Why are people so against clipping horses

[AutumnDays]

Ive actually encountered the opposite, mine is unclipped and unrugged in v minimal work if any at all. I get people aghast that I dare leave her without a rug and a thick natural winter coat instead. I think whatever you do someone will have something to say and a good reason why you are the worst, laziest, unsuitable owner thats ever existed. I just ignore

I'm in the same category as The Jokers Girl... my native breed is not in any sort of work at the moment due to my work pattern, she lives out 24/7 with natural shelter, not rugged, and looks a bit feral as a result... I am always told how mean I am to have her unrugged, unclipped and not stabled. She's happy and healthy, and that's all that matters to me. I remind them I don't pass judgement on their choices, as it's not my business, so maybe they should mind their own?!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've not encountered that crowd once. I have met people who clip that don't need to/hardly work their horse. I wish I didn't have to clip so much! However, my Spanish yak takes forever to dry in his full coat. I'm talking 1 hour+ it is dense. Then he's all itchy, then gets skin funk, and so on. If I didn't work him I'd leave him in his natural state, but he does sweat very easily.

 

[Cortez]

If a horse is to do any sort of fast work, or anything that'll mean it sweats, then it needs to be clipped. I don't clip mine (or haven't done for many years), but they do minimal work in the winter. I do think people who do a full clip and then barely ride are making more work for themselves than they need, but it is their choice and none of my business.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My horse is barefoot, fully clipped and turned out over night . . .

Mine too ? the other one however is fully shod, fully clipped and out overnight ?

I have tried dealer clips, blanket clips you name it everything going but DP sweats just out walking so this year I took the plunge and they were both fully clipped and it was the best decision I have made all year. They cool down quickly enough to be rugged when I get back in and if they need a hot wash they dry almost immediately. They aren’t in hard work but are out 5 days a week and if I had to do two unclipped it would take hours.

So in a nutshell do what suits you and your horses and stop listening to numpties on YouTube.

 

[Leandy]

I'm not against clipping working horses according to work done and to make them smart for work or competition purposes. I am against treating horses and ponies like barbie horses or poodles to be clipped and primped for appearance purposes only. I'm against treating dogs like that too but there seems to be an increasing trend to treat minature horses and increasingly heavy hairies etc similarly.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I’ve had opinions before, normally whilst I’m clipping. I tend to just smile and start the clippers up/back up and put my earbuds back in and get on with the job.

Why you clip your horse is up to you ??

 

[Equine_Dream]

My two hairy beasts are routinely clipped despite only being ridden on weekends during winter.
Firstly both are welshies with thick winter coats and will sweat just hacking up the road. So I usually do a high chaser clip or a blanket clip, as it tackles all the sweaty areas.
Also as they are both excellent dooers and will live on fresh air, I find clipping useful for letting them burn off excess energy to keep warm (before I'm hung drawn and quartered as you imagine poor shivering ponies in the peeing down rain, I'm not that mean. They are stabled at night and I still rug, but I use the lightest weight I can possibly get away with).

 

[Scotsbadboy]

Whats a dealers clip?

 

[scruffyponies]

The more you interfere with a horse's natural state, the more you need to do to compensate. Hence a horse in little or no work, on unrestricted turnout does not sweat enough to need clipping, rugging, or indeed much feed. If you clip it, you need to rug it and probably feed it more.

Mine spend most of their life being horses (OK muddy hipppos). It is easier for me, and healthier for them if they're out with as much of their natural protection as possible. Even if they get sweaty on a ride, they go straight back in, roll, wander, cool off. No problem.
When we travel them away to work them hard they come back to the trailer dripping with sweat. This is where clipping would help enormously. However, it's infrequent enough that we manage with a sub-optimal solution of keeping the chill off sweaty pony with a rug on the way home, then turning him out naked to get muddy again.

Clipping looks great, and makes a hard working horse more comfortable, but it creates a great deal of extra work... way beyond the original stress and mess-fest that is the clipping itself.

 

[scruffyponies]

I'm not against clipping working horses according to work done and to make them smart for work or competition purposes. I am against treating horses and ponies like barbie horses or poodles to be clipped and primped for appearance purposes only. I'm against treating dogs like that too but there seems to be an increasing trend to treat minature horses and increasingly heavy hairies etc similarly.

Can't see the problem with primping ponies (or dogs for that matter). I couldn't be bothered, but it makes people happy, so why not? The ponies/dogs don't seem to mind.

 

[Somewhat Off The Way]

I get annoyed when people at the yard come up to me and ask why I'm not rugging or stabling my unclipped horses. I wouldn't dream of going up to them and asking why they clip theirs only to then rug and stable them. But I do think it, very loudly

 

[Shilasdair]

I once worked for a vet whose brilliant business idea was to advertise for nutters/problem horses to clip. He would sedate them and I'd clip them.

I am now against clipping.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My horse is barefoot, fully clipped and turned out over night . . .

You’ll be telling me that you ride with a bitted bridle next .

Having horses that were woolly and Did Not Wear Rugs was a real thing at the barefoot seminar that I attended. Uncharacteristically I kept my mouth shut about rugs as I wanted to escape alive.

 

[Somewhat Off The Way]

Mine are not barefoot, I feel compelled to add...!

 

[TheMule]

Mine get the minimum amount clipped off possible (my mare 3* evented in March with a blanket clip, so it is entirely possible to have a fit horse with not much hair off!)
I choose that because mine live out and I like them to have rugs off whenever possible to up he vitamin D and keep the skin healthy.

 

[Kat]

There are a few like this out there. Mainly in social media or in the sort of circles that also own carrot sticks and clickers and haven't ridden their horse for months.

It is the "because it is natural" brigade.

Personally I think clipping generally solves more welfare issues than it causes. People say give the smallest clip for the work but honestly, clipping more isn't a welfare issue if you rug appropriately and clipping can make it much easier to manage the temperature of a horse, and their weight.

I tried hunting with a chaser clip, it was a bloody nightmare trying to get the horse dry and keep it warm. Much easier with a hunter clip.

Owner of a barefoot hunter clipped horse ;-)

 

[L&M]

I clip my cob according to work - if he is in full work over winter and hunting weekly, he has a full clip. If just pootling about, a bib or chaser clip would still be necessary, otherwise he sweats badly and can chill before he dries. He is rugged appropriately for the weather conditions.

If he was retired he would be left as nature intended ie a hairy yak!

As with anything horses, just use common sense?! Whether you clip or not, just rug appropriately........

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Whats a dealers clip?

Also known as an Irish Clip. Half head and from the jaw diagonally to the stifle. Leaves half the neck with fur and everything on the back and legs.

 

[Dwyran_gold]

My retired horses aren’t clipped, my youngster isn’t clipped and only rugged if it’s terrible weather but I couldn’t work the ridden horse a third as much as I do if he wasn’t clipped. I posted a thread on here not so long ago about his breathing and recovery, I decided to clip and problem solved.

 

[Cob Life]

I’ve clipped one, only an Irish as didn’t want to put heavier rugs on and i use tiny clippers So takes ages!
the other is unclipped as she’s not in consistent work and struggles to keep we on in winter.

I don’t see much against clipping, I see more against stables and shoes

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I once worked for a vet whose brilliant business idea was to advertise for nutters/problem horses to clip. He would sedate them and I'd clip them.

I am now against clipping.

The vets here did that and the cost of it was absolutely astronomical! And the clips weren't great when they came outthe other end ???

 

[Rowreach]

The vets here did that and the cost of it was absolutely astronomical! And the clips weren't great when they came outthe other end ???

I hate clipping sedated horses, all that sweaty hair and never knowing if they're going to fire you into next week, so none of my clips under sedation are very pretty

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I hate clipping sedated horses, all that sweaty hair and never knowing if they're going to fire you into next week, so none of my clips under sedation are very pretty

I had 2 sedated today, one was nicely under, the other was punch drunk and was more likely to fall over on me than anything else ? I know I sometimes request a sedation enough for - poke it and it falls over - but this one took the biscuit!

I always start on the shoulder to make sure they are under then whip the head, neck, chest and elbows off before the sweats start then go back and tidy it up later if needs be.

 

[Shilasdair]

The vets here did that and the cost of it was absolutely astronomical! And the clips weren't great when they came outthe other end ???

I was going for speed rather than aesthetics.

And I'm fast. Very fast. So would you be.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Aye I spin a doped one out in 20 mins.

Sometimes my theory is - they should be going too fast for anyone to notice the clip ???

 

[AmyMay]

I'm not against clipping working horses according to work done and to make them smart for work or competition purposes. I am against treating horses and ponies like barbie horses or poodles to be clipped and primped for appearance purposes only. I'm against treating dogs like that too but there seems to be an increasing trend to treat minature horses and increasingly heavy hairies etc similarly.

But if it does no harm, then where is the harm?

I used to be on livery with a women who never rode her horse (but it was ridden once or twice a week, at walk only, by a friend). The horse was the most beautifully turned out animal on the yard. It was her pride and joy and was groomed within an inch of its life. Every bit of mud was brushed off daily. The mane and tail beautifully pulled, and a light clip given every winter. The woman took enormous pride in her horse - and I see absolutely nothing wrong in that.

My dog is also clipped and primped every four weeks. 1. because she needs that attention to her coat, and 2. because I like her looking smart.

And whilst some of us may roll our eyes at a traditional poodle cut, it’s a result of what the dogs were traditionally used for. So it’s always useful to know what the basis is for a particular breed standard cut before criticising. But of course, again, if an owner is taking pride in their animal who are we to criticise?

 

[milliepops]

But if it does no harm, then where is the harm?

I used to be on livery with a women who never rode her horse (but it was ridden once or twice a week, at walk only, by a friend). The horse was the most beautifully turned out animal on the yard. It was her pride and joy and was groomed within an inch of its life. Every bit of mud was brushed off daily. The mane and tail beautifully pulled, and a light clip given every winter. The woman took enormous pride in her horse - and I see absolutely nothing wrong in that.

My dog is also clipped and primped every four weeks. 1. because she needs that attention to her coat, and 2. because I like her looking smart.

And whilst some of us may roll our eyes at a traditional poodle cut, it’s a result of what the dogs were traditionally used for. So it’s always useful to know what the basis is for a particular breed standard cut before criticising. But of course, again, if an owner is taking pride in their animal who are we to criticise?

have to agree with this. if the animal is cared for in its individual needs then I don't see why it matters tbh. I can't cope with the hair come moulting time as I'm allergic to horses so am always tempted to clip everything out in January, whether in work or not

 

[Aperchristmas]

I am not against clipping per se, but people do clip who don't need to. You get horses who are deprived of their natural coat, particularly under the belly which is not covered by a rug, so they spend 23 hours a day with an exposed under belly and a rug toasting the rest of them. A bit like us wearing a thick coat but no hat on very cold days.
.

I think you raise a really good point about the way we tend to clip, and whether it's best for the horse. While clipping the girth/armpit area is really helpful for ridden work, by doing the belly we are leaving the part that usually grow the longest hair bare and I would question whether that is a good idea for their comfort. Is there a better solution? Should we only clip as small a part of their belly as possible?

Anyway, I've also never met anyone anti-clipping. I've always clipped mine according to their level of work.

 

[blitznbobs]

Well you must all think I’m evil... I clipped out my out of work cob as he sweats in the stable but if you don’t rug him and he gets wet he never blinking dries. He’s so much easier To keep comfy if I clip out and then rug .

 

[Abby-Lou]

I do a min bib/belly clip in autumn so they don't sweat up on warmer days, I don't rug and let the clip grow out, until I do a full clip and rug up end of January, I find it keep the weight under control a little more