Moulting already?!

[Mrs B]

Mr Higgins has decided that Spring is On the Way. Face moulting in clouds, body following in dribs & drabs but about to go the Full Monty any day now.
As he's rising 17 (although mentally about oooh! ... 7? on a good day?... God love him for his enthusiasm ...) so far this season, I've given him a high neck 'n' belly clip so he can be out as much as possible in a rain-sheet, with good forage keeping him warm.

But as the weather in the SW has warmed up and I've increased his exercise now the ice has gone, he's been sweaty and cross and itchy. So, much as I loathe clipping, today I cracked open the recently serviced Heinigers with a freshly sharpened set of blades and set to.

No wonder the poor beggar was hot! His coat is one of those that never looks very thick, but considering I did the 'high neck 'n' belly' job not that long before Christmas, this was the pile I had from the rest of him. And he's only 15.1hh ... (nope - legs not yet included ...)

 

[meleeka]

My cob has just started too. He has a yak coat so it’ll be another 4 months before it’s all out, if I don’t clip him first.

 

[Spotherisk]

My 28 year old started before Christmas, the fool!

 

[Winters100]

My oldie too - and it is set to be -12 by Friday. Good thing that she has staff (me) to make sure that she is dressed in suitable clothes!

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Nope - my mare still has faint clip lines from November ?

I'm seriously fanatical/obsessive/paranoid about changing rug weights daily according to temperature & have never had to clip any of my horses more than once ?

 

[Mrs B]

Nope - my mare still has faint clip lines from November ?

I'm seriously fanatical/obsessive/paranoid about changing rug weights daily according to temperature & have never had to clip any of my horses more than once ?

It does seem that it changes year by year though ... in 2019, H's last clip was just before Christmas and it just didn't grow back!

 

[little_critter]

I noticed this week that my saddle cloths are getting more fluffy.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Mr Higgins has decided that Spring is On the Way. Face moulting in clouds, body following in dribs & drabs but about to go the Full Monty any day now.
As he's rising 17 (although mentally about oooh! ... 7? on a good day?... God love him for his enthusiasm ...) so far this season, I've given him a high neck 'n' belly clip so he can be out as much as possible in a rain-sheet, with good forage keeping him warm.

But as the weather in the SW has warmed up and I've increased his exercise now the ice has gone, he's been sweaty and cross and itchy. So, much as I loathe clipping, today I cracked open the recently serviced Heinigers with a freshly sharpened set of blades and set to.

No wonder the poor beggar was hot! His coat is one of those that never looks very thick, but considering I did the 'high neck 'n' belly' job not that long before Christmas, this was the pile I had from the rest of him. And he's only 15.1hh ... (nope - legs not yet included ...)

View attachment 63157

My mare has begun Casting her coat

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I think if mine started moulting now, the way things are, I'd see it as a sign of hope that spring is coming lol!!

 

[SpotsandBays]

My 2yo who’s in on boxrest has started to moult lightly!

 

[J&S]

Both of mine are moulting, the days down here in SW are getting that little bit longer.

 

[Red-1]

Yes! Only when rubber curried though. No fur on saddle cloths or with a normal brush.

Rigsby was clipped end of November and it hasn't grown back, apart from cat hairs. He has a grand set of cat hairs though. I even had to run the clippers over them on his elbows earlier this week as they were getting long enough to interfere with the girth!

 

[TheSpottyCobby]

My pony has started to moult on his blanket (the white bits are always first!) and has been for almost 2 weeks now. A few others on the yard are also starting, we were only discussing this the other day.

I'm just happy as it looks like I'm going to get away with not clipping again!

 

[southerncomfort]

No my 3 natives are hanging on to theirs. Don't blame them since we were under snow for 10 days and more more on the way. Feels a very long way from spring here. ?

 

[Annagain]

It's starting and I'm dreading it with Archie. Fist winter out naked and he's coped remarkably well. I can lose my hand in his coat. Just the remains of a blanket clip the first year I had him were enough to make me clip him out completely every year since then! I'm not so bothered about Charlie - he has an Irish clip so there's plenty to come out but he has nowhere near as much coat as Arch. White hair always seems worse than dark hair, it just shows up on everything.

 

[outdoor girl]

First year mine hasn't been clipped and she's only just STOPPED moulting!!!!

 

[Green Bean]

My ISH hasn't started yet, she has an Irish clip. Last year I did a second clip before end January (as recommended as the last possible time you should clip to avoid affecting the summer coat, but which has been disputed in this forum), but this year she hasn't got her 'teddy' on like last year. I also found that last years clip line only disappeared end May and she started getting fluffy again by October - only 4 months of freedom.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I missed you saying you had clipped and thought you had got that off from brushing!!!

My mare is unclipped and unrugged but not shedding yet! I don't know if I've just got used to her not being clipped but I don't feel like she's got really really fluffy this year.