To clip or not to clip??

J

JJtheJetPlane

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I have just aquired a little x racer as a project. He has wintered out last winter and has come into spring looking well with a good coverage of weight, shiny coat but it is very long (dread locks in places!!) I should say thick but its not really. More Elk like lol!!
Anyway i intend to do some work with the horse and sell him on shortly as an on going project however after working him today he was soaked within five mins.
So im after some good advice really ... Should i sod it and give him a full clip and a good hot bath, and then rug unill the coat comes through or are we to late in the season?? I have also noticed a few baldish patches ?? Not sure if this is where the coat is coming out in clumps or its where he has been itching. One is under his armpit?? One on his stifle area? I want to get him looking nice asap..
Or do i rug or not rug and wait for it to shed naturally but its going to takes ages and will be a real inconvenience waiting for him to dry etc !
Any ideas ? I have never known a tb with such a coat !!
Many thanks
 
I know what I would do and that would be take the whole lot off. It will smarten him up, make work a bit easier for him, help his skin and you can see any niggling irratations he might have. Rug him up and his new summer coat will come through fine.
 
I think it is a bit of a myth now that you would ruin the summer coat. Not at the end of March anyway. My horse was clipped out last week and the pony with a full coat hasn't shed a hair yet. The groom at the next yard to me has 3 booked in to clip next week. For many years I was of the understanding not to clip after February but not any more and I can assure you they all have fab coats.
And this isn't just about a good summer coat, this is about his current coat being detrimental to his work and skin.
 
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