Winter Coats and Summer Weather

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RockRiverTiff

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Our horses started growing their winter coats about a month ago, but here it is almost October and our weather is still in the 80's every day. (This is the Midwest mind you.) The worst are the foals who I clipped only a couple months ago but who are already fluffy. They've got automatic waterers and indoor/outdoor access so they can stand in the breeze or in the shade, but it's still clearly taking a toll on them. I hate to clip them again this late when I know it'd just mean blanketing them next month. How is everybody else dealing with this?
 
My boys are both getting furry and it is still getting 80 degrees here in the day. So just yesterday I did a low trace clip on both of them. I shaved their bellies from the flanks forward through their front legs to a V up their chest that ends at the throat. Since their faces were also getting furry I shaved their heads so their bridles would fit better. I would love to body clip them again, but it is getting cool at night. I don't want to hastle with blanketing. I've done trace clips on my big horse for many winters to make grooming and cooling out a little faster. It looks a little silly, but seems to help.
 
I might try clipping bellies also, as mine are getting furry, too, and they get so hot working in the cart. Sometimes I drive in the evening after it cools off, and I hate to rinse them down at that time of day. I do keep their furry heads tidied up.
 
Kelly we're getting lucky if still hits the 60's during the days up here and have had a couple of nights of frost already so my boy was clearly getting chilly with his trace clip. And blankets, ironically, don't cover the one area that's clipped!
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He's been growing hair in the clipped areas like crazy but apparently it isn't overlapping enough yet to keep him warm (stubble effect, you know?). Any suggestions? He's already overheating when we drive but is cold the rest of the time. How do you handle that? He's got a warm stall but is not "stabled" per say so I can't close him in somewhere warm. I know if I clip again this winter it will be with a 7F and only just under the pectorals and lower girth area to vent the worst of the heat. It looks stupid but harness hides a multitude of sins!
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Those of you with babies and other non-working horses in warmer climates might try clipping out the pectorals with a longer blade. It'll allow a little relief while not stripping all their protection and the longer cut will grow back quickly. I'm reluctant to do full bellies with cold weather coming on as it seems to make them chilly when they lay on cold ground and is hard to blanket if the weather plunges.

Leia
 
Same here too.

I'm still clipping using a #8 blade. Perfect.
 
I'm lucky here. Royal has his full winter coat already (I think). It's already more than my other two get at the height of winter (must be that fresh Northern air, Mona
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). The weather here, at the moment, gets to be at the most 27 celsius (last week). I turn him and Lex out in the morning and them bring them in at the warmest part of the day. I have a really great barn; it stays nice and cool in the warmest weather and at least 5 or 10 degrees warmer in the coldest. It's like a duvet LOL. This coming week is going to be cooler (highs of 14 or 16 degrees). I wouldn't think of clipping at this point. But it depends on where you are, obviously.
 
My guys have stalls with runs, but they don't have doors, so is never closed up tight. So I hear ya about the "shelter, but not warm" problem. When we had that HOT week in June I body clipped Billy, then had to blanket him at night. He was clearly needing protection when the sun went down, even with his layer of insulation, stall and a nice bed of shavings.

It was over 80 here today, and has been for a long time. Supposed to get down to 75 by the end of the week. But it is still over 40 every night. So I haven't had to worry about anyone getting cold, even with their little clip. I am hoping by the time the temps finally dip that the belly hair will have grown out. I will continue to do just the chest clip. I have never had a horse get chilled from that little bit of hair clipped. But I do tend to feed a lot of hay when it is cold.

With my riding horse I walk him after work to cool, then put either my wool or polar fleece cooler on. This seems to wick the sweat of fairly quick, then I can brush to fluff the hair after it is dry. My riding horse hairs up fairly long/thick, but NOTHING like the miniatures. This is the first winter I will have the fur balls working....at least I hope to. I only have an outdoor arena, so who knows. But I bought a small polar fleece throw that will work as a cooler for the little guys. But I really don't know if it will work to dry them or not. They have SOOOO much hair. If it looks like I am going to be able to work them, and they won't cool/dry, I may have to body clip them and then blanket. What works for others who are working miniatures in the winter?

I guess I called the clip I do the wrong name. It is not a low trace clip, it is a belly/neck clip. I didn't trim outside the legs at all. But I did trim the bottom of the head like in the Chaser clip in this link....

http://www.newrider.com/Library/Horse_Care...g_how_much.html

I love this clipping page, cracks me up how the man is getting naked with the horse.
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Kellie in OR said:
This is the first winter I will have the fur balls working....at least I hope to. I only have an outdoor arena, so who knows. But I bought a small polar fleece throw that will work as a cooler for the little guys. But I really don't know if it will work to dry them or not. They have SOOOO much hair. If it looks like I am going to be able to work them, and they won't cool/dry, I may have to body clip them and then blanket. What works for others who are working miniatures in the winter?
Thanks to other local forum members I discovered the single best winter grooming tool in the world last year. Buy one of those vac n' blow machines for horses! My LORD that makes winter care easy!
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Not only does it help get that deep-down dirt out of their coats to keep their skin healthy but I use it to dry the coat after a workout. I take a wet cloth to him to kill the sticky sweat then use the blower to dry him. It works quickly and lets me put him away dry and fluffy in very little time.

Once we get into real cold weather it usually stops being a problem unless you're asking them to run a marathon. Kody can do a full hour lesson in his yak suit in January or February without breaking a sweat. It just has to stay near freezing!
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Leia
 
It's supposed to be a little cooler the next couple weeks, but still in the 70's during the day, so I guess I'll just trim the babies' hot spots up a bit with my 8's as suggested. Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
My kids started getting their winter coats about a month ago too. We are still in the 80's durring the day but it gets down in the high 40's to low 50's at night. By the weekend it will be low 70's durring the days. I am not even thinking of clipping.
 
Thanks to other local forum members I discovered the single best winter grooming tool in the world last year. Buy one of those vac n' blow machines for horses! My LORD that makes winter care easy!
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Not only does it help get that deep-down dirt out of their coats to keep their skin healthy but I use it to dry the coat after a workout. I take a wet cloth to him to kill the sticky sweat then use the blower to dry him. It works quickly and lets me put him away dry and fluffy in very little time.
Leia
BRILLIANT!!! Thanks for passing on this information. Funny thing is I just bought the Equine Vac from County Supply. Seriously, like last month. I hadn't even thought of using it to blow the horses dry. It does work good vacuuming off dirt, and Billy loves it. Hondo and Radar...not so much. It will take some work to get them used to it. Can't wait to try it out to dry them!

http://www.horse.com/Horse-Grooming/Clippe...-Vac-BJD81.html
 
Glad to read this. Here in Houston it is getting hot during the days and cool during the nights. Now this may not last long....but it is how it is now. I am worried that my babies are getting too hot and may get a fungus.

Thanks for all of your input on this. I see WildOak is reading hope she answers.
 

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