Not clipping through winter - horse in work?

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Primitive Pony

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Thoughts please, from those who don't clip but still ride. My horse lives out all year, last year trace clipped and then eventually had a full clip and obviously well rugged, coped very well.

However, I would like to see if I can get through this year - or even part of, if possible - without clipping or rugging, as this would appear to be the way a horse copes best by being able to regulate it's own temperature.

Just wondering how well this works if a horse gets sweaty in ridden work? - no different to them being wet from rain, I suppose so perhaps I shouldn't worry? And he won't be having a hard winter's work anyway.

Field has no shelter but he will be brought in to dry off every now and then/have a break from the worst weather.

Any thoughts, please?
 
Sweating through work IS different to getting wet from rain in the field - the dampness comes from the inside out and it is easy for them to catch a chill if you are not careful about cooling down and drying off.

It all depends upon your horse and the work you are doing. I have one who grows a very fine coat and doesn't get particularly sweaty. If she is in light work through a winter then I do not clip. However, I have the time and facilities to cool her down thoroughly and make full use of thermatex rugs to dry her off quickly. She is also part stabled at night (though rarely rugged unless wet and windy) so very different management to yours.
 
Catkin is quite right. Sweat from work is from the inside out and lies against the skin making it harder for the horse to dry off naturally. Wet from rain is on the top and left to their own devices horses are pretty much waterproof. If your horse sweats underneath a thick coat you do risk all sorts of rubs and sores - depending on how thick the coat is. You can't groom effectively - or bath - because you'll remove the waterproofing that he needs on the top. Clip as little as you can - but a belly or bib clip is kinder than not if he is in work and getting sweaty.
 
Providing you have a stable to allow him to dry off after working, and the time to allow this to happen - give it a go!
 
My 2 live out year round and I don't clip- I let them get hairy in the autumn too through not rugging as I prefer them not to be weighed down by vast layers of turnouts for months on end, they went through the worst of the winter in MWs, though it was v mild!
Anyway, they both stay in work and compete, they are fit and don't sweat heavily so it is never a problem- modern turnouts are breathable and mud is nature's natural coating......
 
I didn't clip one winter as mine was out of action for a chunk of winter and then coming back into work gently. She has a very fine coat so needs to be rugged anyway. It wasn't too bad when we were just doing light hacks as she didn't get cold and only sweated on her girth area. However when we stepped up the work it was such a pain trying to dry her off enough to put a rug on without her getting cold. It would have been dreadful if her coat had been heavier.
 
I dont' clip either of mine - one is a native and the other a TB. Although mine do have stables. As someone else said, I use thermatex type material rugs straight after work to help them dry off and keep them at the right temperature. I might consider a trace clip on the native this year, but definitely won't be clipping the TB.
 
I've had horses unclipped and in work in the winter in the past, which was not a problem. I did rug however as didn't have time to scrape half a ton of mud off before saddling up! Particularly an issue in midwinter when short daylight hours restrict riding time. Also I worry if you are grooming enough for the horse to be worked you are removing some of the naturally waterproof oils from the coat. Obviously much depends on the type of horse, your local microclimate and the availability of shelter in the pasture.
 
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