If I trace clip now, will my gelding’s spring/summer coat grow in uneven? He’s fairly wooly, it’s getting warmer, and dealing with the post-ride sweatiness is pretty time-consuming.
I’d rather not do a full body clip.
His summer coat has already started growing, so yes, you could affect it.
However, I’ve seen people clip horses well into February or March and the summer coat grows in just fine. Because it’s shorter, finer hair, it tends to slick out fairly easily. The exception tends to be horses with metabolic issues that affect haircoat growth.
Doing a minimal trace clip probably won’t show very much when his summer coat sets.
Don’t forget that the summer coat started in late December. The winter coat starts mid June.
Sometimes on wonders what Mother Nature is thinking.
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I absolutely did not know this. Horses…you never stop learning!
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Well, my horses who get [minor] rubs from blankets/tack/etc. have not started growing ANYTHING yet. I usually don’t see the reappearance of hair until later this month. I often clip mid-Feb before heading south and haven’t ever had it change anything about the summer coat.
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I think it depends on your horse too – I trace clipped my guy last year in January, and in April I could still see the line in April. By June I couldn’t tell. It didn’t seem to affect his summer coat though.
If your horse hasn’t started shedding then clipping won’t affect the summer coat.
Where I live I have clipped in late March without affecting the summer coat.
When I clip at the end of May the difference between clipped/unclipped is visible at the end of August - barely, if the light is at the right angle.
My horses get a trace clip about once a month from March thru October for competing. I’ve never noticed it to be a problem
Coat changes are based on light, not temperature.
I never clip this late, though.
Wondering why he needs a clip now and didn’t earlier.
It will be fine to trace clip now.
Because I just bought him recently.
