To clip or not to clip?

[Gemma16]

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I don't know weather i should clip Taffy or not.

I would only do a bib clip or a low trace, the reason I'm thinking of clipping is because he gets really sweaty then takes ages to dry and I don't want him to get a chill from being put out while hes still damp.

He will be in quite hard work this winter doing farm and hunt rides and indoor showjumping. And hopefully a bit of dressage.:D

I want to try and keep him out as long as poss, I have got him a HW Turnout rug witgh a full neck so he wouldnt/shouldnt be cold.

I'm just unsure weather its worth it?

[RingLass]

If you have a nice heavy blanket, you could always try a full body clip. I keeps them from getting too hot while working, so they dry fast. They also shed out nicer for spring shows.

[Yann]

We tried our first winter without clipping Rio and it's not something I aim to repeat in a hurry.

If your lad is going to be in fairly hard work I would certainly clip, it's fairer and easier for both of you. I don't know how delicate he is but we had at least two extensively clipped horses live out successfully all last winter at our yard. So long as the feeding and rugging is right I can't see that clipping means they can't live out. The aim is to have Rio out all winter too:)

[Gemma16]

Thanks, I don't think he's going to be out all winter but hopefully until december.

Hes got plenty of HW rugs to keep him warm, so hopefully he will be fine. I'm not going to clip him fully anyway at the most a blanket.

When you didn't clip Yann did you find you couldn't ride as much because you didn'thave the time to dry him off after?

Thats what my main worry is, that he'll get a chill if I don't clip him.

[Bebe]

I didn't clip Bebe the first winter I had her and she did get terribly sweaty when we hacked out. I could tailor my schooling sessions so that she didn't sweat up (and still did trot and canter work) but hacking was impossible. I would probably have clipped in the end but she went lame so I'm glad I held off.

After experiencing how sweaty she got out hacking that winter though, I had her clipped last year. I started with just a bib clip and she stayed out for a little while unrugged and then wore a lightweight at night before going to a mediumweight rug when she was trace clipped. She did come in overnight from the end of December to early March, but whilst she was out she mostly wore a mediumweight (200g) rug, she wore a Rambo Wug for about 10 nights when it was very cold and she was still out. She came through the winter in very good weight (too good really, had to muzzle her this summer) and seemed pretty happy although she was fed up with rugs by the end of it.

This year she's got a bib clip at the moment and depending upon her workload over the next couple of months she may end up with a low trace clip. Even with the bib clip I'm having to restrict my hacking so that she is dry enough to go out without me staying at the yard all night. I can do about 45 mins hacking and then a bit of schooling and she's fine, but if I do an hour or more on a hack it means a 2-3 hour cooling off period which is fine at the weekend as Bebe wants to eat hay anyway, but not so much in the evenings. I'm only holding off clipping more because I don't want to rug yet (because she got fed up with it last winter after wearing them for almost 6 months) and I'm having her front shoes pulled to give her hooves a break so her workload will reduce for a while then anyway.

So, if I was you and my horse had the workload you describe, I would definitely clip. You might find that he won't need h/w rugs for the most part though, especially if you only do a bib or trace clip. I found m/w rugs got the most use last winter.

[joy70]

sorry for hijacking this thread slightly - but is there any websites around, that do diagrams or piccys of a bib clip? as im unsure what it looks like :o

[nat17]

hello joy:D

If this works, its on the nr home page, clipping styles etc
http://www.newrider.com/Library/Horse_Care/clipping_how_much.html

will it work.....

[Bebe]

That page doesn't show a bib clip but basically, it's the neck part of the belly and neck clip! Bebe's is just from under her chin down to between her front legs.

[joy70]

:D Nat17 Thanks it did work

Bebe - ahh now i understand

all these years, ive been calling Toddys clip a trace clip and its actually a chaser - DOH :o

[AJB]

intersting bebe that you started with a bib and progressed!!-I will clip my boy in the coming weeks but last year he had a blanket and sometimes still got pretty hot on long hacks-I am loath to full clip him as he can be enough horse for me in the winter and I worry in case it makes him hypo on cold days!!!-my friend always full clips hers cos she a mad mare to clip and she has to sedate her just to get near with the clippers so lines and shapes are out and she seems just her normal self even when its really cold....I think I will start with a blanket and if he still sweats up will take if all off after Christmas and see what happens!!

[Bebe]

It's only cause I hated clipping all her lovely soft fur off! She looks fab in her winter coat, all teddy bear like but shiny too. It doesn't get long, just thick.

Nearly killed me to clip her this year, I really wanted to leave her hairy all over but there's no way I can do that and keep her in work. The bib is a compromise, I still have to cool her out really well (lunge for 10-15 mins with cooler rug on and use a hairdryer to get the last dampness off after she's been stood for about 20 mins).

I will cry if I have to clip anymore off, but I will if she needs it.

PS, she is mental with just a bit of hair missing, no way I could do a full clip as she'd be manic on rides. She's an angel to clip though, just stands and goes to sleep.

[AJB]

I know Bebe he looks like a big soft teddy bear and your right now hes got a lightweight on against the rain and mud it looks lovely and shinny.....still has to be done and I think he looks kinda good clipped and workmanlike;)

[joy70]

Aww don't they look just gorgeous in their woolly coats, seems such a shame to clip it off! but needs must!

AJB, where did you get a lightweight coat/rug from! all mine are medium weights, he doesn't need a heavy weight, gets too hot! but hes rugless at the mo :eek: and isn't going to be clipped out til end of this month at the earliest, cause im off on holiday. But i would like to put him a liteweight, or waterproof cover on, for milder days like now & March time when it gets warm in the day time but chilly at nights - do i just look at lite rugs or should i buy waterproof summer sheet type thingy :confused:

[Esther.D]

My littlies have never been clipped and have managed to get fit enough to compete all spring and summer. They do get hot and sweaty on their drives as we are generally doing 14 mile drives by April. I make sure I always drive in the morning so that they have plenty of time to dry off before the light goes and I never do a hard/fast drive on an extremely cold day. I understand that this is not practical for everyone but just to show that it is possible! They are unrugged all year round and they live out all year - I would not be happy doing this and then putting them into a stable damp, but outside they have a roll and then go and graze and move about to dry off. I have never seen them cold using this method.

[nat17]

joy, you could look on www.horserugs4u.com

Maybe the 40g one would be suitable. :D

[joy70]

:confused: Nat17

had a look at their website! 40g? confused! am i being incredibly thick? - do i need to look at turnout rugs light weight! or summer turnout rugs that are waterproof? :(

[Yann]

Turnout rugs light weight:)

They are the same but without a lining, most makes offer one in the range.

[nat17]

Summer lightweights or click on the link

http://www.horserugs4u.com/cnb/shop/horse?productID=3695&op=catalogue-product_info-null&prodCategoryID=133&search=&listPos=

should work!:D

[Yann]

Gemma16, just spotted your question:) I don't know that it stopped us riding at all but it certainly made the aftercare a real chore and often meant leaving Rio in for ages after a ride and using multiple coolers. I must confess she got turned out once or twice whilst still slightly damp, but in a breathable rug and she was never the worse for it. She sweated up whatever the weather, we were only ever better off if it was windy.

I'm looking forward to having a non sweaty quick cooling horse this time round:)

[AJB]

Hi Joy only just reading this as battered and bruised (fell off today in a jumping lesson ouch!-ok as long as I dont sit too long and keep taking the Arnica!!)...my lightweight is fab, its a weatherbeeta outlander lite and its fully waterproof, fits really well on my "active" chap and it was only about £45 which I thought was really good as I only make use of it either end of the season...he has it on now when I want to keep him clean as he wont be clipped until a few more weeks hopefully and in April when the weather is warm but his clip is still holding!....I did pay another £5 I think to have the outlander with gussets as he is active in the field but most of all I wanted waterproof as I had a rheingold? and that was ok until it rained hard and then it was disasterous-one soaked rug and one soaked horse:eek: ..good luck with choosing:D

[happyhorse]

mines full cliped as we compete and hack regulary aswell as quite intensive schooling and it helps keep conditon on him as he doesn't get cold and get chill (i clipped him out today). i just make sure he has warm enoigh rugs but hes in at night now.

[Sooty]

Sorry if this question's a bit daft - but if my horse gets sweaty through not being clipped, could I not just towel him down, put a rug on him and let the lining wick the moisture away as he dries under the rug?

Reason I'm asking is this is my first winter with him and I just love his fuzzy coat and don't want to have to clip it off :D

[joy70]

AJB :eek: ouch poor you, hope your feeling better soon

Im waiting for pay day :o so i can go rug shopping, I have a Wethabeeta Outlander Medium Weight for Toddy, which has faired rather well, so i'll keep my eyes peeled for a lite version! thanks, ive never really looked at them before which is why i was getting so confused!

Does make me a little made though, that £45, is almost the same price as a medium weight rug! - hey hes worth it though, but i'd never spend more than £60/£70 on a rug for him - he's such a vandal :o and im not sure that the super dooper £100 + rugs would be any better

I'll let you know what i get

[Bebe]

Sooty

You could do that but if he's got a really thick coat and you're doing work that makes him sweat a lot you'll find it heavy going getting him anywhere near dry enough to turn out, even with a rug over the top.

My mare is still sweating up a fair bit if we hack for an hour or more and I have to put a sweatsheet on (Rambo fleece cooler, it's fab) for about 20 mins, hairdry her wet bits, fluff the fur up the wrong way, put a dry sweatsheet on, hairdry again if needed before turning out. Takes about an hour in total.

If I put a lightweight rug on that is breathable, I'd probably save myself 15 mins, not a huge chunk of time.

I don't mind doing it for the time being but I do make sure that Bebe gets salt in her feeds (electrolytes are better if you're doing really heavy work) and she doesn't go out until she's 100% cooled off. I also keep an eye on her general condition.

It's harder work, not as convenient and does restrict you somewhat but there isn't a law that says you have to clip, but if you don't you have to put in more elbow grease for your horse to stay comfy and healthy.

[Sooty]

Thanks Bebe - perhaps I'll get him clipped then (yard owner will do it - daren't attempt it myself!)

[Lovecat]

Moronic question here for Bebe (or anyone else!) - if your horse is going into a stable rather than being turned out, do you still have to go through the routine you listed to make sure they're completely dry?

I'm in the process of buying a horse and he's not been clipped; when I tried him out we did quite a bit of school work (I needed to get used to him!) & he was damp & sweaty on his girth when he was unsaddled (it was Saturday, which was quite a hot day). He's very similar in build & type to one of our school horses who is notorious for sweating up a storm at the least effort, so I was thinking he'd have to be clipped once I got him into regular work anyway, but he'd be in a stable at night, so does this make a difference?

Thanks..... :D

[Bebe]

I wouldn't be quite so worried about them being 100% dry to the touch as you can always leave a cooler rug on them. I would want them to be cool but wouldn't panic about any last bits of dampness so long as they weren't sopping wet.

Would still take some effort though and you'd have to wait for him to be cooled out enough to feed (unless you can feed an hour or so before working the horse).

[Hanze]

Hi does any1 have any ideas on how to get a horse used to bing clipped on their neck and face?

[Yann]

Maybe I was lucky but Rio didn't fuss about me clipping her neck and I was able to go right up her neck and under the jawline without any fuss. I suspect the face would be a different story, but I don't plan to do anything there.

Other than approach and retreat up the neck with the clippers off and then on but not cutting to try and desensitize them I'm not sure. It would definitely be an idea to try doing the head with a pair of small cordless trimmers rather than the full size clippers too. I think it's a common problem, I know of two horses at our place that need twitching or sedation to do their heads. and my BHS stage 2 book has a paragraph on twitching in the clipping chapter:(

Kelly Marks book Perfect Manners has a lot on clipping problems and would be a good place to get some ideas.