Washing before clipping WWYD?

[HorseMaid]

I'm probably over thinking this but wanted to ask what everyone does before clipping? I'm planning on clipping on Friday morning, the horses previously had a trace clip but I'm going to do a full clip so obviously they have full winter coats over much of their bodies. I don't like trying to clip a greasy/dirty coat so they'll need washing first.

I was planning on giving them a warm bath when they come in tomorrow night and leaving them with a wicking rug under a stable rug for the night. The yard is 7 miles away so a PITA to go back later to change rugs... But I will if I have to.

What does everybody else do?

 

[Sossigpoker]

If you have means of getting them dry then I'd bath before clipping. 7 miles is nothing, I'd happily drive that to change rugs if needed.

 

[Cob Life]

I ride, wash, out on a drying rug and give him a quick 5/10 min lunge and usually 15 minutes after bathing he’s mostly dry, he’s a very hot horse though so it evaporates quickly

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Hot water and hibi scrub, good scrape then I usually pop a rug on with straw underneath up the next day and clip ?

 

[scats]

Ill be honest, I don’t bother to bath first. I just send my blades off when my sharpener man collects my dog blades. Millie was clipped on Tuesday and she hasn’t had a bath since September.

 

[vannersrus]

Not sure where you live but temperature tonight not going below 13 c tonight so I’d warm bath, towel dry and leave in a thermatex or similar.
I wouldn’t be rugging an unclipped horse in those temperatures otherwise

 

[HorseMaid]

Hmm yes, we're in Devon and it's warm! I'll leave the stable rugs off I think, maybe straw underneath. I've had a set of clippers broken before from clipping an unwashed horse's greasy bum (I only have medium duty type ones) so like to be careful.

 

[AmyMay]

If they’ve been rugged since trace clipping I wouldn’t bother bathing.

 

[Starzaan]

As an ex professional clipper, please please please bath them!!
Not doing so will give you a bad finish, will knacker your blades and cause drag which will be uncomfortable for your horses.

 

[HorseMaid]

Oh I absolutely intend to give them a bath, it just the logistics of doing it and leaving them in whicking/cooling rugs overnight that I was querying!

 

[Berpisc]

I would definitely go and check later, just to be sure they were warm enough.

 

[Leandy]

I have never washed before clipping. If the horses are rugged and in work ie brushed regularly etc then I wouldn't think they need it. And if they are not then I wouldn't think they need clipping. Hence I've never bothered!

 

[Starzaan]

I have never washed before clipping. If the horses are rugged and in work ie brushed regularly etc then I wouldn't think they need it. And if they are not then I wouldn't think they need clipping. Hence I've never bothered!

You would be absolutely amazed at the difference it makes. It really is incredible. Having clipped professionally I will never clip another horse who hasn’t been bathed, or present a horse for clipping that hasn’t been bathed. ?

 

[Starzaan]

Oh I absolutely intend to give them a bath, it just the logistics of doing it and leaving them in whicking/cooling rugs overnight that I was querying!

I would check the coolers haven’t slipped back at all. I normally take coolers off when I do late checks ?

 

[Rowreach]

As an ex professional clipper, please please please bath them!!
Not doing so will give you a bad finish, will knacker your blades and cause drag which will be uncomfortable for your horses.

This, especially in these temperatures. Otherwise a good old fashioned hot cloth session is better than nothing.

Oh I absolutely intend to give them a bath, it just the logistics of doing it and leaving them in whicking/cooling rugs overnight that I was querying!

I'd resign yourself to going back and changing rugs later on then, in case the cooler has slipped like Starzaan mentioned above.

 

[HorseMaid]

What I did was go up a bit earlier in the end (lugging 2 x 25 litre barrels of hot water, they are spoiled!) they've been washed and had their coolers on for a bit, changed them to light stable rugs with a bit of straw underneath, which I think will be fine. My car was saying its 13 degrees which is ridiculous and I'm not worried that they'll get cold now!