Shetland shivering

[Ellietotz]

I've just clipped my mini shetland all over except legs and he is now shivering.

It's been dry and sunny in the day and he has a lightweight no fill rug on. He feels warm and the other fully clipped horses on the yard are fine with their lightweights.

Could it be shock from losing a 4" long coat?
I clipped him last year in Spring, albeit was much warmer and he was fine then too.

I feel so guilty.

 

[Spotherisk]

So long as he’s not starving too I’m sure he’ll be fine, I assume you’re doing it for weight control?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'll take away all your clothes and send you out in just your knickers and a t-shirt having been well bundled up all winter!

 

[Ellietotz]

So long as he’s not starving too I’m sure he’ll be fine, I assume you’re doing it for weight control?

They have plenty of hay and out 24/7 in a small paddock with still some grass coming through. He's more overweight than anything. I just don't know why or if he is cold when he feels so warm.

 

[Spotherisk]

He’s guilt tripping you! No, seriously, so long as you’ve ruled out actual potential problems ie dehydration can cause shivering, he is shivering to keep warm, it’s a natural reaction. It is completely understandable that he is feeling the cold, you could chuck a thicker rug on but personally I would leave him as he is, he has forage and that’s the important thing.

 

[mavandkaz]

I don't know where abouts you are but it has been much colder here today (6c) then it has recently, and it's been wet. I would be inclined to put a thicker rug on for now. He will feel warm as you can actually feel his skin for a change, but now he has no hair all that heat will be escaping.
I sometimes clip my shetties for weight loss, but not to the point they are shivering.
I have quite a wimpy Shetland, and in the past have seen him shiver in the summer in the rain, when he is fully clipped (he has sweetitch)

 

[Lois Lame]

I've just clipped my mini shetland all over except legs and he is now shivering.

It's been dry and sunny in the day and he has a lightweight no fill rug on. He feels warm and the other fully clipped horses on the yard are fine with their lightweights.

Could it be shock from losing a 4" long coat?
I clipped him last year in Spring, albeit was much warmer and he was fine then too.

I feel so guilty.

He's cold. He's a lot smaller than the other horses so he won't be able to hold as much heat.

 

[Cahill]

he is cold,it has been bloody freezing here (sw) and east/north wind forcast into next week.

 

[Pinkvboots]

His probably feeling the cold as the temperature halved today compared to yesterday add on wind and rain and it's bloody cold, I would put a thicker rug on while it's colder mine are clipped and would have been shaking in a no fill today they were back in 200g rugs today.

 

[Ellietotz]

It's been 11 degrees here and sunny, no wind or rain. I'll get a heavier rug on him. He just feels so warm under it, I thought that anything more would bake him.

 

[scats]

Just stick something warmer on him for a week or so until he acclimatises.

 

[little_critter]

It's been 11 degrees here and sunny, no wind or rain. I'll get a heavier rug on him. He just feels so warm under it, I thought that anything more would bake him.

Last night I swore my car was lying. It said it was 11 degrees, I would swear it felt more like 5 degrees. The wind is biting.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Last night I swore my car was lying. It said it was 11 degrees, I would swear it felt more like 5 degrees. The wind is biting.

the accuweather has both the air temperature and the ‘feels liken’ temperature. Sometimes when it’s reading 6 degrees the feels like is only 2. So it could be that it’s colder than you think

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Today it is currently 10 degrees and sunny. However there is a brisk northerly wind, actual temp is about 5.
Lovely if you find a sunny sheltered spot but bloody chilly (gloves, hat and thick jacket) if out in open!
OP def rug at least overnight, poor blighter.

 

[Leandy]

Of course he's cold. So would you be if you had lost several inches of lovely fur all over. I don't understand the trend to clip for our convenience rather than the horse's. So unnecessary. Of course he feels warm to the touch, that is him losing the heat his fur was otherwise keeping in for him, as it should.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Next year, I suggest that you take a bib clip off to start with and then progress gradually to remove all his coat, if you think that's what he needs, rather than whipping the lot off in one go.

 

[ester]

Leandy makes a good point clipped horses do feel warmer.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Next year, I suggest that you take a bib clip off to start with and then progress gradually to remove all his coat, if you think that's what he needs, rather than whipping the lot off in one go.

That's exactly what I do with my 2, bib and belly in early October and again in end January too.
Really helps. No way would I clip them right out unless they were in hard work!

 

[ester]

For the first time (due to retirement) Frank had a chaser clip this time last year, this year he's had it off because it sends his skin silly as it warms up. But he is absolutely rugged appropriately.
He had a bib and belly at christmas, with additional random patches with said silly skin, good job he doesn't go anywhere .

 

[Tarragon]

My older Exmoor pony has cushings and a coat like a bear. He was fully clipped out last September and then had a bib clip in January. They are kept unrugged all winter. I was considering giving him another full clip soon as he takes forever to lose his coat and it can get very warm this time of year. I would, though, rug him to keep him warm if necessary because the reason for clipping is to make sure he doesn't overheat. At least a full clip means that I can always take a rug off, or put it on, according to the weather.

 

[Ellietotz]

Of course he's cold. So would you be if you had lost several inches of lovely fur all over. I don't understand the trend to clip for our convenience rather than the horse's. So unnecessary. Of course he feels warm to the touch, that is him losing the heat his fur was otherwise keeping in for him, as it should.

He was clipped because he was suffering with rainscald. For some reason his fur wasn't keeping him all that waterproof and he clearly refused to use the shelters. I thought a rug on top of it all would have cooked him so it was easier to clip him and rug.

 

[Ellietotz]

Just to clarify, I wasn't clipping him for weight loss or "trend".
He was losing the hair on his back from rainscald and as he usually takes so long to shed his winter coat, I clip him in spring anyway as otherwise he sweats and rubs himself raw being so itchy.
He has shelter too but I guess the rain just got in through all his fur and sat there. I was going to rug him over the top of the fur but I assumed he would cook and since I clip him anyway, albeit usually when it's a bit warmer, it killed two birds with one stone and I didn't think it would harm him with a rug on while it's still not particularly warm.

We live and learn.

 

[Spotherisk]

It’s tough when they have a super thick coat, my old horse has a dense coarse coat and will soon be trying to rub it out on anything he can!

 

[jumbyjack]

My tough shet shook like an aspen when she was clipped, I put her in a 100g for a week and then went down to a 50g. I wouldn't leave a newly clipped pony in a no fill rug, it will make him colder.

 

[Lurfy]

I would rug with natural fibres if rainscald is an issue. Wool lined canvas or unlined canvas depending on temp.

 

[Lois Lame]

Leandy makes a good point clipped horses do feel warmer [to touch].

Yes. I've been thinking about this.

I remember reading on a home horse forum once that in countries where it snows, snow can sit on a horse's (unclipped) coat due to the insulation of that coat, keeping the snow away from the heat of the body.

So it stands to reason that feeling the coat of a horse is no indication of how warm the horse is. I suppose this is why it's the ears that we feel. (Though I never feel confident of how accurate this measure is.)

 

[be positive]

Yes. I've been thinking about this.

I remember reading on a home horse forum once that in countries where it snows, snow can sit on a horse's (unclipped) coat due to the insulation of that coat, keeping the snow away from the heat of the body.

So it stands to reason that feeling the coat of a horse is no indication of how warm the horse is. I suppose this is why it's the ears that we feel. (Though I never feel confident of how accurate this measure is.)

The ears can be a good guide, I have felt horses that seemed warm, but looked cold and unhappy in some way, when the ears were felt they were very cold and damp, they are the extremities and possibly like us having a warm body but still feeling cold due to hands and feet feeling like blocks of ice, their feet are designed to cope with being on the cold ground with very little fat in their lower limbs so will not get frostbite there but the ears are very exposed, a layer of snow will actually give extra insulation, until it melts, a no fill rug on any horse, clipped or not, will often make them colder as it stops the coat acting as it should to give them warmth by standing up so they will often feel colder in one than being out naked.

 

[Berpisc]

Yes. I've been thinking about this.

I remember reading on a home horse forum once that in countries where it snows, snow can sit on a horse's (unclipped) coat due to the insulation of that coat, keeping the snow away from the heat of the body.

So it stands to reason that feeling the coat of a horse is no indication of how warm the horse is. I suppose this is why it's the ears that we feel. (Though I never feel confident of how accurate this measure is.)

Or get your fingers in under the coat near the horse's skin