Clipping options?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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It's that time of year again where I have to think about clipping Ben. We had a lesson today and he was dripping with sweat by the end. I know that it was hot today but I need to think about clipping. For the previous 2 years he has been blanket clipped and not rugged at all. Last year I clipped in September and January. He did really well with this, lost some weight (which he needed) and was never cold.

However, this year he does not need to shed any weight. He is working much harder than last year with lots more jumping, regular lessons/clinic and weekends out in the lorry plus we enjoy going on fast rides over our land. We have excellent facilities at my yard so I will ride all through winter.

I want him to carry on living out overnight and he will come in for a few hours during the day for some hay. My options are:

1. To not clip - which is not an option as he works too hard.
2. Blanket/trace clip and turn out naked. This worked well last year, but my RI feels that he will still get too hot when worked with a blanket clip. Plus it took him ages to loose the unclipped part of his winter coat last year and he looked really messy for our spring showing shows.
3. Full clip now and rug as he needs it.

Now I have written it out it seems to me that the best option is to fully clip, but has anyone got any other options or opinions?
 
Fully clip and rug. I'm also a lazy beggar and it saves the massive moult at the end of the winter when they shed the winter woolies !
 
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Thanks both of you. I have been happy with what we have been doing for the last few years, but this year I do think that a full clip would suit us better. Just need to get my clippers sharpened now.x
 
What about a hunter clip? Leave the saddle patch and legs on for protection? They shouldn't make too much of a difference if he keeps them on. Or a high blanket clip? When Gem was in work 1-2 x day I did a high blanket on her (mostly as she's not easy to clip so taking off the least amount possible is the best way!) but she coped with up to 3 hours of work a day on that. :)
 
His legs are staying on!! I would not clip off his lovely feathers. I'm not sure what difference a saddle patch makes as I use a saddle pad anyway. I think that it would take forever to make it even on both sides and would end up with the smallest patch.

The problem with a high blanket clip would be that he would probably be too cold turned out naked, but too warm wearing a rug.
 
Full clip but leave legs and half face if I were you. I hate leaving a saddle patch as I find the sweat irritates them under the saddle and can cause rubs. I am dreading clipping, mainly coz I have 8 in work currently and all naked making it easy. Once clipped its rugs on/rugs off/on/off bleurgh!! I am going to hold off until the start of Oct hopefully to clip, its warm enough still to sponge/hose off after riding currently.
 
Sunshine-x said:
Full clip but leave legs and half face if I were you. I hate leaving a saddle patch as I find the sweat irritates them under the saddle and can cause rubs. I am dreading clipping, mainly coz I have 8 in work currently and all naked making it easy. Once clipped its rugs on/rugs off/on/off bleurgh!! I am going to hold off until the start of Oct hopefully to clip, its warm enough still to sponge/hose off after riding currently.
Click to expand...

Ben was completely wet all over today after my lesson. He looked like I had given him a bath! Ben is generally a warm horse and even out rugless and blanket clipped last winter he never felt cold. My RI has recommended that I fully clip him now (leaving the legs on) and turn out naked until it turns colder. I can then see how he goes and either continue fully clipping him, or change it to a blanket clip if the weather gets really cold or he starts to lose condition.
 
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Yes I would go for option 3. He comes in during the day for his little break from the weather, so I think he will get on grand :) I did this last year and only went up to a heavyweight the week he had been clipped (it started snowing half way through me taking all his hair off and stayed pretty chilly that week) the rest of the year he was plenty warm enough in a good medium weight.
 
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Yesterday he was so hot after my lesson that all his body was soaking wet - including the parts which would stay on with a blanket clip. The same happened when we jumped on Saturday. This is why my RI has recommended that he is fully clipped because she said that he will find it much harder to work through his body with a heavy coat, and that he will get a chill when he is cooling down after working hard.

I have ordered a spare clipping blade and when that arrives he will be fully clipped (leaving legs and face). I am not sure how much clipping you can get out of one clipping blade. I only have one currently and it has done 3 blanket clips - will this need sharpening or could it do more? I don't want to clip one side of his body and end up with a blunt blade so I can't finish the job!

I might also need to get some more rugs. He has 2 stable rugs, one LW turnout and one MW turnout with a hood. I think that I need to get a spare LW and spare MW. I doubt that he would need a HW rug - even when fully clipped.
 
Id probably just get your blade sharpened, but its never a bad idea to have a spare to !! We used to clip a yard full of hunters on a newly sharpened blade so Id say yours has had minimal use. Just keep it well oiled and check on temperature of it when using for a longer period of time, some do get quite hot.
 
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I don't like clipped faces. They just look so naked! Just my (slightly pointless) two pen'orth.
 
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Personally I would get a heavyweight back up. Just in case. I coped with 2 rainsheets, 1 lightweight, 2 medium weights (1 with a neck) and a heavyweight last winter. I would like another rainsheet and another lightweight....but I don't think the purse strings will allow.
 
I would clip and rug accordingly.

Funnily enough, vet came up to look at friends cob who has been a bit lame and who is pretty plump. YO came to but in and suggested that cob should be un rugged during winter.

Vet said she had never known of a horse losing weight through being unrugged. This was an experienced equine vet.

So probably full clipping and rugging might be your best option if Ben is going to be doing a lot of work.
 
Mine has had a bib clip most of the summer just to help her out.
I am about to do a low trace. My version of should I say.
Her winter coat has grown in already. She has a beard :)

If you totally clip and rug, you probably want a wrap around sheet/quarter sheet for riding on wet/windy days.
 
I'd start with a blanket, you can always take more off but you cant stick it back on [emoji6] I prefer to leave more hair on and less rugs as think lots of heavy rugs can cause problems.
 
Too late!! I fully clipped him yesterday and I have to say that he looks fantastic. He is turned out naked while the weather is so mild, and by the time he needs to be rugged I am guessing most of it will have grown back anyway. I might do a blanket clip next and then fully clip him again in January so I don't have that huge heavy coat to groom out again. He was so uncomfortable while he was shedding his coat last year and I would like to avoid that if I can.

My RI and yard manager think that he will need minimal rugging, even with the full clip. They have advised that all he will need is a LW if it rains heavily or snows, but on normal clear days he should be OK naked. I have an open mind but will play it by ear and see how we go. He did feel great to ride and it was nice to not have to worry about how hot and sweaty he might be getting. This is all new territory to me so will just monitor him closely and see how we go. He hasn't worn a rug for over 2 years so I need to check they still fit him and haven't disintegrated or eaten by mice!
 
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Thing is hair grows back, he won't stay bald. So if you decide that clip was enough you can let it grow back in.
I don't fully get the you can't clip now it messes up the coat that people say, if they are still shedding it blunts your blades if anything.
Mine isn't shedding she has gone wooly. If I leave it to late I won't get my clippers through.
 
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