Body Clipping Necessary for Small A Show?

[huntereq314]

I will be attending the Country Heir show on February 1st and 2nd. I last clipped my horse in October and he is now pretty fuzzy. It has been extremely cold lately and will continue to be cold so I was wondering if I need to body clip for this show. It is an A show and I will riding in the 3’ Derby so I’m leaning towards “yes” but since it has been so cold lately, it seems a little mean to body clip now. I’m guessing the show will be fairly small since it has been so cold.

I have appropriate blankets for whichever decision I make. I am going alone and do not have a trainer so I would appreciate your opinion. Do you think I should body clip?

[Flash44]

Depends on how his coat looks. If his coat looks great and he’s shiny and tidy looking, just trim his points and legs. If he looks untidy or you think he might get sweaty at the show, clip. Also, if you are going to be doing any other A shows in the next 60 -90 days, you may as well clip so he is in good shape for them too.

[KateKat]

I am voting for yes. Your horse will get sweaty at the show and its just going to look a lot cleaner (and be easier for you to groom) to have him body clipped.

[findeight]

That’s next weekend and it’s looking like more sub zero nights and highs in the single digits next week… Roberts is heated but not warm, quite a few stalls are in the same building but quite a few are not and detached on concrete requiring 50 to 100 yards outside to get to the show building. I honestly think I’d skip clipping. Nobody will think less of you. Nobody does trace clips around here, no idea why, they just don’t.

And, yes, between weather and everybody in Florida? This one is usually pretty small compared to the others. I just don’t think it would benefit the horse to do it one week out with historic low temps expected for most of the next 10 days. Wilmington runs about 5-7 degrees below Cincy too, it’s a cold spot.

BTW, looking for -10f Monday and Tuesday with a high of 6. Most barns wont even be riding let alone body clipping. And I sure wouldn’t do it the day before when it warms a bit into the 20s or you risk being put into low earth orbit.

[ParadoxFarm]

At this time, I would skip the clip as well.

[huntereq314]

Thank you for the responses so far. I have not been to this show yet but I have heard that most people braid and I was planning on braiding myself. I have two more questions:

1. If I do decide not to clip, do you think it’s okay to have an unclipped braided horse? I wouldn’t say my horse is REALLY fuzzy but he is fuzzy enough to make his coat look a little dull. He has not been getting sweaty since it has been so cold.

2. Since I will be riding in the 3’ derby, do I need to braid his tail or will his mane be enough since it will be a small show?

Thank you again for the help!

[findeight]

Mane is enough and no it won’t look stupid to braid and not clip. Have an idea you won’t be the only one as most clipped last fall and they are grown furry again with few wanting to freeze to the barn floor trying to reclip.

And the local big guns left for Ocala and WEF last week and this past Monday. You will be fine.

[Highflyer]

I wouldn’t body clip either, but if he has really long hair on his jaw/ neck/ legs you might try shortening just them with the clippers-- kind of run them down an inch or so off the horse, going with the hair, and buzz the sticking out bits without actually clipping the coat. It helps tidy things.

[ElementFarm]

I did the Feb/March Country Heirs last year (Derby and AOs). My mare had been clipped early in the season, but had grown out quite a bit. I didn’t re-clip her, just tidied the face/jaw and legs. Everyone braids manes, but we didn’t bother doing her tail. She looked fine. So, in your case, I think not completely body clipping again will be fine. (the barns aren’t that warm, and it’s a cold walk to the rings)

OTOH, my gelding will be doing the Feb Equivents show coming up, and he was orginally just blanket clipped (legs left long) and he’s a hairy yak now. I don’t know yet if we’ll body clip him or not. He looks ugly but with these temps, it’s hard to A: justify, and B: actually clip (hands frozen, cranky horse).

Good luck at the show!

[Angelico]

If you have been grooming him regularly and keeping him blanketed I don’t see any need for clipping. A healthy winter coat that has been taken care of looks very nice.

[luckeys71]

I just did a C show in Raleigh last weekend. I opted to clip my horse, although I thought about skipping it, as I thought she “didn’t look that bad”. When I started clipping, I realized she did have quite a bit of hair. She looks great, now, but at the show, she schooled fabulous in the indoor arena, that, actually, got a bit humid on the floor with the radiant heaters running, but we had to “warm up” outside before showing and it was quite cold (not enough for frozen footing) and it made her pretty frisky and she is a really lazy horse. She had not been ridden naked, except 2 warmer days, since being clipped. I just might make a different decision after that experience. There were fully clipped horses, different trace style clips, and some pretty hairy beasts there, as well.

[PaintedHunter]

[QUOTE=Highflyer;7390148]
I wouldn’t body clip either, but if he has really long hair on his jaw/ neck/ legs you might try shortening just them with the clippers-- kind of run them down an inch or so off the horse, going with the hair, and buzz the sticking out bits without actually clipping the coat. It helps tidy things.[/QUOTE]

Exactly what I just did on my woolly mammoth.

[BeeHoney]

Normally I would have said yes, definitely clip. But this winter I have changed my clipping habits, the cold and the wind have been extreme. Blankets are never as warm and protective as a horse’s natural coat. Your horse’s health and comfort come first. Carefully trim the fuzz, groom to the nines, and show.

[TheJenners]

As cold as F8 just said? No way. Just bring a fleece in case he gets sweaty.