Head and Neck Clipping Question! Do they get cold?

[Pwest2u2]

I love to see all the photos of everyone's horses that are getting spring clips. I am just asking about the ones that do the head and necks. Do you put hoods on your horses after wards? It is still getting down into the 20's here, but would love to do some triming up. I just know if I go out with out my stocking hat on I get cold faster. Just wondering. What do you do?

 

[albahurst]

Absolutely, put on a hoodie and wrap them up with neck sweats! Don't clip the ears if it is below freezing. I would say do not clip your horses head/necks yet unless you can keep them warm, warm, warm.

Peggy

 

[midnight star stables]

I kind of think blanketing would be pointless... It isn't their body that's hair less

?

I stable all mine, and I think that is an important part. Most nights in the barn it has been staying warm, so I don't have to worry. But if the temperature does drop I have a couple of fleece neck wraps to use for now - I'm waiting for my fleece hoody

Also I think horses are individuals, same as people. I have one mare I DO plan to hood if it gets much colder at all, as I doubt shes ever been clipped before. My colt, seems to always be warm, and would constantly sweat in the day when he got playing. He seems like a happy boy now that he is clipped but he is used to being clipped early (this time last year he got a body clip!) so unless it was cold I would want to hold off covering him.

The most important thing is that your horses are happy, healthy, and warm

Gosh I wish I could spell today!

 

[~Lisa~]

I have head and necked here we are averaging in the high 20's to mid 30's at night and into the 50-60's during the day.

I think while the concern of them getting cold is a good one many forget about the concern of them being very hot.

On a nice day in 45-50 degree weather do some chores and then stand outside for a couple of hours in your winter clothes. Lots of layers, jacket, gloves, hat and see how comfortable you are after a while

It is very hard to be sure when the time is right and to find the right balance however my horses are much happier and much more active now they have some air conditioning thru their huge heavy coats.

You also have to take your set up into consideration. I do have hoods for them if they needed them and they are stalled every night but like I said here anyway with the temps they have been just fine.

 

[Pwest2u2]

Thanks, that is what I thought, until this weekend at a clinic and a lady had her horses head/necked shaved. I asked her now you have to keep her necked covered and she said "no it's not her body, she will be just fine." It was 28 that night, poor horses.

quote name='west2u' date='Mar 17 2009, 11:22 PM' post='1163491']

I love to see all the photos of everyone's horses that are getting spring clips. I am just asking about the ones that do the head and necks. Do you put hoods on your horses after wards? It is still getting down into the 20's here, but would love to do some triming up. I just know if I go out with out my stocking hat on I get cold faster. Just wondering. What do you do?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I have to admit I've never understood the head-and-neck thing with minis. It seems to me that if I'm too hot after chores I'm going to unzip my coat (trace clip) rather than take my hat off!

But then again I come from big horses and I do performance primarily, so I worry more about where the horse will be sweating.

Even trace clips drive me nuts this time of year because I feel like I should blanket the clipped areas but he's still got a full winter coat up where the blanket actually covers and he's bare where it doesn't reach.

I just leave 'em furry as long as I can stand then do a substantial trace clip a couple of weeks before I take the coat down all the way.

My horses do not have a barn, just a couple of solid stalls out of the wind, so I do feel he'd be too chilled with his head and neck completely unzipped. It's always obvious after the first spring bodyclip that he's feeling exposed with his neck uncovered. I have to wrap him from ears to tail to keep him warm.

Leia

 

[~Lisa~]

LOl I do agree and the driving horses have a modified (very modified) trace clip so that the harness can fit.

When doing head and necks I do also do a line down the chest as well.

 

[yankee_minis]

I recently read a very technical study on heat loss in horses. A couple things were quite interesting.

Most heat loss was through the body.

There was some heat loss through the head, but it was insignificant.

Smaller horses lose less heat. The bigger the horse (as in full size compared to mini) the more heat they lose.

Head and neck clipping should not have as big an impact as clipping the body.

They are heartier than we think.

 

[albahurst]

I do know of ear tips that have suffered frostbite in below freezing temps after being clipped. You do need to be careful.

If there is no particular reason to be clipping- why don't you just wait a bit.

 

[mininik]

Nothing to add except... Hugs to Toasty!

 

[Katiean]

I would put a hood on them. I just got my hood pattern from SuitAbility and I think I am going to alter it so I will have loops for the halter to go through and end the hood at the poll. It will just be a neck wrap but it will keep them warm and I can start clipping.