Horse clipping involves shaving the majority of your horses coat off during the cooler months. Some horses do require clipping during warmer months to manage health conditions such as Cushings, often advised by vets. While there are many benefits of clipping horses, there are also down sides worth considering before committing to have your horse clipped. This post outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of clipping as noted from experience working with clients. This is by no means a comprehensive list, simply some feedback that is interesting to share.
Advantages
- Horses tend to grow thick protective coats for the cooler months and as a result are often difficult to groom. Daily riding can become harder if your horse sweats heavily building up fungal growth that can be difficult to manage. Here in Australia we see many horses who have sticky gunk build up (known as rain rot) at the base of the coat often unnoticed by the owner until clipping commences. There are many horse management practices to keep the horses coat clean and clear under the saddle area, such as frequent washing, daily grooming and medicated treatments. However, clipping has been seen to drastically reduce this issue.
- Aesthetically speaking, clipping can be a stylish finish for your competition horse. Famous horses such as Valegro have been known to sport a tidy clipped finish. There are many styles that your horse can have, from the full body clip best suited to show horses or well kept, rugged and stabled horses. To the traditional trace clips and creative variations that allow the horse to keep the thick protective leg and face hair in tact. Over the years I have worked to vary designs and develop new signature finishes for competitive riders for a unique edge. From all reports it really does make a difference competing to stand out from the crowd and keep horses in top form.
- This last point is subjective, but it is often remarked by clients that their horses end up with a healthier looking coat. This is due to high UV in Australia often stripping the horses hair colour out of the tips of the long winter coat, and previously mentioned issue of sweat related dryness and fungal growth at the base building up a dust like appearance dulling the overall look. Many owners are often shocked at how shiny their clipped horse is immediately post clip, but this is not a guarantee as a healthy post clip shine is not due to any tricks on my part. A true post clip shine is the result of many months of correct feeding, grooming and care from the owner. It is worth making note weeks or months in advance of the date you want your horse clipped to commence a disciplined care routine for the best finish. There seems to be consistent remarks from owners regarding care routines that lend themselves to a healthier finish. These include the following practices: oil in feed, oil based coat conditioner wash/spray, regular work and grooming, early treatment and management of itch.
Disadvantages:
- Itch and "rain rot" cannot be clipped. While clipping is beneficial to prevent/manage these conditions, it is not possible to remove the damaged hair areas when infected. If clipped, the areas may become infected (if not already) and irritated as the heat of the blades inflame the region. Clippers act by feeding hair through the teeth, therefore they will pull and grab at the affected areas causing injury. Not only could your horse become injured by attempting to clip the hair, but there is a high risk of contaminating the clipper blades. Needless to say start early on treating this stuff or getting your horse clipped well in advance of it developing!
- Friction. Put simply your horse will have bristly fur similar to regrowth when shaving your legs. Yes this will certainly be reduced if you continue with a disciplined grooming routine, but it is a guarantee your horses coat will grow out. Ways to manage this issue include clipping on a 6-8 week rotation from the start of the season to the end. This can result in 2-3 clips over the year for a competition horse. As a result, you will need to remain disciplined with your care routine for the best finish each time and organised to forward plan and book the next clip. You may find your horses rugs rub or your horse becomes ticklish after the initial clip under saddle (be prepared for some excitement potentially!). Again, there seems to be consistent practices clients report work for them. These include: changing rugs regularly to ensure rubbing is reduced. Keeping rugs clean to reduce skin irritations, applying regular coat conditioning sprays/washes with an oil base.
- Loss of protective layer of hair. This means for the amount of hair we take off, you are required to rug to overcompensate. Generally this is not an issue as we tend to rug performance horses anyway over the winter months. But it may mean you will need to opt for a trace clip leaving face and leg hair or be required to tend to your horses rugs more often. Wool or polar fleece layers are popular to replace the layer of hair taken off. It is important to remember we do still get warm days in our climate, however leaving horses exposed to the elements can result in weight loss and excessive regrowth of long hairs. Always remember we took a layer off, we need to rug for the benefits of restoring body heat and protection from the elements.
- Clipping can take a while! I quote 1 - 3 hours per clip. Your horse may not be as enthusiastic as you to have a stranger perform a clip. Be realistic, if your horse is worried about being brushed in general, then being clipped is going to be a major stress on them they may not be ready for. Consider if your horse has adequate training to handle the clip in advance as I use no sedatives, just good old fashion patience and kindness. It may not be something every horse is ready for so keep in mind regular handling and desensitising may be the owners responsibility in advance, making clipping not a quick fix but a process in your regular horse management over the cooler months.
So there you have it! Some handy information you might find useful when considering if you should have your horse clipped this year.
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