I’ve read that the newly shaved hair will be overly sensitive to the saddle pad and weight of the rider. Urban legend or truth?
I don’t clip my horse anymore, but I never gave him time off when I did in the past (and my TB is SUPER sensitive). Probably not a bad idea to give them that day off (or ride before you clip) to let them get used to their “new skin,” but I’ve ridden the day after clipping with no disastrous consequences.
We don’t clip under the saddle area.
Another here who leaves the saddle and girth area.
You will find they start losing the hair from there straight away and it is more comfortable for them to wear a saddle.
I just clipped my mare today (second clip of the season), and rode her about an hour later. I usually don’t leave a patch for the saddle, but I did this time since she is such a delicate flower. I have never experienced negative behavior under saddle because of clipping.
I have clipped in the morning and showed that afternoon.
We often clip and ride the same day at home.
Never once had a bad reaction.
We do leave the saddle patch.
My TB has ticklish elbow-pits, so I will use a fleecy girth for a couple of days after clipping.
I did ride one that was very sensitive after clipping, but the others we all fine after their clip
Thank you for the replies!
I would love to see of photos of how some of you have left the saddle area long. My two will be wintering in FL so I was originally thinking a full body clip but now you have my brain thinking differently. Hmmmmm.
No photos sorry. With the saddle on you can’t see any difference from a clipped horse. Put on your numnah or saddle cloth and use that as a guide. You want the hair left slightly smaller, so as it can’t be seen when saddled.
I have ridden right after a clip but like others, I leave hair under the saddle but not all of it. Never had a problem with him being sensitive to it.
This is how much I usually leave under the saddle (from last year): https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/v/t1.0-9/578121_10202568639804078_88014001_n.jpg?oh=57a8b2a7bd68b18dad3412afe15cbbf5&oe=54F8F7AB
This is the amount I leave.
Thank you, the photos were extremely helpful.
Yes, I used to just leave a square of long hair a little smaller than a saddle pad - kind of like the size of one of those no-slip neoprene pads. No time off just because I clipped…I would usually have a squirrely monkey of a horse right after clipping, so we had to go on the longe line for a bit before that first “naked” ride…:lol:
Count me as another that clips and then rides on the same day.
Used to clip MANY horses each season as a side job - some went on to show the same day they were clipped. I have never heard about giving time off for clipping!
I usually leave a half pad unclipped on my horse. Some like more, and I have also done full “show” clips with no back hair left without issue.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7897733]
Count me as another that clips and then rides on the same day.
Used to clip MANY horses each season as a side job - some went on to show the same day they were clipped. I have never heard about giving time off for clipping!
I usually leave a half pad unclipped on my horse. Some like more, and I have also done full “show” clips with no back hair left without issue.[/QUOTE]
Me too. My mare has a full body clip with no saddle trace and never had an issue with riding right after being clipped.
She actually feels better when fully clipped, she doesn’t like to overheat.
If it’s during winter time, I will obviously put heavier blankets and probably leave my quarter sheet on her for my entire ride so she doesn’t get cold until the hair grows back a little.
I do somewhere between the Trace clip and the Irish clip on this page http://www.horse-clipping.co.uk/types-of-horse-clip.php Not quite as high on the neck as the Irish clip and I don’t include the hind legs like the Trace clip does.
No back pad left, ride the same day. The only mods I make for winter, I don’t clip the deepest darkest belly hair because a) we don’t show in the winter b) I only like to risk getting my head kicked in or bitten off once a year, and I leave legs because current horse does not have hirsute legs. Belly and legs are done during spring clip. Oh, and face too. I leave face hair for winter except for any really hairy under jaw/jowl area stuff that might promote sweating.
I don’t leave the little saddle pad area because I find myself farting around getting it dry which sort of defeats the purpose of clipping. That said, lots of people don’t have that problem.
I don’t leave a saddle area when clipping and my sensitive gray hasn’t had trouble before.
I don’t clip the saddle or girth area.
