Hairy Horse Time

byhookorbycrook

In the last two weeks, my cob has turned into a teddy bear. And the annual "when should we clip him, what clip will we give him and should we rug him up at night now" debate has begun.

He sweated up quite a lot today, even though we didn't do much. He'd be like myself, well padded and thick skinned so doesn't feel the cold as much as some of the more dainty boys and girls in the yard.

Oh and the "should we take the feathers off" over the winter discussion is due any day now. He lives out all winter partly because he will kick the door down if he isn't out and he actually gains condition most winters.

So, have ye had the clipping talk yet??

Ave Sodalis

Horses are all coming in whenever the weather turns bad again. The 4 year old (Annie) isn't doing enough to be clipped straight away as its only really schooling so we will have to wait and see. The small pony (Millie) is definitely not doing enough to be clipped. We're trying to sell her because she's going to loss, and might clip her before she goes. The cob (Dusty) I ride will be trace clipped and rugged cause he sweats up easily and isn't fit. The appy/connie (Elvis) I ride will most likely have his belly, neck and head clipped... mainly because his winter coat makes him look deformed. He won't be rugged unless it turned very cold. He doesn't sweat much anyway. The sport horse (Bambi) will most likely be clipped all over. The miniature shetland (Brandy) won't be clipped because he isn't broke and his winter coat makes him look like a giant teddy bear
No idea what the rest of the liveries will do!

Ah_Yeah

I've just clipped my horse (yesterday), he was quite fluffy and is covered in sweat after schooling or competing - takes forever to dry! He didn't have that much hair but the clip did him good - his skin looks great, shiny and he seems thrilled with life! Hoping I'll get a few weeks out of it before we have to do round two...

finbarrk

Anyone should be clipping these days. Mild weather.

bob1984

Blades gone to be sharpened and clipping this weekend. I HATE actually doing it but love the results

ETA: We have been having teh debate for teh past 3 weeks but it was nearly too mild to clip as we couldn't decide what rugs to put on them after clipping. Even now it will be LW/MW but the first clip only ever lasts about 3 weeks anyway and then hopefully we can rug properly

byhookorbycrook

My boyo is for the chop this weekend. Despite being mainly bombproof, if he even hears the clipper across the yard, he goes bananas. Fortunately, I am not the one doing the clipping, the though of his forelegs around my ears is not what I want to think about!

Ave Sodalis

byhookorbycrook wrote:

My boyo is for the chop this weekend. Despite being mainly bombproof, if he even hears the clipper across the yard, he goes bananas. Fortunately, I am not the one doing the clipping, the though of his forelegs around my ears is not what I want to think about!

We had a pony (who was not bombproof by any means) who had a melt down at clippers. One year we had to give her a full clip as she was being worked a lot, so we gave her a lot of sedative. Despite this, she still managed to lift two big men up with her head and drag them all over the yard. Got her clipped though!

Anyone doing any weird or wonderful clips?

byhookorbycrook

Didn't get his nibs clipped yet, blades gone off to be sharpened after the first group were done. He usually gets a trace.

Ah_Yeah

I clip everything but the legs - I like to give them a bit of protection if they're in the mud. Face and fuzzy ears come off too!

silverfox88

Bald, bald, bald. I actually like to take off the legs to make it easier to brush the mud off!

Very patient horse + very slow clipper = very appreciative pony owner

byhookorbycrook

No way we could do my cob's face or ears! Interesting to see the various opinions on legs. Trimming the feather is as far as I go with His Nibs.

elusiveguy

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

I clip everything but the legs - I like to give them a bit of protection if they're in the mud. Face and fuzzy ears come off too!

I actually go the other way, easier to get legs clean and dry when they come in if there's no hair!

bob1984

One clipped and one to go.

Left legs for the first clip but managed to get his head and ears done so was delighted. He doesn't have a very think coat on his legs so will decide at the 2nd clip whether to take them off or not.

Hoping to get around to number two this weekend - he is a total different ball game. Complete saint to clip and although not in a lot of work at present - he will get it all taken off. He hates being too warm and he would suffer with mud-rash if I left his legs on. He will be bald

EQR

I clip quite a lot of horses - I have been covered in hair recently. In terms of when to clip - in the past few years the seasons seem a bit out of sync and its much harder to wait until the right time to clip. With that in mind I clip whenever the horse is uncomfortable during or after work and / or when it becomes too difficult to keep them dry after work. One of them is clipped year round as the coat is just too heavy!
if you are going to clip off feather or clip legs, paint pig oil and sulphur on before you turn them out - great stuff for protecting against mud rash and cracked heels.

silverfox88

Looks like I'm going to have to do him again - he's been full rugged and doesn't even go out very much and is already starting to look woolly again!! I feel tearful at the thought!!

Ave Sodalis

Waiting on the clipper blades to come back from being sharpened now. Can't wait to start!

bob1984

Collected new fine blades yesterday - full coat is back so have to take it all off again this weekend. Fingers crossed I can rug up a bit more this time around though

byhookorbycrook

My boyo is now sporting a trace clip, but has nothing off his head (even with a twitch, he'd be on the back legs if someone even tried) The last few nights he has been in the loose barn, even though he has his heavy rug on. Partly to keep the horse next door company but partly because I feel sorry for him. (He isn't cold any time I put a hand on his withers, he's exceptionally well insulated, but I'm a bit of a softy.)

finbarrk

2nd clip done to the 2 hunters yesterday evening. That should be the finish of it now.

silverfox88

Is waxing them for the winter out of the question?!