Blanketing and Clipping Conundrum

[WPeg]

Trying to figure out the plan for this winter for a healthy 7 year old TB in good flesh, who gets worked year around 5/6 days a week, and lives in a moderate but wildly unpredictable climate. Horse grows a nice coat in the winter (esp for a TB) but he’s a sweater extraordinaire - which makes it hell cooling him out/drying him off on dark winter nights. He’s boarded at a large barn (50 horses). Turned out in the day, inside at night. Temps are all over the place in the winter - days range between 50-70 and can drop to 20s/30s at night. The staff does last feeding/blanket check at about 6pm and then are gone for the night. The barn rule is to blanket if temps are expected to drop below 40 that night.

I tried blanketing my guy last winter and gave up in frustration. I was borrowing a blanket - it gave him a shoulder rub, and it was my only blanket, and no amount of airing, brushing and sponging could keep it clean and fresh enough for my satisfaction. Plus it was a mid-weight, and I felt it was too much blanket on an unclipped horse in such variable temps. I really really do not want to overcook my horse.

So winter is coming - I need to plan. I’ve never clipped before, but I was thinking of doing a low trace clip to unburden him of excess hair to help him feel better on the warm days. For his blanket, I was thinking of getting two Schneider VTeck TeknoFleece turnouts ( http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-and-sheets_waterproof-turnout-blankets_vtek-v-free/stormshield-vtek-tekno-fleece-turnout/ ) and a light sheet (two so I can keep up with cleaning them). Any thoughts? Anyone used the TeknoFleece blankets? I’m interested because they are advertised as being breathable and good for moderate winters/fluctuating temps - but they don’t seem to have a temperature rating so I’m not sure what they compare to.

Any suggestions? I would esp love to hear from those dealing with unpredictable and wildly swinging winter temps.

[SugarRush]

I live in New England and clip and blanket during the winter. Sounds like a trace or blanket clip would be good for your horse (my favorite clip is a blanket clip). I blanket with a clipped horse in temps as follows:
60-50: sheet with no fill
49-35: medium, hood is optional depending on wind chill (hoods are nice with a clipped neck)
34-25: heavy, typically with hood
Below 25: heavy, layered with a fleece or back on track underneath, hood on

For shoulder rubs, buy blankets that have enough shoulder room and if you still get rubs just buy a shoulder guard.

Of course, everyone does their blankets differently, once you find a system that works stick with it!

[Highflyer]

In that range and with a moderate trace clip you’re not going to need anything very heavy. I don’t know about that blanket specifically, but I’d probably get a turnout sheet and a lightweight blanket-- something with minimal insulation like this one in the 80g: http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-and-sheets_waterproof-turnout-blankets_vtek-v-free/stormshield-vtek-marathon-original-turnouts/ I don’t know if the one you’ve selected would be equivalent or not.

If it is 50-70 during the day, he won’t really ever need a blanket, only a sheet and only then if it’s wet. You could get a lightweight stable blanket to use in the stall at night if you would prefer-- something less bulky that can be washed more easily but that isn’t waterproof.

[GraceLikeRain]

I’d do a trace clip and take off more hair during the winter if needed (but leave the point of shoulder even if it looks silly). Bossy bibs are the bomb. You will feel absurd for paying $50 for this flimsy little shoulder guard but they are incredible. The cheaper lycra ones don’t always prevent rubs and can cause wither pressure. The bossy bib doesn’t have that issue and is so easy to clean.

Those temperature ranges sound similar to GA. Personally, I’d do a sheet (no fill) in the 45-55 range. Below about 40 I do a 250 g fill. Below 20 I double blanket. For people up north it may seem excessive but horses (and people) adapt to their general temperature range. Plus with a TB I want to conserve those calories and not be trying to pack on weight in January.

[WPeg]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8306465]
I’d do a trace clip and take off more hair during the winter if needed (but leave the point of shoulder even if it looks silly). Bossy bibs are the bomb.[/QUOTE]

When you say leave the point of shoulder - do you mean don’t round off the shoulder area line/leave a sharp angle? Or do you mean don’t clip over the point of shoulder at all? I was planning on a clip like the first horse (going left to right) in his image: http://customizedequineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Clipping-Styles.jpg , except leaving his entire head and face hairy.

[silverdog]

I had a TB that grew a ridiculous coat for Texas so did a high trace and he worse a turnout sheet unless it was super cold and then he had a fleece underneath that. He was out most days and nights unless it was raining. He was fine. With such little hair taken off you should not need much more than if your horse is unclipped. My young horse grows no coat at all so he wears a Rambo with 100gm below 40 or 50 if super windy. I put a 100gm liner on if its colder than 30 and a neck cover (no fill) if its really windy or raining. He lived out 24/7 last year and the neck cover made me feel better and got him out of the shed. Of course he figured out how to get the Velcro fastners undone and would just flip the neck over his back if he felt too warm! He’s back to work now so he will need fewer clothes because if it’s really nasty, he can sleep in his stall.
Advice - avoid anything lined in fleece. Get a lightweight filled liner that’s made out of nylon. Slicks the coat and doesn’t rub/pull.

[Xanthoria]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8306465]
Bossy bibs are the bomb. You will feel absurd for paying $50 for this flimsy little shoulder guard but they are incredible. The cheaper lycra ones don’t always prevent rubs and can cause wither pressure. The bossy bib doesn’t have that issue and is so easy to clean.[/QUOTE]

This x 100!

[Simbalism]

My friend and I tried an Irish clip on our horses last year. They both live out 24/7 and get ridden the majority of the winter. My friend’s horse is a Friesian cross and mine is a TB. The clip was easy to do( taking into consideration that you haven’t clipped before) and it was easy to maintain. The Irish clip includes the head, underside of neck, down between front legs past girth area, and across the shoulder in a diagonal line to past the girth area. This keeps the horse cool where it gets the warmest, but allows the horse to stay warm enough with the temp fluctuations you mentioned. I’m thinking if you got a couple of turnout sheets for day time and a medium weight for night time drops in temp, you would probably be good. I really don’t care for anything fleece in a blanket for long term wear, plus it gets major static.

[jawa]

http://www.peasridge.co.uk/clipperadvice/clippingadvice_horses.php

I would start with removing the least hair possible and then you won’t have to blanket at all, especially if he is in at night, so not exposed to wind, rain and cold temps.

I know several horses in the central VA area that have some for of clip between the neck and belly only to the irish clip that have no or limited blanketing through the winter. The caveat to that statement is that the one with the most hair cut off is only clipped in Sept and Oct in a full Irish clip. The hair grows in a lot over Nov and Dec and this is when the colder weather is here.

In the past I have done a full body clip in mid Sept (the pony that wants to be a yak), again Mid Oct, a blanket clip mid Nov, and an Irish clip in Jan. This was a pony that was fox hunted 2 times a week from Sept through March. This kept him cool in the warmer fall months and then a tad warmer during the colder months. Although doing these clips I had 2 rain sheets, 2 mid weight blankets, one heavy weight blanket and several fleece sheets and cotton coolers. On top of the fact that he wanted to be a yak, he was a grey pony that wanted to be another color as well…being clipped and blanketed meant he didn’t need to be bathed every morning before a hunt.

You can go about clipping 2 ways: Start with clipping a little, you can always clip more later. Or clip a lot early, and let it grow back in by the time it is colder.