It’s that time of year again, Clipping time. The days are getting shorter but the horse’s coats are getting longer, which makes exercise difficult as they become hot and sweaty and hard to dry off after a workout. That’s why in the winter we equestrians clip our horses, but which type of clip is best for your horse this winter. The simple answer is, that it depends on the work you are doing with your horse and whether he is living in or out during those long winter months.
A Good Rule of Thumb.
A good rule of thumb is the more work you plan to do with your horse, the more hair you will need to remove. However if you are keeping your horse out during the winter months, this will definitely have an effect on your choice of clip. When your horse is clipped and kept out you need to ensure that he is comfortable and cozy, with the correct rug to suit the clip he has been given.
Normally a horse in heavy work, will have either a full clip or a hunter clip. These 2 clips are perfect for the horse that is stabled, in full work, with an hour or two of turn out per day. If your horse has a medium work load, then a blanket clip is perfect. Once your horse is well rugged with a blanket clip they will probably be comfortable enough to be out by day and stabled by night.
If you have you horse living out, then a trace clip, or an Irish clip will probably work, once your horse is well rugged, and the field has adequate shelter from the driving wind and rain. The Trace Clip and Irish Clip will usually work well for animals in light to medium work. When clipping a horse that lives out a good rug with a neck is always the best option.
The Clipping Season usually begins at the end of September, with your horse being clipped approximately every 4 weeks until the last clip of the season which is usually around the end of January.
The Full Clip.
If you are hunting or competing heavily over the winter then a full clip is the best option for a stable kept horse. The full clip will remove all the hair from your horse’s body, head and legs. Over the years with the stabled competition horse there has been an increase in the popularity of the Full Clip as it is much easier to keep the horse clean while giving you the ability to dry the horses legs more easily and avoid problems such as mud rash. With this clip, even if the horse sweats it will dry quickly which is vitally important in the winter to avoid colds or chills.
A full clip allows you to have your horse in full work without the worry of heavy sweating, which can ultimately lead to weight loss. The important thing to remember with this clip is on those very cold days, to use a quarter sheet to avoid the horse’s muscles tying up. In fact I believe it is good practice with a Full Clip to use a quarter sheet for the first 15 to 20 minutes of work, while also having a rain exercise sheet for those unavoidable wet winter days.
The Correct Rug for a Full Clip; The horse’s rug must replace the hair that has been removed and keep him warm and comfortable over the winter. With this clip you will require a heavy weight rug, one for the field, a turnout rug and one for the stable, a stable rug. Check out our Winter Rug Guide Here>>
Tip* With a Full Clip I personally prefer to layer the rugs and I will often opt for 2 middle weight rugs for the stable and 2 middleweight turnout rugs for the field. I always have a least the top rug of both Turnout and Stable with a Full Neck, to keep the horse warm. I find that my horses stay warmer with this layering of rugs, rather than one big rug; it is my personal choice, but see what works best for you and your horse.
The Hunter Clip
The Hunter Clip is a variation on the full clip, but it is geared more toward the hunting horse. With this clip, there is a patch of hair left on the saddle area and also all the hair is left on the legs. The leg hair is left on to help offer the hunter a little extra protection as the hunter will be galloping and jumping cross country. The Hunter Clip allows the Hunting horse to work comfortably without heavy sweating, and it allows them to dry quickly and makes them easier to keep clean, as many may have to be washed after a hunt. The Rugs used with a Hunter Clip are the same as those used with the full clip above.
The Blanket Clip.
The Blanket Clip, is a super clip for horses or ponies in medium work over the winter. For the blanket clip, the hair is removed from half the horse’s head, all of the neck and the belly, so it appears as if your horse is left with a blanket of hair over his back and quarters, the legs are also left on. This clip will allow you to work your horse in medium work, without the worry of heavy sweating or without the need of a quarter sheet for those cold mornings.
The Blanket Clip is a great clip for pony club or riding club, the animals have enough hair removed to be comfortable in work, but not too much to become cold and over fresh. I personally find it a super clip for the young horse that has just started to compete.
Rugs for the blanket clip; a good middleweight rug with a neck for the field and one good middleweight rug for the stable.
Tip* Remember the warmer you can keep your horse, the less you will have to clip him throughout the season as his hair will not grow back too fast.
The Irish Clip.
The Irish Clip, removes the hair from half the horse’s head, half the neck, and all of the belly. The hair on the legs and hind quarter are left on. This is a great clip for a horse in light to medium work, a happy hacker or a young horse just broken. It allows the horse to work without sweating while still having enough hair over the neck and quarters for the horse to be happy in slow work. The best rug with this clip is a good middleweight rug with a neck.
The Trace Clip.
The trace clip is used for horses in light to medium work over the winter. It is a perfect clip for your child’s pony, a riding club horse in light work, a happy hacker, or a riding school pony. With this clip, the hair is removed from half the neck and the body, while the hair on the head and the legs is left on. This clip can be used on a horse or pony that is living out for the winter, providing they are being well rugged, i.e. a good middleweight turnout rug.
Check out our Winter Rug Guide Here>>
There are many variations on the above clips, the important thing to remember the purpose of the clip is to remove the horse’s hair so that he is more comfortable while in work over the winter months. It is not a fashion statement, even though your horse will look very smart with his new clip;-) Remember to choose your clip relevant to the work that you will be doing, and the facilities and rugs that you have available for your horse. A full clip may look amazing, but if your horse is not in heavy work he may become very cold and fresh making him difficult for you to ride.
It is always easier to clip more hair off, so if you are still unsure which clip, perhaps start with a Irish Clip or a Blanket clip and if you find your horse is sweating too much during exercise, you can give him a full clip the next time round.
Enjoy the season and Happy Clipping 🙂