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Full or Trace Clip?? What to do..

Hunting
#1

I thought this would be an appropriate question for the hunting forum seeing as most people on this forum ride outside of the ring year round as do I.
I am trying to determine if I should trace or full clip my gelding. I would prefer a full clip but I am concerned he will be too cold riding out in the fields and trails on brisk winter days. Would I just need to always ride with a 1/4 sheet or would he be okay with a full clip? ( I won’t be riding out in weather under 20 degrees ) I do have access to an indoor so I will be riding indoors on the really cold or wet days.

He also lives outside with a run-in 24/7 but I have an arsenal of very good blankets/neck covers so I think I could keep him toasty warm even with a full clip but maybe I’m wrong.

What do most of you do in the winter? Full or trace clip? What are the disadvantages of a trace clip versus a full?

TIA

#2

I always do a hunter clip on our horses, which is a “body” clip, leaving hair on the legs, under the saddle, and the front of the face/ears. If it is really cold/windy when schooling at home, I’ll use a quarter sheet, but otherwise they are just fine. You can get an idea of it here: http://www.newrider.com/Library/Horse_Care/clipping_how_much.html

#3

Popping over here from the racing forum, HI! waving

I have and train racehorses, who race (outside, obviously) through the winter even when it gets pretty darn cold out. The horses handle the cold much better than the jockeys do, so we usually race until the jockeys decide its too cold (usually about 10-15 degrees and below). I clip all but the legs and head on my racehorses. They do not race with quarter sheets and I seldom train with one - only the cold backed ones get a quarter sheet. They go out to train or race “nekkid” but do get 2 or 3 layers of coolers on the coldest days when they come back from exercising and cool out. The number of layers usually depends on the temperature - on the coldest days they get an irish anti sweat sheet and/or warm, thick cooler covered by a square cooler. Again, the cold backed ones always get an extra layer of warmth.

#4

Just curious, why do you want to clip?
I must clip the field hunters because it helps them to last when galloping for hours and they would get chilled after the galloping as the wet coat would get cold on the hack back and ride home. Otherwise, I would not clip.
Horses are ice age animals and very comfortable in cold weather.
Trying to match the blanket with the weather is often a crap shoot and many days I worry from work if they are too warm in the blankets.

#5

I have always full clipped my hunters, when hunting regularly- leaving hair on legs and face. Never had one get chilled by riding even on days when the high was 16 degrees F.

I have trace clipped when hunting occasionally but riding regularly in winter. With trace clip, they haven’t needed a blanket even on coldest days.

I do note at Red Rock they use quarter sheets for hunting on cold, windy, snowy days (as in blizzards, they just put on ski goggles and go).

PS- I’ve never seen a need to use the neck covers, don’t know why people think they are necessary. In VA, mine were clipped, blanketed, and out 24/7 w/access to barn if desired- no neck covers even in subzero conditions, and no cold necks. In general I perceive horses these days, like infants, are way overclothed!

#6

Just curious, why do you want to clip?

Because my horse will be in very regular work this winter and now that his coat is growing in I’ve noticed he is sweating and it’s taking some time to dry him off. I worry about him sweating when out on a long trail ride or hunt and catching a chill on the way back. It seems some sort of clip would be helpful. If I’m going to be riding him in the indoor he’ll probably be sweating alot in there too.

Beverley- I use the neck covers mainly for very icy, wintry mix type weather (which we frequently get here in CT) or subzero wind chills. I find them to be helpful in keeping his neck and chest dry since without one the wet stuff tends to drip down the front of his blanket. He stays much drier with a neck cover.

Thank you everyone for the help thus far. I am thinking a trace clip will probably be most appropriate for him.

#7

This describes what we’ll be doing. I probably will only get out hunting once in awhile this winter but we’ll definitely be working w,t,c 5-6 days a week . Is the sweating/wet horse issue eliminated entirely by trace clipping? I guess that’s what I really need to know…

#8

I always trace clip.

I start with the theory that you can always take off more if you need it, but you can’t put it back.

My horse lives outside 24/7 and stands outside in the most appalling weather. Even though he’s blanketed, I feel better if I leave him some fur.

#9

In my experience- with trace clip, on a hard hunting day, you do get considerable sweating- but it dries, I would say, in a third the time compared to a woolly beast.

#10

I am a big fan of trace clips. They have served me very well over the years. That is my vote! :):slight_smile:

#11

Even within trace clips there are degrees of trace clips. My gelding does get chilled so his trace clip is a clipped face, full chest & only the front half of his neck, belly and a low line on his sides. My mare is a Yak so her trace clip is face, complete neck, belly and a wider line on her sides.

If I had a horse completely clipped I just don’t think I could leave him out 24/7.

#12

How about both? I usually have to clip twice. The first time in October when the weather is milder I do a full clip and then in, say, late December, when they need clipping again and the weather is tougher and, frankly, I am not hunting as much as I would like, my hunt horse will get a trace clip. Best of both worlds!!

#13

In that case the trace clip will probably work well for my purposes. I likely won’t get out hunting until December and by that point we won’t be hunting hard. We do trail ride extensively all winter but not as hard as a rigourous hunt by any means. Even if the drying time is reduced significantly that would be great.

Trace clip it is! Thanks everyone.:slight_smile:

#14

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#15

[QUOTE=kt-rose;4477495]
How about both? I usually have to clip twice. The first time in October when the weather is milder I do a full clip and then in, say, late December, when they need clipping again and the weather is tougher and, frankly, I am not hunting as much as I would like, my hunt horse will get a trace clip. Best of both worlds!![/QUOTE]

Agree completely. Up in the great white north, we often have to clip multiple times throughout the year, and for the real moose-boys in the barn, a full, then trace, then full again in the spring. My boys will be heading south mid feb for a month, they are all full clipped (but I leave their faces on) so I will use a trace to work at home mid winter, then full clip a few days before shipping south.

#16

I think you should blanket even if you only do a trace clip.

Full clipping is certainly easier, but I don’t always do it. Currently all of our hunters are trace clipped. But if they are going less than 1x a week, trace clip will do. Then I feel less bad when it gets cold.

But if you aren’t doing strenuous work where the horse get’s lathered up, a trace will do the trick.

#17

I do a trace clip. My horses are out 24/7 with blankets on. I trim up high on the neck as that part seems to get the most sweaty. Then I leave the legs and face. I do the belly up to about the bottom of the saddle.

I have had some shiver when out hunting. Doesn’t seem to matter what type of clip they have. Sometimes its just nerves as much as anything.

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