would you full clip and have living out?

jackessex said:
reasons???? my thinking is that as long as he is well rugged then surely he is better off being able to move around this is better than being stuck in the stable wanting out.I wouldnt be taking legs or face off and all my rugs are full necks,i also have so many he could easily have a different one on as and when needed.
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In that case it's not a full clip! It's a hunter without the patch (prob has a name I can't think off)

Also depends on what you call 'living out'. For some that's out 12hrs a day, others 24/7.

I wouldn't fully clip (legs and head too) a horse living out 24/7. If they're spend a vast majority of time outside I wouldn't be chopping off bit of fluff that I can't easily replace with a rug.

I would happily hunter clip a horse, full-neck rug it and have it out 24/7 though. That's my plan for my cob this year.
 
kirstykate said:
Well said perhaps we should turn the OP out 24/7 in her underwear and a thick coat. :):):):)
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Well if it was me, I would prefer being in my underwear in a thick coat, with the option to go in and out of a field shelter whenever I wanted, rather than wearing the same clothing but being shut in overnight and shut out in the field during the day! Unless, of course, your horses are lucky enough to have centrally heated stables!
 
kirstykate said:
Well said perhaps we should turn the OP out 24/7 in her underwear and a thick coat. :):):):)
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I go out in my nightie and a thick coat every morning works for me.
Seriously my friend horse a in hard work hunter ,clipped a TB no shed but field has good natural shelter and on a slope no quite well drained looks fantasic managed like this.
 
My cow horse spent two winters out 24/7 fully clipped (yes head and legs all off) and was none the worse for it. Last yeat he was out 24/7 in his own winter woolies due to an injury that ment he had to be turned away. He is now back in work and has now grown a very thick coat which I intend to clip off next week. He has a field shelter, several decent h/w rugs and ad lib hay. I can't stable him as his legss fill and tbh he's far happier out than in as I suspect most horses would be.
 
I dont like to clip underneath horses who live out, it must be cold having to lay on freezing ground with no coat to protect them. I know alot of people do it, but we dont have stables anymore just in case they do get cold, although they have a shelter.
 
Yes my TB gets a full/hunter clip and lives out the majority of the winter, with hay in the field, natural shelter and well rugged up. He seems happy enough and keeps his weight and sparkle. I do leave his legs and head on though, since these are the 'unrugged' bits of him and he gets fed twice a day too.
 
Yes, provided legs left on and front of face. My experiences have taught me they stay far warmer (and therefore happier) when they can move about the field rather than shut in the stable and freezing. He needed 1 rug only last winter and was very happy living out, previous 4 winters, he got very cold and grumpy and needed 3 warm rugs on to maintain his usual good humour. If he wasn't warm enough, he'd pull down more rugs and wee on them... This is a native pony by the way. I would never have done it except one of my other ponies needed the stable more than he did. This winter I am seriously considering keeping him on overnight turnout and in during the day.
 
No, absolutely never, its not something I have ever come across either to be honest, surprised by this thread how many do!

Last winter I was away at work 7-7. If my OH had been too busy to bring in they were stood at the gate, waiting for their stable, and they had ample rugs on. I just don't think it is fair to substitute a horses natural protection for a rug, no matter what quality if youre expecting it to live out.
 
RunToEarth said:
No, absolutely never, its not something I have ever come across either to be honest, surprised by this thread how many do!

Last winter I was away at work 7-7. If my OH had been too busy to bring in they were stood at the gate, waiting for their stable, and they had ample rugs on. I just don't think it is fair to substitute a horses natural protection for a rug, no matter what quality if youre expecting it to live out.
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Many would say your horses are waiting for the stable simply from routine and expecting to be fed, nothing to do with disliking being out.
 
I would say it depends on your horse some are tougher than others.

I tried this with my native last year. I found him shivering. He had on two heavy weight turnout rugs on and a stable rug and adlib hay lots of thick hedges for shelter. I wouldnt really like to pile 4 rugs on all winter so he came in. I have never seen him shiver in his stable. He gets plenty of turn out and Im sure alot of horses would cope but he didnt so please treat them as individuals
 
im really amazed by the number of people who wouldnt consider it! lololol, Im in NE Scotland and , shock horror, mine are fully clipped, rugged - and live out! In terrible weather they are brought into a small paddock with access to a stable if they want it, and mostly.. they dont :p
 
I must be awful as I full clip my pony, legs, head, everything. She lives out 24/7 on sandy hillside with no shelter. Each and every year for 4 years she comes out of winter looking well. She does not suffer infact the one year I left her head on, she sweats over her eyes and ears and got rain scald!
 
Ella19 said:
I must be awful as I full clip my pony, legs, head, everything. She lives out 24/7 on sandy hillside with no shelter. Each and every year for 4 years she comes out of winter looking well. She does not suffer infact the one year I left her head on, she sweats over her eyes and ears and got rain scald!
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someone correct me if im wrong but i dont think horses actually can sweat 'over their eyes' as they dont have sweat glands there.
sounds a strange place to sweat anyway.

just musing..
carry on :)
 
my mare is hunter clipped every year - and lives out 24/7 365 - she doesnt even have access to a field shelter

she tried to call the SSPCA but i barred the number

incidently - the picture in the bottom left of my signature is from spring (early April) last year... you can see the clip lines if you look closely.
shes obviously a welfare case after suffering living out with snow up to her belly for most of the winter months

ETA - until now she lived at the "gateway to the highlands" - now we're 7 miles away from there... yes we have proper winters ;)
 
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I personally wouldnt. I would at least leave the hair on their back legs and half head. Blanket clip looks good and keeps them warm. If full clip was needed now then I would blanket for next clip when its even colder.
 
Ive managed racehorses turned out 24/7 fully clipped - they were winning best turned outs regually as well, so yes - i dont have a problem with having a horse who is in enough work to warrent clipping out completely being turned out - as long as you are careful with their rugs and they have access to shelter and feed.
 
amymay said:
And horses don't mind being in their stables. Providing they have plenty of turnout during the day, and a good routine I really can't see what the issue is.
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I disagree with the above. I have three of my six that do not like living in. IF they have to be in over night for a reason they hate it.

One is part sighted and hates having the door closed. He will use his field shelter.
He is also worked throughout the winter. He is clipped and well rugged and well fed.
 
Please excuse my random thoughts, I too clip my boys and rug sufficiently to keep them warm though they do come in at night........but! anyone dared to question why we clip them as we do, trace, blanket, chaser....clip off the undercarriage, make it cold then cover up the bits that are still hairy? Anyone dare to experiment and clip theirs upside down, take off the top and leave legs, belly, chest and under neck hairy? Heat rises after all so would keep clipped toplines warm.....I'll wait with interest but somehow can't bring myself to try it! :)
 
Bobbly said:
Please excuse my random thoughts, I too clip my boys and rug sufficiently to keep them warm though they do come in at night........but! anyone dared to question why we clip them as we do, trace, blanket, chaser....clip off the undercarriage, make it cold then cover up the bits that are still hairy? Anyone dare to experiment and clip theirs upside down, take off the top and leave legs, belly, chest and under neck hairy? Heat rises after all so would keep clipped toplines warm.....I'll wait with interest but somehow can't bring myself to try it! :)
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'cause it would, quite frankly, look silly :p ;)

i full hunter clip because i also show in spring so i dont want lines - i can cope with leg lines but no other - also the clipped bits get summer coat far quicker (as per my sig pic) so she's far happier in spring HT's/ODE's too - oh - and a hunter clip for exersise in winter = less sweat = less chance of a chill etc
 
amymay said:
No, absolutely not.
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Must say, I usually respect Amymays opinions, but completely disagree with this.

My TB was fully clipped and out all winter, mainly because he wont stable without stressing and losing weight through being upset. He had loads of hay, good rugs on, was able to walk about and keep himself warm if necessary. Don't see how it is any different to having to stand immobile in a cold stable all night.

How ridiculous! Your horse will be absolutely fine OP.
 
Bobbly said:
Please excuse my random thoughts, I too clip my boys and rug sufficiently to keep them warm though they do come in at night........but! anyone dared to question why we clip them as we do, trace, blanket, chaser....clip off the undercarriage, make it cold then cover up the bits that are still hairy? Anyone dare to experiment and clip theirs upside down, take off the top and leave legs, belly, chest and under neck hairy? Heat rises after all so would keep clipped toplines warm.....I'll wait with interest but somehow can't bring myself to try it! :)
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the clips were traditionally designed to cover up the large muscle mass areas on a horse's body. The same reason some people will use an exercise rug on a fully clipped horse's quarters on a cold day to keep the large muscles warm.

someone with a background in sports physiology could probably explain the theory to you in better detail that i could!
 
RunToEarth said:
No, absolutely never, its not something I have ever come across either to be honest, surprised by this thread how many do!

Last winter I was away at work 7-7. If my OH had been too busy to bring in they were stood at the gate, waiting for their stable, and they had ample rugs on. I just don't think it is fair to substitute a horses natural protection for a rug, no matter what quality if youre expecting it to live out.
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Every horse I've ever come across will stand at the gate waiting in winter, if it's their routine, for an evening feed or hay net.

Don't confuse that with wanting to be locked in a stable with a fluffy bed.
though, if the turnout offered is very poor, even mine wouldn't want to stand all night in a knee deep bog.

Unless their stables are heated, they're better off moving outside.
 
Yup :) ill be doing it and my oldie has always had a full clip and lived out :)

I do bring them in if the weather is truly horrid but generally I find with access to shelter and hay and properly rugged they are perfectly fine :)

S will be hunter clipped in the next few weeks then once my leg clippers are back from being fixed her legs will be coming off as well.
 
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