Clipping - Yeah - Nay - or some?

[ruffian]

Watching the Shetlands show in full coat was a beautiful thing to see. They actually have SHINE!! Plus it's a whole lot less work. I would so love to show just trimming up face and feet! I know I know, it's a choice I make, but that's what must be done to do anything in the show ring. I have proof as a judge once told me that since I had not clipped my horse (he had been clipped 7 days before!) he had given my horse Reserve Grand, and would have gone higher had I "bothered" to clip my horse!!!

 

[disneyhorse]

I think the way it is NOW (up to your choice) is the BEST way. I have a Shetland pony that I try to show in full coat. However, earlier shows I do body clip him, or if he needs to be cleaned up. I have clipped in both a 10 and a 15. Either way.

I personally don't like razoring, but I don't mind seeing horses razored. I don't think it gives people an edge or not.

I think horses should be groomed to their best potential, no matter how much or little hair is on them.

Andrea

 

[REO]

I voted for Clipped all over (head and body) in a 10 or 15 NOT razored

 

[RhineStone]

I voted for clipped with 10 and not razored, but I have some horses that shed out very nicely and look good in a natural coat. Clipping "mouses" their coat. However, I know of some mini horses that just don't seem to have a nice shed out coat and look fuzzy.

 

[Leeana]

Well Deana you seen my horses (ponies) this weekend, I show a lot of bay aspc ponies it seems and bay is one of the colors that can look just

body clipped. I refuse to body clip my classic gelding, Sucre, it would be a sin to clip that pony in my opinion as he is sleek and bright and naturally has a tight coat. My foundation gelding, Royal, showed in a natural coat mostly becuase he came straight out of the pasture and onto the trailer that weekend. Just did some touching up on the legs, jawline, ears ext. I would have body clipped him had I not made the decision to take him while loading the trailer and had time that weekend to do so at the show..

Now I did body clip Jack Of Diamonds, my classic colt, well im lucky in the sense he does not grow pig hairs and clipped him real early in June and he is still sleek but a bit more of a brighter coat on him. I will body clip him agian a few weeks out before the Ohio Shetland show that way his color is back in like it was this weekend..

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm a combo- my minis don't shed out well or early so I don't mind clipping once in the spring and then maybe once a month through the summer as they grow quite a lot of pig hairs but this "before every show" thing is insane!

I just finished clipping during the show last Saturday and am already going to have to do it again *this* Saturday for the next one! It's nuts.

The colt is still shivering from the last time but I know he won't be considered tight enough for his halter classes by the 11th if I don't.

There is no way I'm clipping Kody again. He's just getting his red color back in and he's only going in a couple of driving classes for fun so I'll be danged if I'm going to go to all that work for nothing. I'll neaten his edges, maybe clip up his head again and call it good at that.

In general I choose to show clipped in a 10 or 15, sculpted with 30's and 40's on the head and NOT razored. I would be perfectly thrilled to show at least my driving horse in a natural or once-clipped coat with head, bridlepath and feet trimmed unless it's hot enough to warrant clipping for comfort and performance reasons.

Leia

 

[Minimor]

It let me vote for two choices--I marked body clipped with 10/15 (and meant 10) with no razoring my other choice was full coat--I'd choose full coat, but there are plenty of Minis that just have too much hair to be shown full coated.

I really like showing ponies and part of that is they don't need body clipping. This year, for instance, if I had to body clip in order to show I wouldn't be showing at all--just not a good year for it with the weather and all the bugs--but I'm showing just ponies so have only had to clip legs and heads.

It is sad that some judges want to see the minis skinned right down. If they cannot judge a horse that has a little bit of hair on it then they are not much as judges!

One thing that works very well if the horse hasn't been shaved right down & you want his hair to look sleeker, put a blanket on him & walk or jog him around for a few minutes just before his class. The warmth will make his hair lay down nice & flat, & the effect should last through the class unless it's a huge class & you have to be out in the ring for quite some time.

 

[Kendra]

My horse was clipped in March, and hasn't been since. He's a pretty rich chocolate brown instead of dirt coloured. I don't plan to clip him, but then I'm not showing him in halter this year either. However, at our first AMHA show he placed second in showmanship - and the horse that placed first hadn't been body clipped either! He also did very well in his driving classes.

Now later this month when I take my colts to a show, I'll probably clip them. They are shed out very well though ... hmmm ...

 

[Sue_C.]

It is sad that some judges want to see the minis skinned right down. If they cannot judge a horse that has a little bit of hair on it then they are not much as judges!

Exactly what I have always said. Good Lord...are mini judges really that obtuse that they need to see the poor horses SKINNED, in order to see them?

Thank goodness other breed judges can see conformation without body clipping. I guess quarterhorse, appaloosa, warmblood and all other breed judges have ex-ray vision?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I would not like to see this actually ruled upon.

Personally, I show in full coat, but I do clip once, possibly twice, to get this affect and, in a lot of ways, it is far, far more work than clipping a horse the day before a show!

I think it is each to his own, on this one, although I do think removing eyelashes should be banned, across the board!!!

 

[Sue_C.]

I would not like to see this actually ruled upon.

Personally, I show in full coat, but I do clip once, possibly twice, to get this affect and, in a lot of ways, it is far, far more work than clipping a horse the day before a show!

I think it is each to his own, on this one, although I do think removing eyelashes should be banned, across the board!!!

I agree, but since I started giving ground flax in the early spring, I haven't even had to body clip at all, and our first shows are mid June.

As for a natural coat being harder to keep that a clipping...OMG...I guess it IS! You cannot even compare the hours of grooming, and caring for a natural coat, to spending an hour clipping all the coat off.

 

[georgiegirl]

JMHO I think that this clipping business has been carried way to the extreme.

I do have one mini that does not shed off as much as he should. In mid June he still has a lot of sheep wool on him. That one I do body clip, not because of the good looks, but because he is too hot.

The others shed on their own in good time.

The silver bay gelding I have, I wont body clip him again. He came to me clipped and was the weirdest color. I have him on Super 14 and what a gorgeous coat of shiny hair he has. This year he shed into a bright, red bay with his white (pinto) trim and his white mane and tail. Gorgeous!!!

If he doesnt look fancy enough in the ring, too bad lol He does have his head, ears, and legs trimmed.

BTW he placed first over 9 other geldings a couple of weeks ago, so I dont see that there is a problem.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Forgot to add that mine get Flax and Boss and shine like the sun!!

I clipped my little Silver Bay yearling to the skin, (yes, really weird colour!!) then put serious blankets on him to get him into coat and now he sparkles like a conker!!

It is hard work but I love the shine you get, from within, not sprayed on, with a natural coat.

OK, I am a bit of a Natural Coat Snob, I admit it!!!

 

[midnight star stables]

I could have voted both ways, however I voted the extreme, with "Body clipped in a 10 or 15, head sculpted in 30 & 40's and razored".

I have one passion. Showing my minis. I show mainly in AMHR showing in Halter and Driving. However that said, I care greatly for my horses, and I clip each horse to their different needs, period.

Do I clip? Yes, always for a show. Whether it is a few days before or every other week, my horses are always freshly clipped for shows. I also "clean up" faces and legs the day before too.

Do I bald/razor? Yes, every time I step into a Halter class with a dark faced horse. I feel it adds to the overall presence of the horse and turnout.

Do I bald/razor EVERY horse? Nope. It depends. First of, if the horse is only Driving, then no. I have a white perlino horse who even when he was shown in Halter, was not razored nor clipped around his face with anything less then a 15 blade. Why? Do I think it looks bad? No. It was for his health as I didn't want to risk him burning. Same if I had a fame overo or a white faced appy. I would bald a grey or buckskin as they have darker skin. I would also bald a dark horse that small blaze or snip, as it has minimal risk. It all depends. Also, you will likely never see a cut, gash, or chunk out of one of my horses due to any horse show related cosmetic procedure as I take much time and care with my work.

Do I think I affects my horses? Not really. I treat my freshly clipped and balded horses like any other. They get one day rest after the show inside (simply because we usually travel so far to show, 6-8 hours one way!)and I feel they just need a day to relax in the comfort of their bed. After that, they all get turned out in their shaded paddocks everyday. My horses have not yet, knock on wood, suffered an ill side effect due to balding and clipping.

And one last thing, regarding eyelashes. I have in the past clipped off eyelashes, but simply by accident of the horse moving their head at the wrong time. I've seen the same thing with forelock. Just one wrong movement and it's just gone! I feel many have had the same thing happen and that there are very very few actual eyelash-less horses out there on purpose.

Anyways, I love my horses and I also love the look of balding and clipping. To each their own, but I am glad I am able to show my horses the way I like.

Flame suit on.

PS. I have to laugh. As I write this post, I look at all the banner adds at the top of the page. Each with beautiful horses, each horse much loved, each horse clipped and of course BALDED.

While many on here do NOT like the balded look, many others still do like it. It is interesting, that's for sure.

 

[Katiean]

I body clip my driving horses and clean up the ears and fetlocks to give a well groomed look. I don't think horses should be clipped down to the skin on body or head. But, I do like the look of a freshly/nicely clipped horse.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I voted clip with 10 or 15 all over and not razored, however I wouldn't mind clipping closer on the head, but won't razor.

 

[Carolyn R]

I don't see the option of clipping with a longer blade like a 7 if the horse does not have a natural tight summer coat.

I love to see a tight natural coat and a cleaned up face going close on the muzzle, inside edge & inside ear, as well as cleaning up the jawl, throatlatch, bridle path and legs.

There are certain colors that look great in a fresh body clip, red duns and silver bays of a particular color that end up with a gleaming apricot coat, just the right shade of buckskin when the gold stays but the sooty black hairs don't overpower the coat.

Colors that don't always pop when clipped , bays, blacks, palominos....

 

[susanne]

I voted natural coat with head, etc., trimmed, but that is because my two show horses shed out to sleek, shiny, tight coats.

I KNOW you're all shocked by my response, hehe...

Like others have noted, early shows require body clipping, even for Mingus, and some minis never shed out well.

Interestingly, one AMHA/AMHA/ASPC judge told me that she loves natural coats and detests balding, and said that the trend does not come from the judges, but from people following a trend.

At a recent gathering of northwest mini folks, EVERYBODY (20 or so?) said that they hate balding.

All it would take would be ONE horse winning at Nationals or World and the trend would change. Again, not for the fuzzy-wuzzies, but for the naturally sleek.

Does anyone here remember five years ago when I was told that showing my horse in natural coat was the equivalent of Miss America entering a pageant with unshaved armpits?

Here's that hairy boy before any cleanup (including armpits):

And a ridiculously overstretched shot, just to show his shine:

 

[RhineStone]

It is sad that some judges want to see the minis skinned right down. If they cannot judge a horse that has a little bit of hair on it then they are not much as judges!

We don't show breed shows anymore, just ADS, but do you all think that it is really the judges that want a skinned mini, or is that just so much of the trend that no upper-level breeder dare go against it?

I can't imagine a superior horse being "rejected" in the Halter ring because it had a sleek, natural coat or clipped only with a 10. Coat quality isn't even a criteria, not like a Persian cat or an Angora rabbit....

About 5 years ago, our State Fair was considering creating a "No Fit" rule, meaning that minimal fitting could be done to the cattle. Talk about grooming that has gone/is way overboard, just watch a cattle show, when out come the needles with air/water/or something else to puff up an area that is "weak", or spray paint binder twine to create "hair".

It's not the judges who are saying that has to be done. It's done in order to win, and when some guy that wins does it, everyone else follows because that must be what you have to do to win! Never mind just breeding and training a superior animal.

 

[ohmt]

Personally, I like all of the looks if they're done right. I believe that if a horse is razored and it looks good and the owner applies sunscreen when they're out being a horse, then I'm all for it. A horse in its natural coat is beautiful as well if the horse has been well groomed and has the nice tight shiny hair. My mature horses would do well showing in natural coat but my younguns, no way. Also with natural coat i'd still have to clip legs and head because don't like long hair around the fetlocks and jaw area. Makes them look thick.

My grandpa always tells me, "to him his own". I think if you like showing in natural coat, DO IT. If you like to razor, DO IT. And if someone else is doing something that you don't like, but it's not endangering you or the horses, then there's no need to get all worked up about it. Life is full of stress, no need to make how other people show their horses stressful too.