living out 24/7 and clipping

Firehorse

Firehorse

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does any one do it? my pony sweats quite a lot and i'm considering clipping him, but he lives out 24/7, which worries me. he's got a full wardrobe of clothes and pyjamas. i only ride 3, sometimes 4 times a week, mainly hacking. should i clip him or leave him? he was always clipped in his last home as he was in the pony club, and i didnt clip him last winter, which was his first winter with me and his first winter living out full time. it doesnt bother me having to groom all the sweat out as he's covered in mud anyway. but wudnt want to necessarily up his feed to compensate.
 
I would maybe give him a trace clip and then rug him up according to the weather. I wouldn't think you would need to up his feed to compensate as long as he will be rugged up and as long as he has access to plenty of good quality forage he will be fine.
 
How much have you clih!pped off so far this season, and how has that affected his sweating and energy levels? I used to give mine a low chaser, but found it was never enough, so used to go full hunter clip. My boy lives out, full neck h/w turnout, mine is a cob and nothing makes him loose weight so he got the same amount of hard feed as normal - zilch!
 
Mine has a bib clip and a 200g rug and is fine with it. She has quite a thick coat and was getting super sweaty with even light work so I thought it fairer. She will get a heavier rug if it gets super cold.
 
Give him a neck and belly clip to start with and progress from there - just take more off if he's still sweating. Better to have them not sweat and then rug up to turn out imho. Nothing worse than having a sweaty horse on a cold day when you have to turn them out.

FWIW I used to have a TB that had a blanket clip, and wore an old style NZ canvas rug with a wool liner. He never seemed to be cold, and didn't really lose weight. He was in at night, but would be out in snow in the canvas rug only :eek: I wouldn't do that now, they're far too molly coddled :D
 
Recently did low chasers on a couple of mine who live out except for a couple of hours in the day when they come in for a feed, etc. At the moment they are out unrugged but it was 15o here at 7.30 tonight. If it starts raining they will have lightweight turnouts on which can be upgraded when it gets cold.

Another of mine has a blanket clip and is out during the day and in at night and recently he has been too warm so is currently unrugged.
 
I'm interested in the replies to this as I also have a super sweaty horse living out. I can only ride on the weekend at the moment, so not sure whether to bother cliiping...
 
hmmm, decisions decisions. thx for the replies, its food for thought. i would hve to pay someone to cip him as would never put my precious dog grooming clippers near him and the trimmers i hve for his feathers wudnt hold up to the job.
 
Well my boy is out 24/7 and is fully clipped as in everything head, legs, saddle patch is off. He does hunt twice a week and is ridden about 2/3 times in addition. He just has a FAL on no neck and is a happy chappy.
 
Murph had a neck and belly clip last week as he has a coat like a yak and a friend has just started doing a bit with him. He is out 24/7 without a rug at the moment, with a field shelter, as he needs to lose a bit of weight! If it gets cold he will start with a m/w rug and can work up through his extensive wardrobe to keep him comfy.
 
Mine all are hunter clipped and out 24/7 with rugs according to the weather. All are happy and saves so much effort trying to keep them clean for hunting/competing and keeps them from sweating too much. Maybe do a little low trace clip and see how you go?
 
I've always clipped over the winter - usually a blanket clip, but have sometimes done a hunter clip. My current horse will get a hunter clip once I bring him back into work in January after his holiday, but I've done them all throught the winter before no problem - they live out 24/7 with access to shelter. Modern rugs are very cosy nowadays, my current horse is a Luso x TB and imported from Portugal, now lives in NE Scotland!! He stays out all the time, including the horrendous winter we had (snow from November until March solidly!). He wear a full neck 400g rug most of the time, and I'll add a FAL stable rug underneath if its particularily cold/nasty.
 
As long as your horse doesn't struggle with keeping weight on I would clip. Daughters working pony has a hunter clip the rest have high chaser clips. All came out of last year looking too well if I'm honest.

Liz
 
right, thats it, i've decided to take the plunge and get him clipped. just booked him in for nxt fri. he was soaked again today after an hour's ride. fingers crossed he's ok.

now a rugging question. he's gonna hve a low trace clip. last yr unclipped he wore a lightweight from nov 1st to when we had the snow in dec b4 xmas. then he was in a mediumweight almost all winter. his mediumweight does hve a neck rug attachment, so can use that if needed. shud i use heavier rugs once he's clipped or do the same as last yr?? weather depending of course.
 
My ISH was fully clipped last winter, and out 24/7. He was clipped first week in December, and didn't need another one, so was obviously warm enough. He did look a little like a Michelin man through the snow, but other than that had a heavyweight in the day, with an extra quilt added at night. I would not panic too much with a low trace, just keep a close eye on him, and the temperature/weather. If we have a winter like last year, he might appreciate some warmer jimmys, or another layer at night. If he looks happy, is cosy, and doesn't start losing condition, he's fine. If not, then he needs a bit more warmth.
 
My IDx is out 24/7 until Christmas (probably). He's hunter clipped and has mainly been in a PE 40g - neckie at night, not during day unless pelting down. He's on 2/3rds scoop Alfa A and 1/4 scoop D&H pasture mix once a day, as grass is still good.

He's toastie :)

(BTW, we're Oxfordshire)
 
i hve a fleece i cud put under his rug if needed. my main worry is his neck. i hve a lightweight, another lightish one with 40g filling, which i think i'll use after his clip, a mediumweight 220g fill with seperate neck plus a heavy combo. i worry about his neck getting cold so might buy a neck cover to go with the 40g rug. altho cud do without spending £35 at the mo. might see how he goes for a while first. decisions decisions!
 
Mine are out 24/7 (well except for fireworks night!)

Two are fully clipped except legs and heads (inc saddle patch). I ride late at night, so they cannot be left cold and damp.

Fat boy is currently in 200g amigo with hood, sensible weight one is in a 300g Mark Todd Bora with lightweight neck and sweet itch pyjamas underneath

He is rugged all year round, so needs extra coverage and I will up the neck cover and rug with the cold winds which are due to come in.
 
Only one of mine is clipped she has a trace clip. She lives out 24/7 on grass only until hopefully December then will supplement with Hay. She is always toasty so is naked.
 
Both of mine are clipped, both with high chasers as I find they both get sweaty necks, but like them to have full fur on their bums, they are both in 180g rugs, on the top of a hill with no shelter and still strip grazed, there have been days where they have been naked and a couple of nights this week they have had no fills on as too hot.
I really wouldnt worry about upping rugs or adding necks unless your boy is a poor doer, especially with a low trace.
Remember to post piccys of smart new clip!! x
 
With regards to rugging go by the individual horse - feel the inside of their back legs right on the skin and you will soon find out if they are warm enough or not ;)
 
OH's ISH is out 24/7 with a full clip and is rugged accordingly. He is stays better condition wise when clipped and rugged than when he is hairy and gets sweaty.

My WB mare stays out at night and comes in during the day. She is a poor doer over winter but drops off when she gets hot and sweaty so again is fully clipped and rugged accordingly.
 
he's a good doer luckily. he's only really on grass with a handful of hi-fi to hve his supplements in. he's been leaving his food the last week so he's really not hungry at the mo. he wasnt bothered by the snow last year in his medium rug, its the wind and rain that bothers him. he was in his heavy combo for about 2 days in feb when the rain was blowing sideways across the field. i'm sure he will be fine, its just mummy worries! especially as clipping is a new thing for me. never clipped my last pony as i didnt ride her as much. thx guys for your helpful comments x
 
If its any help I have never clipped my cob before and I am in a very similar situation to you. She is in a LW at the moment and I have just clipped her neck and girth area. However, shes still sweating loads so I will clip her with a low trace clip. She too was in a MW last year in all that snow and was quite warm. I have a HW for her if she needs it but I doubt very much she will. I just keep feeling her and seeing what shes like. If you get desperate you could layer the LW with the MW
 
My cob type mare has a trace clip (blanket with 1/2 neck still on) I put a standard necked rainsheet on last week as i had a lesson one night but took it off at the weekend. Have put it back on now as I spent 30mins cleaning all the mud off tonight!

She lives out 24/7, ridden 4/5 times a week, reasonable good doer + only wears medium/'heavy' weight (200g-360g) rugs when it snows!
 
eggs said:
Recently did low chasers on a couple of mine who live out except for a couple of hours in the day when they come in for a feed, etc. At the moment they are out unrugged but it was 15o here at 7.30 tonight. If it starts raining they will have lightweight turnouts on which can be upgraded when it gets cold.

Another of mine has a blanket clip and is out during the day and in at night and recently he has been too warm so is currently unrugged.
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i wish more people were like you... :D
 
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