What clip to do? Help please!

[My_chestnut_mare]

Had lesson on my mare yesterday and she sweated up very very badly soaking wet.

Looks as tho she is going to have to be clipped but i have no idea what clip to do. Was thinking about a trace clip first to see how i get on but not sure.

Any ideas please and what do you suggest?

thankies in advance

 

[Ranyhyn]

Start with less and you can always take more off - maybe chaser to start then adding more if she gets more sweaty?

 

[zoeshiloh]

That would be a good idea - start with a trace and see how you get on - you can always take more off if you need to. Where is she sweating up most? If she is getting a sweaty neck you could do a blanket clip, or a chaser clip. If she is mainly sweating on her belly/girth then a trace would be sufficient.

 

[AmyMay]

I agree with Kitsune. Start with a trace, and take more off later if needs be.

 

[My_chestnut_mare]

her neck is the worst but also sweating at girth area.

Hmmm to be honest she was just very sweaty all over except he rump.

 

[zoeshiloh]

Someone posted a link to this site on here the other day and I thought it was pretty good as lots of types of clip, not just the commonly used ones;

http://www.peasridge.co.uk/clipper-advice/clippers-clipping-advice-horses-types-of-horse-clips.shtml

 

[vallin]

Ditto starting with a trace and then you can always take the trace higher/turn it into a blanket
V

 

[Kat]

You should always aim to take as little as possible off to stop the horse getting too sweaty.

How often do you have lessons, or do work that gets her sweaty. Is she getting really wet or just a couple of patches?

If your lessons aren't that regular or if she isn't getting very wet then I'd go for a bib first. Try it for a week or so and if she is still sweating up then take more off and turn it into an apron or low trace.

Bear in mind the more you clip off the more you will need to rug, you may even need to feed more.

Also consider that if most of the time she is working more slowly and not sweating up you don't want her to get cold which she could if you clip too much off.

 

[ladyt25]

I always just take it all off as I can't be faffed doing lines! Lol. Back in the day I always used to just do high trace clips and now I think why did I bother - may as well jsut whack it all off, it's alot quicker!

Maybe do a hunter clip - ie all off bar the legs and say take off half the face? As long as you have a decent rug i don't think it makes any diffeence to the horse.

 

[Kat]

It makes a difference to the horse if it is cold when being ridden, because the normal level of work isn't hard enough to keep it warm!

You might be warm enough in a T-shirt today if you go for a run, but if you are walking along steadily you'd want a coat. It is the same for a clipped horse. If she does steady hacking most of the time the horse needs some warmth, either that or the OP will have to start buying exercise blankets etc.

It isn't fair to make the horse cold just because it saves faffing with lines. It is also poor economic sense to clip out and then buy a shedload of rugs, when a low trace and just one or two rugs would have done the job for the work the horse is in.

 

[kellyeaton]

does she live in/out? what work she in? what breed is she?

 

[WeeBrown]

Totally agree with this - and I'm new to clipping! Then again I hate over rugging too. Someone today told me, as they have now clipped, their horse is in the heaviest weight rug they have, despite it being mild weather. When I enquired what they were doing when it got colder, they told me they would add 2 more stable rugs to the heavy weight rug and later on would add another heavy weight rug on top. They must think I'm very cruel!

 

[Pedantic]

Cant see the point in taking all off if the horse isn't going to be worked hard, poor animal will be cold, some freezing cold winds in mid winter, I dont think it is fair to the horse, as others say, take off what you think you need to start with, then see, you can always take a it more off later.

 

[f_s_]

I agree with the OP, do a Bib first, take off less to start with, then more as necessary!

I don't know if you've ever been to the hairdressers and had very long hair cut short, but, for the first few days you get a stiff neck, and you are colder!!!

Imagine if they shaved your head!!!

Clip according to the work you do, not for convenience

 

[Pony_Puzz]

Some of those clips are a bit high too, a high trace doesn't have to be so far up the body, it can have the low trace body yet go up to the ears/half a face. Don't clip off too much to start with as it takes awhile to grow back, you can always take more off but you cant stick it on!
Also remember not to clip after end of Jan/Feb as the summer coat is coming through and you can sometimes end up with a bad summer coat (depends on the horse though)

 

[kellyeaton]

if you want to help her out and go with a little hair off first and see how you go with a bib or an irish clip! you can always take more off needs be!