Why do you clip?

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GoneBust

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Ok, so idiot question!! I know the reason why you 'should' clip. But does everyone clip for this reason or just because you want to? I only ask as i don't normally clip, my boy doesn't get a paticually (sp!) thick coat and so never really sweats loads. But he does still get that fluffy untidy look. So how many people clip just for cosmetic reasons? I'm still debating to clip or not!
 
No because mine sweats like a pig. However, if he didn't I would still clip so I didn't have to look at him all winter being a fluff monster! I don't see a problem in clipping for whatever reason you like so long as horse is fed and rugged adequately afterwards. Just MO though.
 
Just clipped mine today as she was getting too sweaty after rides. The other reason is to keep her a bit on the lean side.
 
Lotty said:
Just clipped mine today as she was getting too sweaty after rides. The other reason is to keep her a bit on the lean side.
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Exact same reason as me. Mine gets too sweaty after riding as she does get a really thick winter coat, and it will help to keep her weight down.
 
I only clip of my horse gets too hot and sweaty after exercise, hence the reason i shan't be clipping this year. I dont think my 4 year old will be doing enough to warrant it and she has a decent-ish coat anyway. Not clipping means i'll get away without a rug for longer :) Pretty much the whole of my yard seem to want to clip theirs this year though, i dont know who started the trend but everyone appears to have jumped on the bandwagon. Even the skinny ones prone to dropping weight and hardly ever worked (not enough to get sweaty anyway) seem to have whipped it all off and are now rugged up to the eyeballs! It all seems a bit daft to me really! and there are far too many star shaped patches on bums for my liking :rolleyes:
 
Because my 17hh hunter looks like an overgrown shetland pony???!
And takes ages to loose him winter coat, sometimes into May and so sometimes on warm may days he gets a bit hot, also because I hunt over winter and would get too hot and takes ages to dry off, hence getting cold. When he is light work he isn't clipped or gets minimum off.
(real reason is the amount of work he does, not the shetland pony thing!)
 
Welllll, I've gotta gypsy cob who had a coat like a mammoth the first winter I had him; it was so hard to manage, particularly as he's got sweet itch.

He then went away to a livery yard, who suggesting clipping him right out as he was in full work there. Since then we've never looked back, had him fully clipped (including feathers and mane hogged) all through the year. Much better for him as he doesn't get so hot particularly in the summer, and now its getting colder its made him mega easy to do as if he does get hot its easy to deal with him, rather than the situation where you've got a hot sweaty horse come home from a hack and you dunno what the heck to do with it.

The thought of dealing with him with all that sweaty, hairy coat is unthinkable - and he's always an itchy boy anyway, so clipping him out is the only viable solution really.
 
mainly because he gets so hairy that he sweats up a lot when riding. i like to get to the farm at night, get all my jobs done and then pretty much ride, rug up and leave, so easier if he's clipped. he also looks like a right scruff so would definitely clip for any shows i've got- he has his legs, ears and face trimmed all year round...
My TB however, doesn't get quite so hairy so i tend to play it by ear on how much work he's doing- so he didn't get clipped last year at all. i hate clipping with a passion, don't know why anyone would do it if it wasn't necessary...mine is having his second clip of the year tomorrow and i'm dreading it
 
I clip Ron because he's a sweaty monster at the best of times.... take this morning for example... Nice cool morning, although the sun was warm enough. He's not clipped yet, but he's about fit enough for hunting to start. We walked a mile up the road and he was lathered. By the time we got home (after an hour's brisk hack) he was dripping, but not really out of breath.... like I said... a sweaty monster.

It all comes off in 3 weeks time, not that I'm counting the days or anything! :D
 
I clip both to minimise sweating, but I give them full clips as I hate the spring time when moulting & you have horrible patches.

PS, both horses in enough work to warrant a full clip, but one could get away with a high blanket if I could get him to moult in one day rather than 1 month.
 
We only clip due to them getting hot and sweaty during work if not.
I put off doing my boy for as long as possible, but he was getting pretty fluffy and starting to sweat just hacking, so it had to go! :)
 
I seem to be in the minority so please no one scream at me!
I clip my big girl who is retired for thermo-management and comfort. She is still 'tubby' at 476kg (14.2 Fell) and has a huge wooly coat. She was chaser clipped and out either un-rugged or when colder/pouring with rain with a lightweight. She has bone spavin bilaterally and back issues, so tonight she has gone into her 180g saxon, and will be getting a blanket clip tomorrow.
Seren, my welsh B type show pony broodmare who is 4 months pregnant is also chaser clipped and is still in a light weight. She is worked on the lunge 3/4 times a week and would be sweaty if I hadnt clipped her, she is also overweight, so it is for thermo-management too.
They both live out, they are having a shelter put up in the next couple of weeks, but at the moment dont have a huge amount of natural shelter.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't clip? even though my pony is ridden 4/5 times a week for up to two hours?

He gets a wash down when we get back then put back out?! No rug, no pampering, nothing :D He's 19 years old, lives out 24/7, natural shelter, and he's still very much alive and kicking !
 
Genie sweats like mad, hence the lot comes off! Sometimes she has a blanket clip first, then hunter, but the past two years I've just gone straight for a hunter clip. The final reason is that in the spring she doesn't have so many lines at the start of the show season!
 
I clip what needs to be clipped, where she sweats etc.
IMO a lot of people clip for the style rather than what their horse actually needs.


AngieandBen said:
Am I the only one who doesn't clip? even though my pony is ridden 4/5 times a week for up to two hours?

He gets a wash down when we get back then put back out?! No rug, no pampering, nothing :D He's 19 years old, lives out 24/7, natural shelter, and he's still very much alive and kicking !
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No you're not alone - two of my ponies were never clipped despite being ridden often.
 
I used to have an apron clip on mine, just to minmise the sweating. In winter i often couldn't ride until about 7pm so it meant he didn't take so long to cool down esp on frosty nights
 
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