Showing + Clipping

(sorry if this is in the wrong area..)

Just bringing my horse back into work and he sweats up ALOT!

Ive seen many show horses kept clipped throughout the showing season and im planning to do this with him (its going to be a very busy summer with showing and jumping!)

what do you recommend??? it will be a coarse clip so not too short. just to keep on top of his sweating, fitness and so hes easier to keep clean.

he will have a rain sheet on him during the night!
 
hi my jack had a full clip ( 1/2 head legs left on) about a month ago and think it was with fine/ med blades and. he was off work from last may till feb . his coat has grow back looking much better.
 
I wouldn't clip now. My boy has pretty much got his summer coat through (he's always early). If you clip now you'll ruin the summer coat.

I'd be more inclined to just spend time grooming to get rid rid of the old winter coat.
 
yea hes growing his summer coat and hes molting but isnt him being cool and comfortable better then ruining a summer coat?? also it means i can work him longer and i can keep his weight down?
 
B

Bedlam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
2,132
Visit site
Not if you really want to show.

If he's got his summer coat and is still sweating in this weather then I think I'd be thinking of getting a vet to look at him.

Groom loads to get the winter coat away. If he's still sweating - there's something wrong, or you are working too hard for his fitness level.
 
I have one that I clip all year round, she is native but we chose to event her, so she needs to lose her woolly coat.

She soon goes nice and shiny again and is happier for it, Guess it depends what level you want to show at.
 
It depends what level you want to show at.

I show local / RC level and last year i clipped all year.

I know is not correct but its not fair on my mare, she sweats up so much even just on a long hack. I will always put her comfort over where i get placed in a line up.

I only ever once was questioned buy a judge why she was clipped out (it was September) and that was probably because the clip was dreadful, talk about tramlines !! (my clippers had a nervous breakdown half way through and i just had to keep going!!) I just said she sweats alot and i'm training her for an endurance ride, the judge shrugged and said fair enough, and i was put 7th out of about 20 so obviously can't have been that much of a big deal.

It doesnt look as nice though as there summer coat. I'm going to just try to keep her in a summer coat this year and hope she can cope.
 
[ QUOTE ]
(sorry if this is in the wrong area..)

Just bringing my horse back into work and he sweats up ALOT!



[/ QUOTE ]

It honestly sounds to me that you have not given him enough time of the basic walking to start proper fitness; that you are rushing things too fast and asking him to do more than he is physically fit for if he sweats that much rather than take the easy way out and clip him.
Apologies if that sounds rude but I've spent almost a lifetime getting horses fit and they don't sweat for no reason if they are prepared properly from the beginning.
 
Sorry i dont agree that clipping at this time of year ruins their coats. I clip from April to September ( backwards to everyone else!!! ) except for a few weeks where his summer coat has come through, as minis are shown clipped. I have never had a problem with a summer coat coming through fine. This is Inky in July last year, he had been clipped two weeks before and his coat came through fine..

P1030249.jpg


You will get some straggly hairs but their summer coat will still come through..
 
I own a show cob - she is a hairy mare-y all year round - even in the summer she has one heck of a coat on her and would sweat even when out for a walk - and it has nothing to do with her fitness level - that is just the way she is - therefore I clip her all year round - summer and winter - and also, if I am not mistaken, this is correct for her class - and no one has ever commented.

Therefore - as she is clipped all year round, I do not worry about her "summer coat" as she is never allowed to get one ! When she does get hairy she does not work well and is aggitated by being so hot. So clipping her is the "fair thing to do" for her and you know what, she looks fine and is full of health.

However, I appreciate that this may not be the "correct" turn out for showing for other classes of horse.

(I do also own a 16hh WBxTB but his coat is very fine in any case so I dont need to worry about him - he gets clipped 2 over the winter and is well rugged but he is not a "sweaty horse" anyway they are two completely different charactors !).
 
I agree with Stinkbomb, horses coats continuasly shed and grow. Clipping now will not ruin the summer coat. I would clip him, as like you said confort is more important than appearance.
 
I full clip my cob year round because I prefer his appearance that way. I try to clip 3 weeks before a show to avoid that just clipped bald look, and a smart trim a few days before to neaten any straggly hairs.
 


All horses are different... ours sweats just standing in his stable or dozing in the field, and I'm loathe to clip because i want to show, but on the other hand want to make him comfortable.

I would take the belly off, on a medium blade and see if that helps, though IME if you clip now the coat will be fine as we're mid -change.
 
Mine will prob be clipped all year round. He events, and although he has a large dose of TB, his cob roots tend to come out in his coat!! Therefore it is only fair on him, if I am expecting him to work hard all summer and he is getting sweaty (I can assure you it is not through lack of fitness!), to keep him comfortable and cool! He will prob do some showing in August, and I will make sure I clip in plenty of time to allow is coat to come through for showing
smile.gif
Alot of Sjers clip all year round aswell
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top