- WB/TB lives in WET Pacific Northwest
- Stall open to paddock, never locked up but does not leave stall when it rains (princess)
- Dressage/trail horse ridden w/t/c 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes
- Grows a thick winter coat for a TB cross
- Gets moderately sweaty during workouts
- Very reactive and spooky to ride when she has a full body clip!
- Hard keeper
- Gets crusty patches under winter coat despite meticulous grooming
I really like a chaser clip–draw a line ears to stifle and clip below that, leaving the legs.
Keeps hair on the back and butt muscles, gets it off the underside that gets wet and warm. You can keyhole up the flank as needed.
It’s a pretty smart looking clip that’s pretty easy to do.
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Just googled the chaser clip and like it, the keyhole bit looks weird to me for some reason though LOL
What keyhole bit? It’s literally a diagonal line drawn from just behind the ears to the stifle on each side. Clip everything below that line, excluding the front legs.
Google “Irish” or “Chaser” clip, exactly like Simkie said – draw a line from the flank to the ears and clip below that. I also modify it and clip from the bottom of the flank to the withers, so that the whole neck and shoulder are clipped. Depending on how much they sweat, it can be helpful. I don’t have to keyhole anything in either version.
Because sometimes a straight up chaser/Irish (thanks for that verbiage, firefoot) clip isn’t quite enough?
You go ears to stifle but carve out a bit at the flank, upwards in front of the stifle. Functional clip, but does look a little weird, I guess, if you’ve not seen it before.
I don’t do traditional clips on my horses. Last year i clipped the area where the saddle and girth sits, and clipped the underside of the neck and shoulders. I left hair on the upper neck and just made a straight line going up the shoulder. But I’m in a warm climate.
This year i full clipped one and partial clipped the second. For the partial clip, i clipped the neck, shoulder, and saddle area ending my clip behind where the saddle sits. I left hair on the belly, legs, and rump.
I also like a reverse trace clip- just leaves hair on the belly and legs.
You can do any clip you want - just make sure you make straight lines and make it look neat. For a warm climate, my horses are happier with less hair. I will probably body clip my cushings mare because she gets rain rot with the humidity.
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Irish clip
I usually start with an Irish clip, and if I don’t feel like it’s enough, I just go for a high trace clip/just leave hair on the legs, top of neck, back, and top of rump.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹So you can begin with the Irish clip and alter from there if need be.
You can do a chaser that’s a straight line from wither to stifle too, if you want more taken off. Or do a blanket clip.
I like Irish or blanket clips. Irish is easier to do so I went with that this year but blanket is better if the horse gets really sweaty on the flank
I end up doing an irish/ blanket combo - the front is shaped like a saddle pad and I clip his belly, but then let the hair be down to his stifle, like an irish clip. I just end up leaving his face since it’s quicker to clip around his jawline than try to wrangle him while blending on his face!
My chilly bean is a pill to ride if he got cold the night before. The spooky and reactive when full body clipped makes me. think your horse might be the same.
If you think that might be the case then leave the belly hair unclipped below a straight line between elbow and stifle on whichever clip you choose. I do a modified trace clip which is a trace clip that has the belly unclipped. This makes a huge difference to the horse’s ability to stay warm. Huge. I make the stripe down the sides wider (higher) or narrower depending on need, and for chilly bean I stop the stripe at the stifle keyhole and don’t wrap it round his bum.
Since your winter is wetter than snowy, if you find the belly hair gets too mucky with kicked up mud during trail rides try using a length comb to clip the belly shorter but not close clipped. I live in snow for months and kicked up muck isn’t a problem. But wait until you decide it’s a problem - you can’t put it back!
If you don’t already, try a neck rug to help keep your horse warmer. Mine is much happier with his. I’m getting better at dressing him correctly!
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I did a bib clip on my horse this year as I am not sure how much I need to clip off. I’m also in the PNW and my rain sheet already needs a good washing. In the past I have done trace, blankets and zebra (straight lines are for nerds) with success. I’m a big fan of the zebra clip.
I can just picture a huge chestnut zebra in a herd of little black and whites LOL! No seriously, do you have a photo?
Do you want to share pics of the zebra stripes?? :lol:
I think my orange beast would look better with giraffe spots 
Racing stripe (aka modified bib clip)
You would be shocked at how much taking just the throat off can help cool a horse. From under the jaw, about a hand width down to the sternum. Plenty to cool them off and yet enough on that they can self regulate to a degree and stay warm.
I am known for zebra stripes at my barn.
The horse I leased clipped and than painted to be Tigger:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hae2Z9gkzC3s3b4R7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xa1AKNQwiLEhgjjT6
Than my last horse that I owned who tolerated my clipping antics:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TDcuvZAc5AXUeZRT9
If my current horse continues to sweat the way he did yesterday he will also be joining the zebra club here soon.
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So what is a racing stripe or modified bib clip? The link only showed the “usual” clips including a regular bib. I’m trying to decide what to do for my Welsh Cob - also in wet PNW and for now he’s at home so lots of wind here and I prefer not to take too much off him yet.
