face & all. Kira gets a sweaty head when ridden and develops sore bits if I can't wash and dry it quickly. She'll probably keep her fluffy Socks but I take off the hair down to the knee/hock as well. Easy to keep clean, Easy to get them dry. She's a warm little person but has a full wardrobe should she need it ;)
 
My cob had a full clip when he was in work. He lives out 24/7 with access to his stable. I leave legs and head on. I can't do lines to save my life. It probably doesn't help that he's part yak, but many a time I started trying to do a trace clip only to give up and take the lot off!
 
Clip everything out if its in full work and they live out. Modern rugs mean they are perfectly comfortable. Usually do the head when clipped in Oct then it isn't totally bald when it's colder. Usually then only needs a half face done til other side of Jan.

Snuggy hoods don't work for mine either. Too tight on their faces (I know they will alter them but they don't like them anyway).
 
3 natives all fully clipped out leaving half face and legs and all live out 24/7 and have done for years, modern rugs are so much better now, mine rarely wear anything more than 250g and the only time I've seen them cold is in horizontal rain with a wind chill, then I yank them in until they have filled their bellies back up and dried out and back out in the field they go. I've just done the first clip last Friday, one clipped out including legs and face and the other with a trace and full head because he's a git to clip and I ran out of time to do him properly.
 
I've got a fjord and she gets really hot once she starts getting her winter coat. She also sweats right up her neck so I plan to fully clip her early this year (leaving face and legs on). I left it a bit late last year and it was a nightmare trying to get through her thick coat. She's in at night and generally doesn't need anything more than a 100g with neck during the day, otherwise she gets too hot. I'll stick a stable rug underneath if it gets really cold but I didn't even need to do that last year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top