Does Anybody Else Clip For Winter?

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

My guy gets the woolies from hades. At least 2" thick, and no matter how much he gets groomed, dry shampoo'd, vaccuumed, etc, he's insanely greasy and itchy. I have to clip some off his face so his halter can fit kind of thick. Plus the mud this time of year with a coat like that - gahhhhhh. He's cold without a blanket, then sweats with one, no matter how thin. It's made winter a pain. He's also had some "weight issues," and I was tired of not being able to see my horse and his belly.

I've had enough of it already this season, and for better or worse the clippers came out! It gets cold here in Upstate NY ( negative double digits at times ), but he's inside at night and on the gross days. He has a bigger wardrobe than I do, including a hood, fleece hood and blanket, sheet, 2 waterproof blankets, a waterproof sheet, and a super thick stable blanket.

I know a coat like this isn't normal. He spent the first 6 years of his life without shelter or a blanket, and is a probable diet induced EMS case, as he was fed pretty much solely sweet feed for those 6 years too. He is on remission and a beet pulp mash.

I decided on the traditional blanket clip. Leaving warmth over the core areas, cutting away the hair from the others. Less hair for the straps and buckles to get caught in, and his belly straps on his blanket actually fit now. Im really thinking this is going to be a new "yearly" thing, but we will see how it goes. He seemed pretty grateful for the clip, but, I have a weirdo horse that actually REALLY enjoys being body clipped.

Has anyone else done it? Why or why not?

 

[paintponylvr]

In years past, I often trace clipped (similar to your blanket clip) for similar reasons to yours. We aren't as "mild" here as some think - we get ice snow (hehehe), freezing rain and sleet at times as well as some pretty low temps (tho nothing like yours!). It also made it easier to clean up the ponies/horses before they were worked (short day lite hours), easier to cool out before the temps really dropped but left enough hair on them to keep them OK except in the worst weather at which point they usually came in or were blanketed.

Ours live outside 24/7 w/ only one pasture having actual access to the barn. In really bad weather, I can throw up temp shelters w/ tarps and of course they stand up under the trees in two pastures. I've also combined up to 3 pastures into the barn as long as not too many which creates fighting and/or leaves quite a number w/ less protection from stormy weather as they stood just outside the doors.

I haven't trace clipped any of my driving ponies yet this year and last year I didn't clip at all. When it suddenly got warm in Jan/Feb last winter, they were all equally miserable in their heavy coats!

 

[jess - bentley]

My best advice is to leave your horse as natural as possible, less is more with mini's. My guys look dirty, fat and fuzzy in the winter. If you drive you could do a partial clip, but they will never be as warm even with a partial clip and then you will have to blanket. They recently found that horses are more prone to founder when they wear blankets because it messes with their natural body temperature, so as natural as possible is best. Also if your horse gets greasy and itchy you can wash him with a good antibacterial soap, even if he has his winter coat. Just make sure you watch the weather and do it on a super dry day so his coat has time to totally dry back out.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

My main issue though is it's wayyy too cold to wash him. All summer long, I bathe 1x a week about with blue dawn dish soap. Keeps him sparkly white for shows, nipped his bad bath manners in the butt (he thought everytime he was bathed means he went somewhere and would get "up"), and his coat was the best I've ever seen. A warm day in our winters though is 35 degrees F, Sorry, not bathing my horse in that - I'd consider that a VERY big welfare issue. I live borderline in the Adirondack reason and we get god awful lake effect. I don't take a shower than go outside, Cloudy won't either.

I also board, so I can only get out 2 or 3X a week max, less in the gross weather. My board owner is extremely good about putting blankets on/off though. I have no issue blanketing. I would think the horse would have to be severely overheated to the point I would consider it cruelty to create founder from blanketing? I work mainly as a hoof trimmer, and have never heard of temperatures affecting founders unless the animal was borderline before, however, it makes sense how it could happen. He is a show horse, and our season starts early. I don't want him fat. He's 7. No reason he should lose weight through winter if he's managed right. I think its the worst thin gin the world to constantly be changing a horse's weight - especially with his obvious metabolic issues. He gets to a healthy weight - he's staying there.

I understand natural is preferred by most, however, when natural does not equal safe, healthy, or comfortable, I have no issue stepping in.

 

[disneyhorse]

I do clip in winter... Trace clips at the least... But the coldest we get is MAYBE high thirties overnight. I'm not sure I would clip in super cold weather.

 

[jess - bentley]

I also live in NY so I know it gets cold and I sure wouldn't want you to bathe him in the dead of winter. I used to clip and show too and my mini's were always cold clipped, even just a partial clip, so I now leave them natural and they are totally fine.

My cousin who is a trainer and shows the big guys told me recently about the founder and blankets. Her show barn has had a lot of founder over the years and all the horses are clipped and blanketed all winter. She actually asked me if I blanket my guys and then told me about it. You are probably right that they were borderline first. It probably isn't just from blanketing. She told me there was research done on it, but I never looked it up.

 

[Miniv]

We live in Central Oregon, which gets colder than Western Oregon. We can sometimes get into the single digits at night so NO, we don't clip, except a short bridle path.

Winter grooming is just brushing and combing THE PUSS out of them......Some folks have a horsey vacuum which I wish we had.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Just a quick FYI, if you can't afford a horsey vacuum you can always buy a shopvac. I have one and it works very well to keep the deep down dirt out of winter coats. I often use the blow setting rather than vacuuming as it parts the hair and really gets rid of the dirt that wants to cling to the skin.

On the original subject; I am on the side of not clipping in winter. I would be looking at diet and other areas of care to figure out a way to help the problem but never by clipping here (our winters can get extreme, -30 with a wind is not unheard of) so staying warm even in their stalls would be a challenge if I clipped. As to a 2" coat not being normal, well I have a mare who's coat I have measured at 3.5" and she is very healthy. 2" seems a pretty normal thing to me. All that said, you must decide what is the best practice to keep your horse healthy and comfortable, based on first hand knowledge of what you see every day. Just as the rest of us do with our own horses. Each situation/horse/location will be unique.

 

[paintponylvr]

Some folks have a horsey vacuum which I wish we had.

I found that a shop vac from Lowes or even Wal-Mart works quite well with the horses/ponies! LOTS less than the cost of the horsey vac - does a better job (than the horsey ones I checked out w/ other owners) and can do other things in the barn...

Love it in the spring when they are shedding!

 

[MyMiniGal]

Does anyone here, clip their horses faces during winter, so the halter fits fine over the nose? I don't clip but just a bridle path, but I've noticed since Halo is getting her winter woolies, that her halter still fits, but it is harder to get over her nose now. Was thinking of getting halter with an adjustable nose though. I wouldn't want to make her cold in anyway. But just curious if other keep the face, especially where the nose band goes around, clipped?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Does anyone here, clip their horses faces during winter, so the halter fits fine over the nose? I don't clip but just a bridle path, but I've noticed since Halo is getting her winter woolies, that her halter still fits, but it is harder to get over her nose now. Was thinking of getting halter with an adjustable nose though. I wouldn't want to make her cold in anyway. But just curious if other keep the face, especially where the nose band goes around, clipped?

Yup. I clipped most of the bottom half of his face off a few weeks before doing the blanket clip. Left everything on around his eyes, forehead, and of course ears though.

I got a mini shop vac, which both he and I love! It doesn't have the blow option though. Ditto to it being a magical thing in the spring when they shed!

 

[romewhip]

I trace clipped a couple weeks ago, and blanket because we have really damp cold weather. His coat just gets too thick and he sweats too much when I train him. We don't use heavy blankets, but waterproof is very important. Most horses here that are turned out in the winter live with waterproof sheets or midweight turnouts on them.