To defluff or not - the shall I clip or not debate

[Tiddlypom]

This is more a 'Can I cope with the mass of white hairs' question than a welfare q...

Retired 12 yo homebred teenagers eventer grows the winter coat of a yak, and it's all shedding everywhere now.

This morning I did a partial tidy up of heels and beard, and set to on her coat with the shedding blade. Looks a lot better already, but way more to go...



Her mum, the other coloured, has PPID and holds her coat late so I will soon be clipping her on welfare grounds. The bay IDx has PSSM so I let her keep her coat.



It's what to with Molly . I expect that the clippers will win, I do hate the shedding season.

First world problems.

 

[webble]

If you do be careful of any really sunny days. I clipped my coloured this time of year and he got a sunburnt back!

 

[meleeka]

I’m about to do my shetland. I’ll just do a blanket clip, but it will help just to get rid of the hair on his neck and under his belly which seems to take ages to come out. It’s not easy to reach underneath with a shedding blade!

 

[Tiddlypom]

If you do be careful of any really sunny days. I clipped my coloured this time of year and he got a sunburnt back!

Good point. She's got a waterproof fly rug which would keep the sun off her back, I'd need to pop that on her at least.

 

[SEL]

I'm planning a baby cob clip.

He's got a beard like a goat, taken half his mane out scratching and his legs look better sans feather. He fidgets with the shedding brush too and seems to get clumps of mud stuck in his belly fluff which he grumps about when I try and remove them.

He'll look great by June if I leave him but I think spring is here and he needs to look less feral.

 

[Nasicus]

If it's not a welfare thing, I usually think 'Well, long shed hairs are far less itchy than short, clipped shed hairs.' and just stick it out

 

[sarcasm_queen]

Going to have clip my yak of a cob this week. He’s old and doesn’t lose his winter coat anymore. Not looking forward to it!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

This is more a 'Can I cope with the mass of white hairs' question than a welfare q...

Retired 12 yo homebred teenagers eventer grows the winter coat of a yak, and it's all shedding everywhere now.

This morning I did a partial tidy up of heels and beard, and set to on her coat with the shedding blade. Looks a lot better already, but way more to go...

View attachment 110646

Her mum, the other coloured, has PPID and holds her coat late so I will soon be clipping her on welfare grounds. The bay IDx has PSSM so I let her keep her coat.

View attachment 110647

It's what to with Molly . I expect that the clippers will win, I do hate the shedding season.

First world problems.

one of livery horses was clipped today.

I wont clip now and my welsh is a fluffy girl and I will leave it to her to roll it out and give the birds nesting material.

I would say no don't clip

 

[splashgirl45]

I wouldn’t if she is retired only if being worked

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

We have clipped retired ones especially if it's a warm spring or they just sweat in the heat, it's not been particularly warm but will be 15 degrees by Friday so for some really hairy horses that is enough to cause sweating.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

If it's not a welfare thing, I usually think 'Well, long shed hairs are far less itchy than short, clipped shed hairs.' and just stick it out

It is a welfare thing for me though! After spending an hour and a half producing enough fluff to build another 16 hand horse and inhaling a shetland pony sized clump myself, the clippers are looking to be essential for my welfare anyway. And she doesn't look any less hairy than she did before I started either. I might compromise and just do a belly clip to get rid of the real nasty stuff and make it easier and less messy to but SI cream on her belly line.

 

[Snow Falcon]

See, I'm in the clip camp. I used to clip Benji out in the spring. He spent the winter unrugged once retired but even as a yearling he grew a ridiculous coat in winter. He'd be bathed, clipped and rugged. Much more comfortable for him (and me!) than taking ages to moult, which always took him til the end of June!! It depends on the horse/pony and what's best for them. He got itchy when moulting so it helped him and when we had had the hot spring months it kept him from sweating.

 

[Auslander]

I'm tempted. My coat stripping assistant wasn't very impressed about having this much hair in his teeth this morning.
Alf is sweating like a fat lad in a cake shop, so I think he's going to have to be scalped!

 

[splashgirl45]

I said I wouldn’t of retired but did clip my cushings mare all year round as she used to get really sweaty

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I’m about to do my shetland. I’ll just do a blanket clip, but it will help just to get rid of the hair on his neck and under his belly which seems to take ages to come out. It’s not easy to reach underneath with a shedding blade!

My mini gets a bib and belly clip from mid September and redone every 4 to 6 weeks till end January, have done this the last 3 winters. Out at night and not rugged. The last clip is usually a little wider....
It really helps with weight management plus keeps her much more comfortable

 

[oldie48]

I used to clip my retired TB when he started on to holding his coat. He had cushings and they lose their ability to regulate temperature so if he got hot he got itchy and would rub himself raw in places. I'd just throw a rug on him when needed. Comfort first for me.

 

[meleeka]

My mini gets a bib and belly clip from mid September and redone every 4 to 6 weeks till end January, have done this the last 3 winters. Out at night and not rugged. The last clip is usually a little wider....
It really helps with weight management plus keeps her much more comfortable

Mine gets to keep his winter warmers until Spring. He doesn’t shed his coat fully until July otherwise.

 

[Surbie]

I clip mine purely because I loathe shedding. He's tubby and a hot horse so I am sure he appreciates it too.

I spent today at the RDA, where the herd lives out - we have a lot of mostly white piebalds and some grey highlands. I went to Tescos on the way home and looked part yeti. I can't help feeling they would be more comfortable with at least a bib and belly clip.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Update - I held out for 2 months til the shedding was all over, then clipped Molly out (leaving half head and legs) yesterday . I'd already done her mum.

The two sports horses coloured weirdly grow a thicker summer coat than the IDx, who doesn't need clipping in summer.

I used coarse blades, but still both coloureds are wearing waterproof fly rugs until their coats grow back a bit more, in case of sunburn. They are already much more comfortable on these warm sunny days, though.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Update - I held out for 2 months til the shedding was all over, then clipped Molly out (leaving half head and legs) yesterday . I'd already done her mum.

The two sports horses coloured weirdly grow a thicker summer coat than the IDx, who doesn't need clipping in summer.

I used coarse blades, but still both coloureds are wearing waterproof fly rugs until their coats grow back a bit more, in case of sunburn. They are already much more comfortable on these warm sunny days, though.

I clipped Louis yesterday he still had a really thick coat his got cushings and on prascend but was sweating after very little work, his never had such a fine coat like Arabi who has a typical Arab coat and he is still in a 50g or 100g at night or he will drop weight it's been 7 degrees and windy here at night.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm pretty pleased with the finish that the coarse Heiniger blades (a 3-4mm cut) have left. These tram lines should soon disappear, but importantly she hasn't been left with pink skin. It's a workmanlike clip.




I once accidentally clipped her with some 1mm fine blades that I didn't even know that I had - the poor horse was showing pink skin everywhere, and the vet thought that it was hilarious . That did take a while to grow out...