Clipping for the winter

[TacheteTreasures]

Who here clips for the winter? Do you clip to help keep them clean, to keep the winter coat from bunching up under the saddle, or to keep them cool(or all 3!).
Do you clip just the saddle and girth area, or body clip?

[vicklynn]

I dont clip. Heck, I dont even cut their chin hairs. I gave them a bridle path last yr, never got around to it this yr. Ill probley do the bridle path next yr, thats all mine need.

[TacheteTreasures]

I dont clip. Heck, I dont even cut their chin hairs. I gave them a bridle path last yr, never got around to it this yr. Ill probley do the bridle path next yr, thats all mine need.

Do you ride in the winter?

[WashingtonBay]

When I used to ride enough to warrant it, I used to clip the major sweat areas, underside of neck, shoulders, girth, loin area and belly. Sortof a modified trace clip. Pic attached below is about what I like to do.

Nowadays, I don't ride much in winter at all, but sometimes I'll clip them in the spring to speed up the shedding process.

[TacheteTreasures]

When I used to ride enough to warrant it, I used to clip the major sweat areas, underside of neck, shoulders, girth, loin area and belly. Sortof a modified trace clip. Pic attached below is about what I like to do.

Nowadays, I don't ride much in winter at all, but sometimes I'll clip them in the spring to speed up the shedding process.
Did you have any problems with hair bunching up under the saddle?

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

I won't clip. I do ride in the Winter, but not really hard...I will just do some short trails. I don't blanket Buck either. I don't think they will need it here in the Georgia Winter.

Am I right to say, that I think our horses would not get as much of a Winter Coat as you guys in the colder states?

[TacheteTreasures]

I'm in Maine, and her winter coat is already pretty bad

[WashingtonBay]

Did you have any problems with hair bunching up under the saddle?

No, the problem wasn't so much bunching up under the saddle (the girth area yes... do clip the armpits!), as sweating under the saddle and it was difficult to dry, as you probably already know.

I was always hesitant to clip under the saddle though, as even though mine are blanketed in winter, that would pretty much remove all their natural insulation across the back. I'd want them in heavier blankets than I usually do.

[WashingtonBay]

Am I right to say, that I think our horses would not get as much of a Winter Coat as you guys in the colder states?

You probably would be right to say that... because it's colder up here, but also because our length of day changes a lot more in winter, and horses are actually triggered to grow coat based on shortened hours of daylight, as much as temperature.

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

You probably would be right to say that... because it's colder up here, but also because our length of day changes a lot more in winter, and horses are actually triggered to grow coat based on shortened hours of daylight, as much as temperature.

Ah...Good to know WB. How short is your shortest day there? Just wondering.

[WashingtonBay]

Ah...Good to know WB. How short is your shortest day there? Just wondering.

It swings quite a bit!

Shortest day: Sunrise 7:52 AM Sunset 4:18 PM (8h 26m)
Longest day: Sunrise 5:11 AM Sunset 9:11 PM (15h 59m)

Post what yours is! Sunrise and Sunset for U.S.A (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=234&month=6&year=2008&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1)

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

It swings quite a bit!

Shortest day: Sunrise 7:52 AM Sunset 4:18 PM (8h 26m)
Longest day: Sunrise 5:11 AM Sunset 9:11 PM (15h 59m)

Post what yours is! Sunrise and Sunset for U.S.A (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=234&month=6&year=2008&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1)


Looks like our area would be:

Shortest day: Sunrise 6:27 AM Sunset 8:51 PM (14h 24m)
Longest day: Sunrise 7:38 AM Sunset 5:33 PM (9h 54m)

[vicklynn]

Do you ride in the winter?
Yup, if the weather permits.

[Dixie]

I don't clip now but used to do trace clips or full body clips. Depended on what I was doing. Back when I used to compete in the winter, I had to keep my english horse clipped for showing. Otherwise it was trace clips just for ease of cooling out.

[JetLagaside]

I used to clip all the time with Jet Lag he just got to thick a coat in order to ride thru the winter. I would either do a full body clip if we where working really hard and showing or a blanket clip. I found one photo of him in a full body clip and then a drawing of a blanket clip but when I did the blanket clip it was straight up the shoulder so it really looked like he was wearing a 1/4 sheet. :)
Lil'Bit has never gotten that much hair but I've never worked her as hard thru the winter as I'm hoping to this year to we will see I just may be giving her some kind of clip :eek:

[TacheteTreasures]

I'm going to send this to my mom, she doesnt think clipping during the winter is a good idea

[AUEquine]

The only horse we clip in the winter is the hanovarian because he has cushings and so he has way too much hair. We do the full hunter clip on him, everything but the legs, and he lives in a blanket with a hood at night.
We ride all winter here, and if the sun is out it's usually not that bad. On the coldest day's I still ride with a longsleeve t-shirt and a vest.
The only other people that body clip around here are the show people in the spring, just to avoid the shedding time. I do know a few people that have to clip in the spring because their horses don't shed as fast as it warms up!

[fire1]

I spend winter still conditioning for endurance rides so my horse gets clipped. When his coat starts coming in I clip his shoulder, all the way up his neck, complete full front of teh boddy stopping at the line of the belly. Also leaving legs hairy. Then i clip a path over his rump down near his legs. He gets a really thick coat so this is the only way I can ride him or he overheats to much with the kind of work we do. He likes getting clipped and will stand there and not move a muscle while i'm doing it now. He also wears a blanket with hood 24/7 after this happens. In march or april depending on weatehr I full body clip him before our first ride and so I don't have to deal with shedding, he seems to like this too. Keeps him cool and less ichy!