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  Discussion on Better for old horse to be clipped?
Author Message
Member:
mrose

Posted on Saturday, Sep 26, 2009 - 11:21 am:

My older mare, age 28, was clipped early in the summer. All the hair has grown back and once again is abnormally thick and long - about two inches long and very fluffy and thick. She gets a lot of scurff under her coat, esp. in the winter and is very difficult to keep clean. She loves to be dirty! Would it be better for her to be clipped again and blanketed during the winter so I can keep her cleaner, or to just let her hair continue to grow? By the time cold weather gets here, she will have about a 3" hair coat. This mare is not longer worked except for a little lunging and hand walking. She is kept in the barn during bad weather and at night, but turned out in good weather. She will keep a blanket on during turnout without problems. I try to keep my horses looking halfway decent, but she's an embarassment when her coat is long and she's so dirty.

If Jos reads this, she'll have a good laugh as she knows the horse I'm talking about!
Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Sep 26, 2009 - 12:08 pm:

Sara I was wondering the same about Sam, he is ready for winter and still is just starting the thick, curly, yak hair. I have decided to let him be natural, it's much easier for me, and he never over heats in the winter. It is a terrible looking thing tho and so hard to keep clean.
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Saturday, Sep 26, 2009 - 5:00 pm:

Hi Sara, my 22 y.o. Morgan also gets a winter coat that would keep a wooly mammoth warm.

Because we often get periods of very warm weather in Virginia during the winter, I have opted to clip her for the past several years. If I don't and she overheats during a warm spell, she is miserable and filthy. Even clipped, I've never seen her act chilled when the temperature DrOps, but I always make sure she has access to shelter and I have a blanket for her should she ever need one.

I have experimented with different clips, usually opting for a high trace clip. Last winter her coat was so thick all over that I body clipped her, but used a guard on the clippers so that she didn't end up with too short of a coat. Her appearance was not show-turn out quality (by any stretch!) but it worked out better for her in terms of keeping her comfortable and for me, easier to groom.

However, we were both happy when spring came and she shed out to her glossy summer coat! Funny how they seem to know when they look good!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Sep 26, 2009 - 6:25 pm:

As JoAnn states a trace clip can be an excellent compromise.
DrO
Member:
mrose

Posted on Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 - 1:18 am:

Diane, her coat looks longer than Sam's in his picture. I'm going to bathe her tomorrow and see how it looks. It's always so soft and fluffy clean - like a stuffed toy! I think I may clip her in a trace cut. As it is, when it's warm (over 60) I can't leave her out. She just wants to go back in due to the heat.

Lonnie has said he's surprised I'm not just bringing her in the house where it's cool; but then she'd expect to come in by the fire when it's cold too. LOL. I'm not sure, but I think he's being sarcastic.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 - 7:56 am:

We have been lucky since Sam put on the 1st of many layers of his coat it has been cool. Right now he has a VERY thick undercoat, the long curly hair is just starting, but is coming on fast and furious I hope the pergolide helps him shed next year...you have seen my clip jobs
Member:
mrose

Posted on Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 - 10:22 am:

LOL. Yes, but it's hard to be critical! It'n difficult to do a good job when their hair is more than 3" long. I'm sure Beau will look pretty ragged; esp. since my blades need sharpening.
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 - 12:51 pm:

Sara, please post a pic of Beau after her bath. I'd love to see her all fluffy and clean!
Member:
mrose

Posted on Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 - 4:21 pm:

I'm just finishing lunch and will head to the wash rack momentarily. I'll get a picture as soon as she dries. The fluffy & Clean stage doesn't last long!
Member:
canter

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 7:14 am:

"the fluffy & clean stage doesn't last for long"...That's for sure! After being sick for a few days, I finally made it out to the barn yesterday morning. Didn't feel like I had the strength to ride so gave Sparkles a bath as the forecast said it would be the last warm day for a while. After she was about 90% dry, I walked her past the dirt in the pasture, on to the nice still green grass, thinking (hoping!)she'd be happy to join her pasture mates. Gave her her banana, took off her halter and yelled "giddyup!" to get her away from the last dirt patch. Of course, she circled behind me and was down rolling before I could take 2 steps. Clean to disgusting in a matter of 10 seconds....sigh.
Member:
lilo

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 9:35 am:

Fran - but, I bet it felt so good to Sparkles!!! I have a grey mare - she does the same thing! Lilo
Member:
canter

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 10:07 am:

Lilo, I'm sure if they could speak, they'd be saying "Ha, Ha!" as they pop up back on their feet and trot away...
Member:
paardex

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 10:13 am:

Obviously Beau will prefer making blankets dirty together with herself!
I had once trace clipped a horse one side when the clipper broke down... I think a half clipped horse looks stupid but her backmuscles stayed nice and warm under the fluffy fur and when it was warmer a blanket wasn't needed.
Jos
PS I don't think Lonnie was sarcastic! If he says she should go in your tub to relax: perhaps!
Member:
mrose

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 10:38 am:

I'll try and get a picture of her today; I couldn't find the camera yesterday, but found it last night. I was afraid to spend much time searching yesterday just for the reason stated above - clean to dirtbag in 10 seconds. I kept Beau in her stall with a sheet on after her bath. Mean, but she's still clean. And, I've had had to bring her in this a.m. to feed her anyway.

Fran, they not only laugh, but trot away tails and heads high after a good shake right in your face so they're sure you'll get the message. I've had them look around just to make sure you're watching them roll! LOL.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 10:44 am:

After her bath, Beau's coat didn't look as think as I had thought it was, not as heavy as it will get, I'm sure. Right now the thickness varies a lot. Her hair is very, very fine also. It used to be thicker strands. I guess I'll wait and see how she grows in for the winter. Right now, up along her neck,it is quite a thin hair coat, along her flanks it looks normal, her chest looks thick as does her rump, although the hair on her rump looks normal for a winter coat. Would she be patchy like this due to the time of year? She did shed a lot the latter part of the summer. I've never noticed this pattern to her coat before.
Member:
erika

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 10:48 am:

Well, I can attest to the fact that Sara's horses were the CLEANEST, whitest horses I had ever seen! Don't know how she bribed them to stay so perfect in front of us guests, but whatever she did, they cooperated.

I consider my horse clean when the mud chunks attached are smaller than my hand...That shiny clean coat doesn't last long here! Cleo especially is a firm believer in mudpacks for lasting beauty!
Erika
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