As we are nearing clipping season, many owners will be thinking about which clip to choose for their horse. Their winter coats tend to come through around mid-September - some horses can be earlier or later.
The aim is to remove hair from the areas of the horse that sweat the most. You will need to consider which rugs you’ll need to keep him warm after he has been clipped, which will also affect your choice of clip.
Traditional hunter clip with a small saddle patch
“If you think your horse could benefit from a clip, there is NO wrong time of year to do it.“
Some horses are clipped year round, and some only during the winter months.
We clip to make them more comfortable -
To stop them from sweating profusely whilst in exercise
To treat skin conditions (eg. sweat itch, hyperkeratosis, lice, mites, fungal infections)
To have them smart and trimmed for shows
If you think your horse could benefit from a clip, there is NO wrong time of year to do it.
So, looking specifically at winter clips, there are a number of factors to consider:
Where does your horse sweat?
How much work is he in?
Does he live in/out?
What rugs do you have available?
Is it for competition?
Does he have a skin condition?
Full clip on an old rescue pony, who suffers from Cushing’s Disease and very dry, itchy skin. Removing the coat makes treating the skin easier, and the horse‘s temperature can be regulated more effectively with rugs.
The other thing we should knock on the head is the old fashioned belief that a hunter or full clip is only suitable for competition horses, or horses in hard work.
Rugs nowadays are much more effective at keeping horses warm and dry than the old New Zealand rugs of the (not so long ago) old days, so if you prefer the look of a certain clip, or the horse requires more hair off (Cushing’s horses, horses with skin conditions, heavy cobs, show horses etc) then you can opt for this sort of clip.
“Rugs nowadays are much more effective at keeping horses warm and dry than the old New Zealand rugs of the (not so long ago) old days”
There is a wide variety of clips to choose from to suit your, and your horse’s needs -
BIB, BELLY, STRIP
This is a neat wee clip which works well for horses in no work to very light work. Hair is removed from the underside of the neck, and sometimes part of the belly. You can also clip hair from the lower jaw.
Often seen on shetlands/small ponies who require a bit of ‘ventilation’, hairy cobs that need some excess beard/neck/belly hair removed because of long hair that gets matted, and youngsters in very light work.
IRISH
This is basically a higher version of the bib clip, and great for horses in light to medium work. It’s a very quick and easy clip to do, so it’s ideal for a first clip or youngster.
Hair from the neck, shoulders and belly is clipped. The line can be adjusted higher or lower to suit your needs. You can also choose how far back to clip - you may choose this clip if your horse is particularly sensitive around the stifle area and gets ‘kicky’ as you can avoid this area if needed.
Mid-level Irish clip on a pony in light work, who lives out for much of the day. The pony will have to be suitably rugged when needed.
TRACE, CHASER & BLANKET
For horses in light to medium work. These are all very similar clips, the main difference is how much hair you remove from the neck.
You can choose a low/medium/high line for each of these clips.
Hair is removed from the neck, shoulders, belly and hind quarters - ending in an inverted ‘v’ from the top of the dock.
There are more modern versions of these clips, with more flowing lines that follow the shape of your horses muscles. The traditional lines originally followed the same lines as the harness worn by carriage horses.
Chaser clip with a modern twist. This is becoming more popular than the traditional style.
In recent years, the Trace clip has become less popular, with owners favouring Irish, Chaser and Blanket.
HUNTER
This clip seems to be the most popular with many owners.
Ideal for a horse in medium to hard work. The hair is completely removed from the neck, barrel and hind quarters of the horse.
A saddle patch is optional, and you can choose a small shaped patch, a traditional saddle shape, or a full saddlecloth shape.
You can choose to leave the head, clip a half head, blend the head, or clip the full head off.
The legs are left on, and can be trimmed if required. In more recent years, leg blending has become popular so you can have the look of a full clip without needing to totally remove the legs.
Hunter clip with blended legs on a traditional cob.
Blending the leg lines works very well for native show ponies as you can achieve an ‘unclipped’ look - the feathering on the legs remains untouched.
FULL
This is for horses in hard work.
The full neck, barrel, hind quarters and legs are clipped.
You can choose to leave a saddle patch (see hunter clip) in the shape of your choice.
You can also choose full head, half head, blended head, or leave the head unclipped.
This clip is popular with those who compete during the winter months, and for heavy cobs who need to have their feathers removed regularly.
Full clip before shedding - this removes any previous clipping lines from the coat
A lot of owners choose to get a full or hunter clip for their horses last clip of the year - this is to remove any lines (blanket clip lines for example), and to avoid weeks of shedding hair!
If you are still unsure of which clip to choose for your horse, please ask your professional clipper for advice, they will always point you in the right direction!
This blog is just showing some of the most popular clips, custom clips and other designs are available - just ask!
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