How big a crime to not clip a pony for the opening meet?

[wellwisher]

Will we ever be allowed to show our face again??

11yr old child on 13.2Welsh who have been out every Saturday so far and tomorrow is the opening meet. It is a friendly, local and low key pack but due to various reasons (number 1 clipper in hospital suddenly after heart attack and back up clipper also out of action), so pony, tack and child are polished...but not clipped.

He is not particularly hairy, but should I tell daughter not to hunt or go badly turned out?

Dilemma!

Thanks for any thoughts

 

[meesha]

turning up is much more important to the hunt I would imagine than a pony being clipped - as long as pony can cope then go for it !!

I have had to clip as I was out couple of hours Tuesday and he sweated like a pig but to me clipping is to be done if needed not for show !

Go and have fun !

ps. hope your weather is better than ours - it is our opening meet tomorrow and its not looking great, I wouldnt mind but all that cleaning and preparing only to possibly arrive dirty (we have to hack there from parking couple miles away)

 

[wellwisher]

She is gutted as of an age where she knows it is correct. But sometimes things conspire against you to go wrong!

Am trying to persuade her to only stay out a few hours (normal home with the hounds) as she is waitressing with the other keen youngsters at the hunt supper that night so long and busy day....

 

[Maesfen]

As long as both of them are polished and trimmed within an inch of their lives for the meet itself, it honestly doesn't matter; much better that the young are encouraged IMV.

Go and enjoy yourselves and just take into consideration the effect of being still hairy might have on the pony.

 

[L&M]

My son's pony is not clipped and do not plan to clip him - he is also not a 'hairy' and does not sweat up profusely, so see no need to.

I was not aware that it was the correct 'ettiquette' to clip!

Hope you had/have a good OM

 

[mirage]

Knobberpony attended the Opening Meet unclipped last year.To be truthful,it was such a mild autumn that she wasn't hairy at all.No one commented except to say how smart and clean she looked.She'll be hunted this year,but if she is clipped at all,it'll be a bib,as she lives out and needs her winter coat.

 

[Mark Gilbert]

Its not important to have your horse or pony clipped, what is important that both horse and rider are turned out to the best you can and that you behave in a polite and friendly way to those who are out with you and those who are good enough to allow you to hunt on their land.

My only advise is ensure your unclipped charge is washed down well and keep an eye on its coat as you can loose condition through sweat.

We all need to be more relaxed about hunting, its about enjoying yourself and enjoy watching a huntsman work his/her hounds its not about who has what or does what how big your wallet is, its just another equestrian past time!

I have hunted for 36 years and never noticed whether a horse is clipped or not! (and yes I was a week old when I started!!!)

 

[frostyfingers]

It's not a crime not to clip - I find this obsession with clipping and plaiting bordering on insane. As a child our ponies were never clipped or plaited, they lived out and needed a full coat, manes were pulled and tidy, likewise tails but we were never done up to the nines like you seem to have to be nowadays. I agree that everything must be clean and well fitted but you can achieve that without clipping and plaiting! Even as adults we didn't plait - a properly pulled mane is just as tidy. Starting again after a break of 10+ years the thought of plaiting gave me nightmares, and I didn't for the first few times but had several comments on not being plaited so gave in.

 

[Nightcap]

Not a crime at all. Neat, tidy and clean is obviously a must but clip if you like or, more importantly, when the horse/pony needs to be clipped. I have a horse who grows very little coat so he's sometimes not clipped until mid-December, but he's always immaculate so it's no problem.