Author: admintdrc

As we are heading towards winter, the days are getting colder and the evenings are drawing in and the main question on our mind is should I clip and when should I do it? Like most things the quick answer is that it depends on your horse or pony. This article explores the deciding factors to hopefully help you make that decision; Environment, Management and Personal Preference are the key considerations.

Environment:

Where you are you located and how is your horse living? A horse stabled near a town such as Taunton, Somerset will be treated differently to a horse out full time on in the mountains of Fort William, Scotland, consider if you local area is likely to have a mild or severe winter. Where your horse spends his time whether on your property or in livery, is also a key factor. If they live under a heat lamp and rarely gets turned out, then clip away! If they are out in the elements fulltime, it’s probably best to leave them be. If they spend time both indoors and out, choose the most appropriate clip you can get away with, and then rug them up appropriately.

Management:

Who is responsible for the day to day management of your horse and how often will your horse will visited? If you cannot check your horse regularly then consider not clipping and letting them regulate their own temperature, perhaps consider the rugs you are using to discourage the hair growing as thick instead.

What will your horse be doing this winter? If you are taking it easy, going for the odd hack perhaps, then there is no need to clip. If they are going to be working regularly, getting into a sweat then clipping could be advantageous. We clip prevent them getting as hot and sweaty too quick and to speed up the time it takes for them to dry out, reducing the likelihood of them catching a chill……..not to make them look pretty!

When should I clip?

Most people start their first clips around late September – October, and stop clipping around January (the increased sunlight tells your horse that spring is coming and they start changing their coat…..you don’t want to clip this off.) Some people will only do one clip through the winter, some people will need 2 – 3, depending on hair growth, extra rugging and attention to their management can help reduce the need to clip often.

Types of Clips

The four most common clips are Trace, Blanket, Hunter and Full:

Trace Clip – a very conservative clip, removal of hair in the areas most prone to sweat, including the girth area, chest and neck. It is a great choice for horses spending a lot of time outside and not ridden heavily. Head and legs are left fully “au natural” and a “trace” of hair is left down the neck and across the back to the flanks.

Blanket Clip – This leaves a “blanket” of hair on the back, usually half a head and full legs are also left hairy, removing hair off the belly, chest and neck. A good choice for horses in regular work and have time with regular turnout.

Hunter Clip – This leaves legs, a saddle patch and normally half a head hairy. As the name suggests a great choice for hunters or horses in similar work, long hard days out hunting the horse benefits from the extra warmth and protection hair provides on the legs and back.

Full Clip – Only consider this if your horse is in full work all winter and needs to be “show” ready, think about their environment carefully, is your horse stabled a lot? is your winter likely to be fairly mild?