sweaty sweaty horse....clipping thro summer?

unicornystar

unicornystar

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Does anyone else here have to clip their horse through the summer?

This is a new one on me after 40+ years of horse owning!!

7 year old, really thick set but not fluffy summer coat, and he's dripping after 30 minutes and it's not even hot yet!!

Have been advised by owner (he is on loan) to clip away everything........

Comments?! as he is clearly uncomfortable and it's crazy washing him down each evening after exercise

Having given up with clippers and paying someone else to do it, do you think £70 for everything off is a good price?

Thanks in advance
 
I personally wouldn't clip through summer. Sweating isn't a bad thing that needs stopping, particularly in the summer when it's warm enough for them to dry off quickly. It's only for convenience and condition in winter that we clip.

Is he rugged at all?
 
I clipped my ISH out completely (bar legs) last Friday night just before Tweseldown as although he had a blanket clip he was too hot. Much happier horse!

Sorry no idea on clipping rates as do myself but £70 sounds a lot to me!
 
Moomin1 said:
I personally wouldn't clip through summer. Sweating isn't a bad thing that needs stopping, particularly in the summer when it's warm enough for them to dry off quickly. It's only for convenience and condition in winter that we clip.

Is he rugged at all?
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Sorry, but that is very poor advice. Op, keep the horse comfortable, clip him and put a fly sheet on him. £70 is way too expensive. £45/50 for a full clip.
 
The cob gets clipped all year round, it'd be unfair to leave him sweating as when temperature's drop at night, he would get a chill.

Only thing to be aware of, is that the coat also protects from the sun and heat. Particularly if pink skinned, put a sheet on in the day or provide shelter.

Some horses do well with a part clip that leaves the back protected while others need everything off.

Don't know about clipping charges now but £70 is a scary amount.
 
I'm with Alice. Welfare of the horse has to come first. Clipping is done for a number of reasons and convenience is - I hope! - the last one. There is absolutely no harm in clipping through the summer - I clip both my boys year round. Partly to prevent excessive sweating - which is harmful - but also to assist with the control of mud fever which is a year round issue for us.

I'm with her on the price too - £70 is too much. I pay £40 for a full clip - and my cob has to be done every 6 weeks or so!
 
if the horse is really struggling, then I'd say clip. Maybe not fully clip out, as it could also be where he's getting fitter. What sort of work are you doing? Maybe provide him with a salt lick too, to ensure he's not running low.
I pay about £65 for a full clip (legs and all) from my instructor, if that helps :)
 
Moomin1 said:
I personally wouldn't clip through summer. Sweating isn't a bad thing that needs stopping, particularly in the summer when it's warm enough for them to dry off quickly. It's only for convenience and condition in winter that we clip.
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I totally disagree with the above. If your horse sweats excessively after exercise then clip. The horse will be much more comfortable & will be able to work better for longer.

I'm not in your area so not sure on clipping prices but £70 appears excessive.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Sorry, but that is very poor advice. Op, keep the horse comfortable, clip him and put a fly sheet on him. £70 is way too expensive. £45/50 for a full clip.
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I completely disagree. A bit of management goes a long way. Surely OP has got five minutes to wash the horse down after work? A fly rug put on after? I was referring to the effects of sweating on the horse itself. Sweating is completely natural and a normal process. We do not need to prevent it from taking place in order to be 'kind'. How we manage the horse with regard to after it has sweated is what matters.

That being said, what OP wants to do is up to her - I am quite sure it won't harm the horse to clip through summer. Plenty do it. It's just personally not what I would do unless there was a medical reason. My horse sweats heavily through summer too after exercise. She has remained perfectly healthy without being clipped.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
I totally disagree with the above. If your horse sweats excessively after exercise then clip. The horse will be much more comfortable & will be able to work better for longer.

I'm not in your area so not sure on clipping prices but £70 appears excessive.
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Yes - work better for longer - so for our convenience. It won't harm the horse to sweat whatsoever provided we manage them properly in their care.
 
Moomin1 said:
I completely disagree. A bit of management goes a long way. Surely OP has got five minutes to wash the horse down after work? A fly rug put on after? I was referring to the effects of sweating on the horse itself. Sweating is completely natural and a normal process. We do not need to prevent it from taking place in order to be 'kind'. How we manage the horse with regard to after it has sweated is what matters.

That being said, what OP wants to do is up to her - I am quite sure it won't harm the horse to clip through summer. Plenty do it. It's just personally not what I would do unless there was a medical reason. My horse sweats heavily through summer too after exercise. She has remained perfectly healthy without being clipped.
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I've seen a few cobs left to sweat through the summer.

Dripping salty sweat, their thick coats unable to dry before the cold night air.
Yep, they lose condition, catch chills and look uncomfortable and itchy.

That's poor management.
 
plenty do and I have (have also compromised and just done a blanket clip in summer - I don't mind we look a bit odd if it's functional... sweat on a thick coat doesn't really do a great job of cooling the horse - compared to sweat on a shorter/clipped coat and some are also a lot more sensitive to sweat/being washed off regularly which arguably also isn't good for them.


The whole point is if the horse is the sort to carry a fair amount of coat it doesn't dry quickly if you wash it well - if you are riding in the evenings a) it isn't viable to wait an hour before you turn the horse back out again b) it is getting quite cold by the time they are dry even if rugged with a cooler etc.

(oh and they are also often the sort that do need working quite hard so that they keep their weight down - working harder for longer isn't always for our convenience, sometimes it is a pita moomin!)

Frank's summer coat is like a TB's winter coat - if clipped after a couple of weeks it is like a TB's summer coat.

By clipping you aren't necessarily aiming to stop them sweating - more allowing that sweat to evaporate and cool the skin so that the horse is more comfortable - which for some can help just standing in the field!
 
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In F's case he is an old native - he gets a thicker summer coat than he used to and even when he was 12 it always a little dense. He is prepared to head back up a welsh mountain at any moment rather than a sheltered field in somerset/wiltshire.

Mum's anglo would never sweat in the field!
 
Moomin1 said:
Yes - work better for longer - so for our convenience. It won't harm the horse to sweat whatsoever provided we manage them properly in their care.
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You evidently do not compete and evidently have not seen or managed a horse in heat stress. There will not be a single horse at Badminton that is not clipped. Whilst I doubt the OP's horse is a top flight competition horse, he still has the right to be comfortable in his work. A clipped horse can be washed down after work, I use a splash of brace in my bucket, scraped off and within minutes will be dry with relaxed muscles and ready to be turned out, fed or put away.

A furry horse can still be washed, but he won't dry and will get cold. It is utter tosh to claim we clip for convenience for ourselves. Owners should always deal with the horse they have in front of them and the specific needs of that animal to maintain optimum health.
 
AdorableAlice said:
You evidently do not compete and evidently have not seen or managed a horse in heat stress. There will not be a single horse at Badminton that is not clipped. Whilst I doubt the OP's horse is a top flight competition horse, he still has the right to be comfortable in his work. A clipped horse can be washed down after work, I use a splash of brace in my bucket, scraped off and within minutes will be dry with relaxed muscles and ready to be turned out, fed or put away.

A furry horse can still be washed, but he won't dry and will get cold. It is utter tosh to claim we clip for convenience for ourselves. Owners should always deal with the horse they have in front of them and the specific needs of that animal to maintain optimum health.
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Really.

Clearly it's very different for horses competing at such high levels.

Your average ned should not NEED clipping through summer unless it's for medical reasons, or age related. That is not to say we SHOULDN'T clip during summer. That is preference of the owner. If it makes life easier, so be it.

Sweating never harmed an athlete, provided they manage themselves properly. Horses in the wild sweat, I am more than sure, and they don't clip themselves after high levels of exertion. Nor do they usually and frequently die of heat stress or hypothermia once night sets in.
 
It's extremely bad for horses to expect them to work and become uncomfortably hot on a regular basis .
My driving cob was kept fully clipped all year round he went out unrugged most of the time in summer but we would use a no fill for a couple of days after clipping and if the weather was very wet .
He was healthier livelier fitter horse managed this way .
I have had event horses who we clipped in summer .
And I now have a young ID who will be trace clipped to work this summer he's already showing signs that his natural summer coat will be too thick.
I used to clip the driving cob with a legs and bottom half off clip if he was in light work this worked very well got rid of all the awful feather and keep him comfy .
 
Thank you for your comments so far, please dont fall out!!

The horse in question is an ISH, but quite heavy in my opinion, think mini fresian type 16.2hh.

He is pretty fit, ridden all week, with a day off on Monday. He is in full work, hacking, schooling, jumping, unaff comps. He sweats within 20 minutes of being on a hack, can walk forever non sweaty, but once he go up a few gears he is DRIPPING, soaked through. His coat is quite thick and he is well covered, not fat.

I work full time so by the time I ride and come back to the yard, he is washed off about 6.30pm, this does not leave much time before it goes down quite cold again in the night...and I dont want him to get a chill. He goes to bed with a rug on (in at night) and is standing so not moving around to keep warm either.

He really is quite an itchy boy and seems quite relieved after his nightly wash down after work. I cant help feeling that he will be more comfortable clipped, although I do worry about spoiling his coat, his comfort comes first, we wont be showing anyway so really I dont know what I am worrying about.

When I say sweating, I mean soaked, everywhere except a small top part of his rump and his legs at the bottom, curly, sweaty hot horse!!

He has salt licks galore and also gets a salt supplement in his feeds.....
 
AdorableAlice said:
You evidently do not compete and evidently have not seen or managed a horse in heat stress. There will not be a single horse at Badminton that is not clipped. Whilst I doubt the OP's horse is a top flight competition horse, he still has the right to be comfortable in his work. A clipped horse can be washed down after work, I use a splash of brace in my bucket, scraped off and within minutes will be dry with relaxed muscles and ready to be turned out, fed or put away.

A furry horse can still be washed, but he won't dry and will get cold. It is utter tosh to claim we clip for convenience for ourselves. Owners should always deal with the horse they have in front of them and the specific needs of that animal to maintain optimum health.
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I don't think many horses at Badminton are actually clipped, or at least I worked for an event rider who took one to Badminton who didn't clip any of her event horses during summer. However, the horses were rugged throughout summer, both when turned out and in the stable, to keep their coats incredibly short.

OP, I think you should clip your horse to make him more comfortable. Yes, you may have to rug if it's cold at night, but it will make your horse a lot more comfortable. Plus if you take it all off, you won't even be able to tell he has been clipped, if the aesthetics were a worry for you.
 
I really dont mind too much what he looks like as I dont do showing anymore (thank goodness!!!) so as long as he is comfortable that is all that matters, I have just never clipped anything other than a top flight comp horse in the summer, and half of me just wonders WHY he sweats so damn much!!! He's just a big sweaty type I think but it's a very new one on me as I am used to TB's!!!
 
unicornystar said:
Thank you for your comments so far, please dont fall out!!

The horse in question is an ISH, but quite heavy in my opinion, think mini fresian type 16.2hh.

He is pretty fit, ridden all week, with a day off on Monday. He is in full work, hacking, schooling, jumping, unaff comps. He sweats within 20 minutes of being on a hack, can walk forever non sweaty, but once he go up a few gears he is DRIPPING, soaked through. His coat is quite thick and he is well covered, not fat.

I work full time so by the time I ride and come back to the yard, he is washed off about 6.30pm, this does not leave much time before it goes down quite cold again in the night...and I dont want him to get a chill. He goes to bed with a rug on (in at night) and is standing so not moving around to keep warm either.

He really is quite an itchy boy and seems quite relieved after his nightly wash down after work. I cant help feeling that he will be more comfortable clipped, although I do worry about spoiling his coat, his comfort comes first, we wont be showing anyway so really I dont know what I am worrying about.

When I say sweating, I mean soaked, everywhere except a small top part of his rump and his legs at the bottom, curly, sweaty hot horse!!

He has salt licks galore and also gets a salt supplement in his feeds.....
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He, you and your fencing will benefit if he is clipped. My mare gets hot and when she starts to itch the post and rail takes a bending. I use a no fill rain sheet if the wind gets cold or its peeing down. I also put half a mug of linseed in her token feed, it makes a big difference to itchy hot horses.
 
Moomin1 said:
Sweating never harmed an athlete, provided they manage themselves properly. Horses in the wild sweat, I am more than sure, and they don't clip themselves after high levels of exertion. Nor do they usually and frequently die of heat stress or hypothermia once night sets in.
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No but athletes don't have coats that stay wet - the sweat evaporates and cools the surface of the skin. Sweat has to be able to evaporate to work, trapped sweat can just end up making the horse warmer as it will act as an insulating layer. Clipping a heavy coated breed/type if therefore often much better for it - nothing to do with making life easier for the owner.

The main issue IMO is with horses with pink skin where they will need to be protected from the sun.
 
Just to add OP, if you're worried about your boy potentially getting burnt in the middle of summer, as ester has mentioned, you can get fly rugs that deflect UV rays away. I bought one for my black pony, as she got very hot in the middle of summer, but with the rug on you could feel how cool she was underneath compared to those without a rug. If I remember correctly, it was made by Masta and it lasted her years.
 
vikkiandmonica said:
Just to add OP, if you're worried about your boy potentially getting burnt in the middle of summer, as ester has mentioned, you can get fly rugs that deflect UV rays away. I bought one for my black pony, as she got very hot in the middle of summer, but with the rug on you could feel how cool she was underneath compared to those without a rug. If I remember correctly, it was made by Masta and it lasted her years.
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Thanks!! He is jet black but will have a UV rug anyway as having seen some nasty cancers on animals over recent years (cats and dogs ears particularly) everything needs protection these days!!
 
Have you thought of testing for cushings?
My 9 y/o TB has been diagnosed with it - and a thick (or thicker/fluffy) coat along with sweating is a symptom. I'm sure the laminitis site does a voucher for free testing around this time of year.

I've included the age of my horse as everyone told me he couldn't have it as he isn't old but the blood test proved that one wrong. Although rarer in younger horses it is possible.

Either way I would clip if the horse is too warm if it's just stood in the field - much kinder to keep them comfortable.
 
amandap said:
Just out of interest is the salt supplement in his feed pure salt or an electrolyte supplement?
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Just to say, if the supplement contains other things such as potassium I would try stopping it, remove the licks and feed a tablespoon of table salt (not low salt)in his feed daily. You never know it might help.
 
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