Let’s Discuss: ‘Tis the season for body-clipping
Is your horse clipped, or are you planning to clip your horse soon? If so, what type of clip will you do?
Me, I’m kind of in a catch-22. My horses’ are in hard work for most of the winter, so clipping is a must; on the other hand, they live out 24/7. (They have access to shelter, and East Tennessee winters tend to be relatively mild–knock on wood). As a result, I prefer a full clip without the legs and head so they still have some protection from the elements. When it gets cold, I’ll add a neck-warmer to keep out the chill. Or, if a horse is in lighter work, a trace clip will suffice.
What’s your body clipping strategy, Horse Nation? Chime in using the comments section below.
- Send an email to wylie, the author of this post at wylie@horsenation.com
I body clipped my horse, minus his face and legs. He’s in western NY but in a heated barn and stays in pretty hard work. I hate clipping but it’s better than the alternative (waiting for him to dry for 9million years when he has too much hair [= )
I just body clipped my boy, he doesn’t have a heavy coat but he works hard and already was taking forever to dry after work. I left his head and legs on so he stays a bit warmer and will put his full neck blankie on in the next few weeks as the weather gets cooler. (We’re in Vancouver, Canada)
I live in Sweden and rides icelandichorses. They really need to be clipped, in my opinion, and I clipp the first time in august and the last time in november or something like that. So 3-4 times each winter, starting with a full body (except head and legs) and later more like a hunting clip, depenting on how thick the coat is and how much the horse sweat.