too early to clip?

eventerbabe

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2004
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I've always had it drummed into me never to clip until mid-late october. But this year toby has turned into a hairy yetti!! he's sweating even on mild days and often comes in from the field with a sweaty neck/shoulder area. I'm loathe to clip 'early' but i can't even take him for a quick hack without him ringing with sweat. Has anyone else clipped yet?
 
Yep, I clipped Albie on Tuesday as he too sprouted alot of hair and as he's out competing alot even a walk round the block he was coming back dripping !!!

Sept - Feb is clipping time and I reckon i'll have to clip 3 times between then :(
 
think i'll have to dust down the clippers then. And also buy his nibs a new l/w turnout. can see this turning into an expensive weekend :D
 
Bry is sooooo hairy and the only reason she hasn't been clipped is cos she needs sedating and whilst she's not being ridden it seem silly to clip her.
She'll be done in 2 weeks when the vet comes out to do a trott up on her so he can sedate her then. And she'll be having a full clip as opposed to a trace clip and she really is THAT hairy.
 
Flora is the same :rolleyes: She is getting hot when ridden. I'm still putting off clipping as she lives out the deciding what weight rug to leave her in at the moment would be a nightmare! Where we are the weather can be like hot summer one day, then very wet and chilly the next! I think her own coat will regulate things better for her than I could for the time being, but within a couple of weeks I'll be clipping.
 
Nooks not hairy so he'll be waiting till late october. But if i did have a hairy monster I would clip as soon as i needed to. So go for it :)

I have everything ready for late oct - clippers, stencil bum thing and disposable overalls bought for £3 haha i hate hair everywhere!
 
I would agree go for it, we always did the competition horses on the 1st September, they normally got 3 clips over the winter to keep them tidy.

Bo I don't normally do until end November - Christmas time cause he doesn't get that hairy until then, but I have to say he is looking quite hairy already and very fat so he might get done earlier rather than later this year :p
 
I clip all year and have no problems. Three people on our yard have clipped in the last two weeks. And many more are going to this weekend.
This year the horses seem to be competing to make a wooly jumper for a shire:D
 
My hairy Yeti TB aka Peri will have to be done this weekend as she is sweating so much. Had hoped to put it off until Belle was off her but can't do so any more. When she was in full work she was always full clipped by now.

Tavia will need doing as well ready for Myerscough Area Festival next weekend.
 
Clippers v Rugs

Hmm, not so long ago we were having a debate on rugging - seems that now everyone is rushing to get the clippers out - I can safely say I won't be clipping until mid/late October. My mare has been cosily rugged for weeks now and has hardly any signs of a woolley winter coat. She hardly sweats after heavy work and has a lovely sleek shiney coat like springtime (sorry gloating now but there were some quite harsh criticisms of people who rug early!!!).

Mind you it has taken a full neck middleweight on those chilly nites to keep her comfortable. If she is warm enough she doesn't grow a thick coat - saves all the time, stress and trouble of clipping....
 
have to agree with nutty horse. if you started rugging a few weeks back then no need to clip. I've never clipped my mare, I just rug up when I see signs of coat growth then as it gets colder I put on a thicker rug. lightweight for now, mediumweight till mid november then I'll switch to heavyweight etc.

i am thinking about competing this winter, if so i may clip, but then it will be just a bib clip or similar.
 
Thats all well and good but if you have a podgy cob who was hot in her summer coat then rugging to prevent a winter coat from growing would be counter productive as she'd be even hotter.
On the cold nights she's obviously been a bit chiily so grown her winter jersy in the space of about a week, now she's hot again.
Still next year I'll catch her at the 'inbetween' stage now I have this year as experience.
 
Lily will be clipped this weekend if she is dry enough, she was such a ball of sweat the other evening after David came to ride her that I dare not leave it any longer, would have done it a couple of weeks back but was busy getting married :D
 
Ah but technically rugging doesn't prevent coat growth as it is not prompted by tempreature the main culprit for coat growth is the ammount of light the horse gets, as the evenings draw in they will get more of a coat no matter what.
The difference rugging makes is just that the horse is warm so the coat lays very flat (rather than puffing up) and keeps more polished so looks thinner :D
Well thats what I was taught anyway :p
 
i think if i'd started rugging up early, toby would have keeled over with heat exaustion :eek: ! Its still very warm (despite him growing in such a thick coat), which is what's causing the problem, thick coat + dark horse+ warm weather = one very hot horsie. Clipping is no hassle, i can do toby with no assistance at all coz he's very, very good. Just don't want to do it too early then regret it when the really cold weather comes in.
 
My theory on that is if you do it pretty early is that he will have grown back at least a little hair by the time the worst weather gets here, and it won't be such a shock as if you leave him then suddenly whip it all off at the last minute :D
 
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