To clip or not to clip?

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Just curious as to how many of you clip your mares before they foal? And those who do, do you full body clip or just clip them in the flank and under-belly? My bay tobiano is blowing her winter coat like crazy, but I'm afraid she's not going to be shed slick before she foals, and I'm afraid that with all of her loose hair it'll hurt the baby when she goes to hunting and nursing.. I had thought about clipping them before, but it turned cold again..

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[qtrmoonfarm]

Absolutely belly clip them, the foals would ingest tons of hair hunting for the dairy bar. No more than you would need to clip off the mares do fine if we get a few more storms, not that much exposed area and still hairy on top ..be sure too, to dispose of any hair you clip off, some foals will eat it like candy :no: We have the results of a 4 day blizzard on the ground and 12 mares with bald bellys dragging tracks in the snow, not one bothered by it..their stalls are bedded deep in grass hay. The foals we have now are doing great and after a short time they find the right spot and stick to it, but still moms are shedding FAST so they all get groomed twice a day..tons of hair coming off!

 

[pepperhill]

This is the first year I have belly clipped my mares. Usually I don't have babies until May or June and the shedding isn't really a problem. This year I already have two babies and if I hadn't clipped I'm sure they would be blocked up tight from ingested hair. My mares are shedding incredible amounts even with the 18" of snow we got this last weekend. Just clip the back of the belly and down the inside of the back legs a bit. That seems to be all it takes.

 

[Marty]

Belly clipping here and up to the flanks.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Never belly clipped- mares are all furry as they have been every other year.

I am now aware of a potential problem, so I am keeping an eye on things but honestly in 45 years of foaling I have never had a problem with foals ingesting hair.

I am not poo-poohing the idea, just commenting.

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[capall beag]

Ok gotta ask.........I tried clipping my heavily pregnant 29" mare yesterday, she was awfully patient...... btu I am 5'9" how do you get down there to clip under without lying on the barn floor??? This is a serious Q.

Sorry if it is fftopic:

 

[CountryHaven]

It ain't easy. LOL. Good for one good old back ache that's for sure. I usually pull up a chair with the very patient ones, and just lean over and clip. The fidgety, or downright witchy ones I stand, put one hand on their withers to steady myself, and practicallyy do a headstand to bend down far enough to see what I'm doing. Eventually it gets done.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I love the idea of a horse-sized dog-grooming stand. Walk them up a ramp, tie them between two safety rails so they can't jump off, and clip to your heart's content!

: :aktion033: Obviously it would have to be sturdy and safe so they couldn't slip off, etc., but it's a great idea.

Leia

 

[capall beag]

Good ideas!!

I will be getting a chair out in the barn tomorrow and looking for that grooming table in the near future at the tack stores

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[chandab]

I love the idea of a horse-sized dog-grooming stand. Walk them up a ramp, tie them between two safety rails so they can't jump off, and clip to your heart's content!

: :aktion033: Obviously it would have to be sturdy and safe so they couldn't slip off, etc., but it's a great idea.

Leia

This is what I'm planning to build this summer. I'm just over 5'10" and it can be hard to groom the lower half of the minis.

 

[Sue_C.]

in 45 years of foaling I have never had a problem with foals ingesting hair.

Well, it took me 30 years...but it happend. After the colic surgery, and two foals with eye infections, I started belly clipping. (The impacted and gut-twisted filly, was full of hair and fecal matter.)

That was even before I ever cam to this site, and found out that many do it. Had I known...it could have saved my foals a lot of grief, and me a lot of $$$.

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Prevention is usually cheaper than the cure...any day.

 

[IllusiveHussler]

Do you clip the WHOLE belly or just the area where the udders are? Right now my mare's udder area is shaven a good bit...But I didn't think about the flanks, I'll hafta do that one.