I want to know how many people clip their horses in spring when they’re shedding out, instead of simply helping them along with shedding blades and elbow grease until their natural summer coat comes in.
Seems to me spring clipping would interfere with a horse’s natural summer coat growth, but for the first time i’m boarding with a BO who swears by it.
Who all does this?
I haven’t seen it interfere. Lots of horses at my barn who were showing before they were done shedding out got clipped, and look great.
Body clipping does not affect the new coat at all unless you are clipping with #40 blades. I hate the shedding out process, so my horses are always clipped. I have even clipped a few in the summer. It has never affected the quality of their coats.
I clip most horses in the spring instead of dealing with shedding. Shedding is a mess. Coats grow in fine no matter when you clip. Never had a problem.
Mine was clipped and she’s about as shiny as a brand new copper penny!
I clipped my guy about 3 weeks ago and he has a beautiful deep red summer coat now! He’s a blood bay so I was initially worried that clipping would take away the pretty shiny reddish color he gets in the summer but it did not :). He looks better than ever actually. Wish I had pictures!
Our cold weather lasted a little later this year, so I didn’t body clip till about mid April. I hate dealing with shedding for weeks on end looking like a fur ball and hair in your mouth, eyes, etc. I have clipped in the spring for about 4 years now and it has not interferred with the hair coat. Both of my chestnut mares are shiny as a penny and their summer coat has grown in already.
Some horses, especially some of the European breeds and ponies, retain their winter coats longer than we’d like regardless of how much you groom them or attempt to accelerate the process with a shedding blade. If they are just a pasture pet or in very limited work it’s fine to let the process take it’s time (although it’s messy and that extra fur can trap dirt, sweat, mud, etc). But if they are in daily work and/or showing, especially in a warm climate, then even a little too much extra coat can cause BIG problems…primarily overheating during work or difficult/delayed cooling-off time after they work. Even after a bath, they are slow to dry and slow to cool.
Body-clipping, when done properly, has no harmful effect on the eventual summer coat. But it sure does make those furry horses more comfortable! Especially when it’s done by an experienced body-clipper who knows how to prep the coat, gets the job done fast and uses sharp blades.
I have One I clip in the Spring ~ find it helps her ~
I have ONE I clip in the spring ~ seems to help her ~ others are on their own schedule ~
Yeah, if I hadn’t clipped my Percheron cross, he would still have a massive amount of fluff.
I had always heard that clipping in the spring clips off the ends of the shiny summer coat and makes them look duller. I have never seen this actually happen in practice, though, so I think it’s an old wives tale?
I had my guy in a trace clip all winter, didn’t bother doing a full clip in the spring, and resigned myself to the “elbow grease” routine for shedding. Screw that. Full clip beginning spring next year and skipping the two months of eating hair.
I just clipped 3; two that came down from New England and had WAY too much coat to handle Florida spring and one who was just diagnosed with cushings (poor guy!). They all look fabulous (and not because of my clipping prowess!); shiny, sleek, and healthy. I often spring clip and I’ve never had a problem with summer coats! In some cases, I think it can improve the quality of the summer coat, particularly for those horses who live out more than they do in. One of my WBs gets a really ratty looking coat from all of the sun and sand, but when I clip him it gets rid of those bleached out hairs and makes him look much healthier. But, as always, YMMV!
I clip year 'round.
But thanks for the phrasing and language that makes us all sound lazy :yes:
I clip mine when they need it, regardless of the season. Never had it ruin a coat yet.
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