Clipping the winter coat...

[spindleberry]

I was wondering who all clipped the winter coats off of minis instead of waiting for them to shed out on their own? And when do you start clipping it off?

Sugar is shedding her coat but not too much right now and she looks horrible at the moment with the way her winter coat is. But I wasn't sure when I could clip her.

Thanks

 

[DianeT]

We live in Ohio and have only clipped our show horses. They are in the barn except for play time in the morning and early evenings.

Some of our non-show horses shed out on their own, if the coat stays to heavy we clip as they will get to warm. For us this clipping is done usually around the end of May. I like the nights to be warm before I clip our outside horses.

 

[lilnickers]

I clipped one over a month ago....couldn't resist, we had a hot spell

They are stalled at night, and there were only about 3 nights she had to be blanketed, and a couple days being out.

I am now ready to do a few more!!

I wouldn't clip yet if they were out 24/7.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

We clip our foals and any horses that get worked (like a driving horse), but that is it. The rest shed out on their own.

 

[Miniv]

We don't like to clip anyone unless it stays above 40 at night and even then, it means stalling the horse. It also means being prepared to blanket.

 

[Ellen]

I am about 80% thru the herd. Show horses, broodmares....everyone gets clipped. I don't clip babies until we reach 70 and stay there though.

 

[targetsmom]

There are probably as many ways to handle this as there are forum members!!!

We generally let the non-show horses shed out more or less on their own. I love wearing horse hair for months at a time, and finding clumps of hair on the fencing and in the grass. But I will usually do what I call a "comfort clip" when the first real hot spell hits. For us this was a few weeks ago when daily temps hit the 80's. I take some hair off the chest, neck, sides (like a trace cip) and/or belly, leaving plenty for cold nights. For the pregnant mare, I just turned it into her foal clip, plus took some off her neck and chest. I also try to curry or use the shedding blade on them a few times a week, whichever they prefer.

 

[Zora]

I don't think my minis would fully shed out until about the end of summer, so now that I have clippers I will be clipping them.

 

[Mominis]

I'm not clipping until it is time to go show, other than just bridlepath and face, so that he looks presentable in the barn. I've been working at Shake with the Slick n Easy twice a day and his coat is coming off nicely every where but his belly.

 

[Doobie]

I will be clipping...

I hate seeing them out in the pasture looking like they are flea bags! lol

That said, being in Northern Ontario, I wont start till after May 1st to try to make sure they dont get cold in one of our late snow storms!

 

[spindleberry]

Thanks everyone!

I think it would be best to wait a bit longer before taking the clippers to Sugar. Especially since she's outside 24/7. And we've been known to have cool weather the end of April early May.