Justifying clipping

[Jessey]

How often do you think you need to be riding to justify clipping?

Jess gets hot when ridden but I'm only riding twice a week most weeks, I can cool her out well and get her dry before dark so can I really justify clipping? She'll do more over xmas-new year as I'm off work and as the evenings are now drawing out it will gradually increase.

 

[Native Lover]

I don't clip Melody as I don't do enough riding in the winter and don't want her freezing in the field so...If I do ride I do slow work.

 

[KP nut]

I haven't clipped Ginny yet as she was too unfit to work for more than a few minutes at a time. But as she has got fitter she is sweating much less anyway so I am leaving it a while till this real cold spell is over. Max and Amber are in full work and clipped and need clipping again. Amber is fully clipped,Max was chaser clipped but was still overheating so the lot is coming off next time.

 

[joellie]

I always give Marley a low trace clip, he is still warm enough. I haven't been able to ride in almost 2 weeks but at least I know when I can get too ride he isn't sweating around the girth area and chest.

 

[Trewsers]

Back in the days of us having three lessons a week and me riding her with some very vigorous schooling every night she needed clipping but I didn't do it, she came to me clipped out! The following winter I know I should have paid someone to do her but at the time, I just kept thinking she could manage, and I just used to put her fleece cooler on to wick the sweat off afterwards. Also she was not good to clip apparently and nobody thought to suggest to me working on desensitising her (it was not a very kind or sensitive type of yard and I was very new to horse ownership). The other thing I remember was that I did rug her lots so her coat didn't reach the yak status it does now
Think I'd have to see really. It's not worth doing Zi, one or two hacks a week isn't going to make any difference to him - he's got quite a woolly neck now too

 

[Kite_Rider]

Belle only has a bib clip, she's ridden (weather permitting) 5 days a week but we only hack and as she lives out un rugged wouldn't want to take any more off, although it's very tempting to clip and rug (she would be much cleaner) this works well for us.
Not sure what I would do in your situation really.

 

[Mary Poppins]

It depends if you think that she will suffer any negative consequences if you clip her? I wouldn't have thought that a low trace clip would make much difference to how cold she is in the field, but it would make her more comfortable to ride. All depends if she is a good doer/bad doer, if you are trying to gain weight or drop weight etc. My horse has had 3 full clips this year already and is actually putting on weight as I haven't been able to ride as much due to the weather.

 

[Lissie]

Mine gets sweat lumps and I like to look smart for hunting so she's clipped every 4 weeks. She sweats a lot and I don't have much time after riding before leaving for work in the morning. I take everything off including head, she' being clipped tomorrow and having legs off too this time. But she's a good doer and in at night well rugged. If she was dropping weight or lived out she wouldn't have it all off.

 

[Jessey]

Jess is not a poor doer by any means but isn't fat at the moment.

Went out for just over an hour today, mostly walk, 5 short trots and lots of stressy pissy behaviour and her front half was dripping. Got back and slapped a fleece on and kept her in the barn to treat her leg, she really threw her toys out at not being let go and got even more sweaty. 2 fleeces on to try and wick it away. She eventually settled, I did her leg, trimmed her feet then she was shivering so top fleece off and a turnout on and let her loose, she rolled 4 times.

My conclusion is the front can come off (as and when we get decent days to clean and clip), she's got rugs and at least she will dry quicker.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I ride very little in the winter but this year I have clipped Ziggy for the first time. He is so woolly that the only time I have seen him really comfortable was when it was -13! If I leave his coat on, he sweats miserably if I just walk him up the road, never mind ride him out or have a lesson.

He seems to be doing fine with a trace clip and a rain sheet. He is cross because Mattie gets more grass than he does, but has plenty of energy to express his disapproval!

 

[Lissie]

Sounds like she' benefit from taking some off then @Jessey

 

[chunky monkey]

I would clip. Maybe just part, but it would have to go.
Chunkys down to a couple of rides a week due to his back. But I have still clipped him all off bar legs and half head. I'm not going to keep hosing him off after we ride it's not fair. If I don't hose it will cause rainscald from the sweat. He's in a heavyweight rug but as soon as it warms up he will be back in rainsheet.
Billy is desperate for a clip if it wasn't for him being scared I would have had it off again by now. Im going to get some sedation to do him. Then i shall pluck up the courage. Im riding about 4 days with him. I only did 30 minutes today and he was dripping. So I had to wash the poor boy. I don't have time to put a cooler so he gets rugged and put out wet. Not ideal.

 

[newforest]

Mine was girth clipped again I think three weeks ago. She only sweats a teeny bit and less since weather dipped.
However if she is being a tit then she comes back sweaty. That's stress though and I don't clip for that once in a blue moon ride.
I won't be touching again until weather warms up so maybe February.

Eta was five weeks ago. Barely grown back.

 

[MrC]

I prefer to clip and rug and this year has just proved I should stick to what Works and I’m not even riding

 

[carthorse]

If she isn't comfortable or it's affecting her ability to work or she's sweating to the point that she's losing condition or having skin problems then I'd clip off however much is needed to solve the problem. Nowadays we have such good rugs available that there isn't a problem keeping a clipped horse comfortable even if it lives out.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

I prefer not to rug so I adjust my working of him during the winter. I ride earlier and we do very little, walking hacks, he’s not fit anyway as I can only ride at the weekends and we just potter about. Generally as he grows his coat he is a bit sweaty in November time but thereafter he’s fine until spring again. I don’t find that he’s uncomfortable or any skin complaints so don’t see the point but that’s my personal preference.

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

Ginger sweets just looking at a candle!!

Full clip but needs doing again just not sure I can sit the bucks for the first few riders after.

Sounds like she could do with some off her belly to help her cool down. As Carthorse said the rugs today are fab

 

[Jessey]

However if she is being a tit then she comes back sweaty. That's stress though and I don't clip for that once in a blue moon ride.

Jess sweats every ride, her neck and chest are generally wet from 45 minutes just walking. If the only time she sweated was when being a twit I wouldn't bother either

I am thinking a chaser or blanket clip, as its mostly her neck/chest/shoulder that get really hot I could get away with less but having the belly and between back legs off would mean we could get back to doing some faster work (I've been sticking to slow as trying not to get her too hot) which from her behavior on Saturday she is ready for!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ziggy is so much more comfortable with his low chaser clip - his chin and bottom of neck, belly and tops of front legs off. He worked this morning (my RI rode), was a prat and did a fair bit of canter and he came home warm but not sweaty and is comfortable out with a rain sheet. I will definitely do it again next year.

ETA he hasn't lost an ounce since he was clipped!

 

[domane]

Gracie has been fully clipped twice already and is currently a fluff-ball. However, I have an issue with her saddle and until it is assessed in mid-Jan, she is on "light duties" so there is no point in having her clipped again yet. She is also going to be spending alternate nights out in the grass-sparse field as having been in at night through the snow, I could hardly do up her elasticated girth for the short tinsel ride yesterday!!!