what age can first clip a foal?

[dmm]

I live in MN and wonder at what age I can clip my mini foal for the first time?

 

[targetsmom]

I am interested in seeing replies too. It has been pretty cool (and WET!!) here in CT and our foal (our first) does not have a real heavy coat so I have not been in any hurry to clip him.

 

[Marty]

I shaved that Redneck colt at about ten days or two weeks. I know it seems way too young but he was born during a terrible heat wave we were having and he was also the most itchy baby I had ever seen in my life body slamming his little self was way too scary so the hair came off. I used a #8 blade so he would still have plenty of hair left on him for protection from chilly nights and sunburn. It worked very well and I'm glad I did it when I did.

 

[~Lisa~]

It depends on the weather and the facilities you have for your mare/foal. I lived in SO Cal got a pasture bred mare she foaled in august it was over 110.. the baby was clipped at less then 2 hours old he was born HAIRY and black to boot. he had a 12x24 completly covered stall to be in during the heat of the day and the turn out area had more then plenty of shade but it was still just to hot for a full haired baby to be running around.

 

[disneyhorse]

I live in southern CA where it gets pretty darn hot... within a week I shave them WITH the hair, not against... they get so hot running around and having fun...

Andrea

 

[rabbitsfizz]

If you are going to clip your foals, and I never do, you have to be able to protect them not just form the wet and cold but also from the sun.

I am not convinced about this being for the horses benefit entirely, as the coat is there for a reason.

The foals I had born at the very beginning of the year have shed most of their coat naturally and just have a protective "blanket" over their back, which they need whatever the weather, the ones I had born five weeks ago , well, there is nothing to clip, they were born in full summer coat.

Clipping with the hair will just take off the baby fluff and allow the horse to not over heat, that is the very most I would ever do, but I have not actually needed to do that yet.

As someone on another board pointed out, sometimes it is the humidity that counts??

We have hot (believe it or not!!) but we do not have the humidity that some states get.