Thoughts on clipping now?

Switchthehorse

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Hi

Just wondering what people think about clipping now.

My horse has been 'off games' for the past year due to illness and then more illness and then lameness and then another lameness but woop we are finally back to doing a little more!

Nag is IDxWB and resembles a polar bear. Didnt bother clipping as we were only just coming back into work over 'winter', but the last week or so we have upped the workload and nag is sweating a fair bit.

Lets face it, if I clip it will only be for me to have an easier life in that I was still there last night at 9ish trying to dry the beast off after a good schooling session!! Even tho it was ruddy freezing.

Everyone I speak to has mixed views, from too late and ruining the summer coat, through to this is a perfect time to do it, through to you are lazy get your curry combs out and de-fur it yourself :)

What do you all reckon?

Thanks!
 

_GG_

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If it's a full clip, it really won't matter that much so long as you keep the leg lines on the natural muscle lines of the horse. If it is anything else, yes, sometimes you can see faint lines as the difference between natural summer coat and where it was clipped, but to be perfectly honest, I think you would have to be looking for the difference to really see it and only on some horses anyway.

Personally, I don't clip when a horse starts moulting as I prefer to get a bit of elbow grease going. My WB x baby is a hairy mammoth and although just starting out with light lunging and long reining, she does get a little sweaty on her chest in the sun, but I wouldn't even think of clipping her as she is shedding hair like there is no tomorrow and so I will just get it out as it comes out and leave her be.

My TB was clipped in October and although a little fuzzy, again, she is moulting so not going to bother reclipping her.

Do what will make your horse the most comfortable...after all, we should be putting their comfort ahead of what we thinks looks good.
 

Abacus

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Another agreement here, I did mine on Tuesday, it was so late as it's his first year being clipped and we have gradually worked up from a little patch to a bib to a blanket to a full body but still with face left on. He wasn't a big fan to start with but was a very good boy on Tuesday so the slow approach has worked. I wasn't going to go all the way but he is getting so hot, it wasn't fair, and he is clearly more comfortable now. I tend to think it's ok until the time they start to moult. I know plenty of people who regularly clip later and this and even through the summer with the hairier horses. Doesn't trouble the horse, and the look might only matter if showing, I suppose.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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Just clip if its a hunter your doing then it wont matter, I clip out cobby pony and she gets the lot minus half a head and her mane taken off all year round and her coat is fine :D
 

Sunshine8

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Mine had her blanket clip re-done this week as she looked a mess and not started to moult yet.
A yard I used to ride for would always fully clip early spring to 'help' with keeping them looking neat when summer coat comes through
 

galaxy

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No I wouldn't. Ours have started moulting and that's the sign for me that it's too late.

I've seen a pony's summer coat ruined by a late clip. Was done mid Feb just before we went to see her. That summer her coat was a real dull, funny colour and you could see the leg lines. The following year she was clipped earlier and her coat was a lovely colour.
 

MudMudGloriousMud

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I would absolutely clip now.
I have a show pony booked for Saturday for a full clip, and will probably have a couple more to do before I get round to my old lady at the end on Feb.
I tend to leave the old lady until she has started moulting and then her coat comes through beautifully, however I do agree that Chestnuts and bright Bays do tend to look 'washed out' if you leave the clip too late.
 

travelmad

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i would - makes life easier when they start to shed. even a bib clip would make it easier to start exercising if you are very worried about summer coat.
 

_daisy_

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Ive clipped 1 of mine full out today. Ill being doing another tomorrow and the final 1 on saturday. Imho it doesnt really affect their summer coats whether theyve started to moult or not.
 

Dizzydancer

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I would- unless your planning on doing early shows it shouldn't matter.
My boy was half blanket/trace clipped at weekend- he hasn't started moulting yet tho, i think if he had i would have cracked out the scraper!
 

Dusty85

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I posted this question a week or so ago- and did a full clip on sunday just gone!

In my view; some horses are clipped all year around, and if he's sweating when worked then it becomes a bit of a pain in the bum trying to keep them clean and then drying them in this cold is also annoying!

Im sure he'll feel better for it. Do it! :D
 

Honey08

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I always clip to the end of Feb, and last year did mid-March too. I always do blankets unless the horse is eventing, and have not been left with any lines so far (and both are horses that change colour when clipped, ie, chesnut). One was clipped last weekend, the other wil be this weekend.
 

jellyshark

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Clip - it makes no differance - I once clipped a mare in the middle of April - couldn't cope with the hair - she had the best summer coat she has ever had!!:):)
 
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