How often do you clip through winter?

PapaverFollis

PapaverFollis

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Clipping is not something I'm particularly familiar with (never really felt the need with previous horses, all TB types in light work... have now got young hairy monster who sweats up at the drop of a hat and needs to lose weight)... so forgive the inanity of the question but I'm genuinely interested as to what is normal...

We've just done our second clip only a month after the first one and seem to have taken almost as much hair off as we did the first time! Does the hair growth slow down now the coat has changed? It doesn't just keep growing at the same rate? Or does it? She hasn't developed the full spectacular beard she had last year yet (slowly slowly when it comes to clipping the head) so I'm guessing the coat still has some growing to do. I'd post a picture of her in her naked glory but am on my phone rather that the PC, so far too difficult. :lol:

But yes. How often do you clip? And while we're talking about it when is the last clip?
 
Grows fast and strong until October/November - I have to clip every 2 weeks between September and October if they're in heavy work (although I drag it out when I can as I hate clipping!). This year I roughed off a fully clipped horse early October. Reclipped last week and if I didn't know better I'd have assumed he'd not ever been clipped. So much floof. However, the good news is it really does slow down. Post-Christmas clips can hold until the spring :)
 
Does vary a bit from horse to horse and those living out need clipping more often so every two to three weeks until January then keep them tidied up .
 
Depends on the horse and the work they are doing.
If they are good to clip and out competing then every 4 weeks or so.
If they are bad to clip or not seen as much in public, then as little as can get away with!
 
Normally I clip twice but I clipped earlier than usual as it was so mild, so mine will be having their 3rd clip as soon as I get my blades sharpened!
 
I had my boy clipped - 3 weeks later he needed clipping again, with just as much coming off. He is now lining himself up for clip number 3 so far this year! I absolutely hate clipping but even I'm thinking it would be more economical to buy a set of clippers :D
 
2nd clip today on my Connemara, last clip was about 4 weeks ago but that was quite late due to v light work at the time.

I might do one more at Christmas time but hoping he won't need doing.
 
Mine was clipped about 5 weeks ago and is in dire need of doing again, he's so fluffy you'd never think he'd been clipped at all! He's being done next week, which will be 6wks since his first clip but he's needed doing for a week or two already...
 
One of mine is clipped late Oct and that's literally it (fine coated WB in light work), the other I do once in Oct then turn a blind eye until the spring lol! Bad to clip hairy ISH
 
PapaverFollis said:
Clipping is not something I'm particularly familiar with (never really felt the need with previous horses, all TB types in light work... have now got young hairy monster who sweats up at the drop of a hat and needs to lose weight)... so forgive the inanity of the question but I'm genuinely interested as to what is normal...

We've just done our second clip only a month after the first one and seem to have taken almost as much hair off as we did the first time! Does the hair growth slow down now the coat has changed? It doesn't just keep growing at the same rate? Or does it? She hasn't developed the full spectacular beard she had last year yet (slowly slowly when it comes to clipping the head) so I'm guessing the coat still has some growing to do. I'd post a picture of her in her naked glory but am on my phone rather that the PC, so far too difficult. :lol:

But yes. How often do you clip? And while we're talking about it when is the last clip?
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first ever clip on new mare, but normally with old mare 2 tops october then december
 
It definitely depends on the horse itself. My old mare I could clip once a month if needed as she was good to do, sometimes would last longer but would depend on weather, rugging and workload. The last 2 winters I've clipped my TB once and it's lasted, she ends up looking a bit ratty mid Feb time but she needs to be sedated so I try and hold off. This year though I think I'm going to do it twice and will just have her doped when she's vaccinated in Jan.
 
The racehorses get clipped as and when needed. Some have had 2, some 3. Some of do 5-6 times over winter as they seem to think they are ruddy Shetlands!

My own - the Wee Coloured Job will be done this week and that will be him for winter. He will be clipped right out and restart work after Christmas. If I clipped him any later he wouldn't get his summer coat in time.
 
my appiexcob has had 2 full clips already and is definitely due another ! will continue as necessary with last clip mid/late Feb. oh and he lives out 24/7. he is very easy to do though.
 
My ISH in full work and out most weekends (only unaff level though) gets clipped normally three times. Once mid October, once mid November and then normally again mid December and that’s lasts through till spring.
 
Mine isn't the best to clip so I normally get away with clipping twice (once towards end October / start November and once mid-December / start of Jan), however he got done earlier than normal this year due to how warm October was and is about to be done again next week. I can see him needing doing at least once more, if not twice if his hair keeps on growing at same rate!
 
I think I normally do three or four clips a year. Mine is easy enough to clip (need help with her head but fine for the rest) I have my own clippers and she hunts so I don't like to let her get too fluffy. I used to only have lightweight clippers so would clip earlier and more frequently to avoid having too much coat to clip off. If I was just hacking and schooling and paying someone to clip I would probably manager with two clips a year.

I make my last clip the beginning of January.
 
Thanks for all the replies. It is reassuring that The Beast is not freakishly hairy anyway. And that it will slow down growing a bit! I think we only clipped her once, twice at most last winter... but she was in lighter work and we didn't clip until much later.
 
agree. my boy never grows enough coat to clip. he thinks that changing colour means that you have a winter coat. he has a lesson once a week and usually goes out competing once a week throughout the year. he rarely gets hot - in the winter he normally wears an exercise sheet even when we have a lesson and still doesn't sweat up - it just him!!! . he is rugged up to the nines so doesn't get cold therefore doesn't grow much. he is a selle francais
Sussexbythesea said:
Can I make you jealous - never :D
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Just goes to show how different they all are. None of my current bunch have ever been clipped, but my first mare was an ex-racer who needed one clip to last her the whole winter.
 
claret09 said:
agree. my boy never grows enough coat to clip. he thinks that changing colour means that you have a winter coat. he has a lesson once a week and usually goes out competing once a week throughout the year. he rarely gets hot - in the winter he normally wears an exercise sheet even when we have a lesson and still doesn't sweat up - it just him!!! . he is rugged up to the nines so doesn't get cold therefore doesn't grow much. he is a selle francais
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My french Tb who is part selle francais never grew enough of a coat as a racehorse to be worth clipping. He is still the same now at 20yo.
 
I've just done my 3rd clip on my HannxISH, left to her own devices she resembles a new forest pony. I tend to do it once per month; first clip everything (inc legs) off, second clip legs and 1/2 head on, third clip all off, I'll probably do another legs on clip end of December, and then hopefully the final one in Feb with legs and head off. From now till feb will regularly go over with the clippers for a tidy up but doesn't count as a proper clip!
 
Clipped middle of October and the mare is being done again on Friday although a higher trace than the previous one because she is still getting too hot and sweaty. I'm tempted to take it all off (apart from legs) but she is out 24/7 and to be honest I'm only riding at weekends now and my last 'thing' of the year is jumping this Saturday so after that if it aint lovely sunshine then she is not getting ridden, lol!

I will however, without fail, be clipping them both out completely just before spring (gelding needs sedating) because I AM NOT dealing with fluffy unbearable spring shedding with hair everywhere!!!
 
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