To Clip Or Not To Clip...That Is The Question

In a few short weeks our horses will begin to get fuzzy as winter coats start to come in. We will all have the inevitable decision to make: to clip or to let it grow, and if we decide to clip and/or trim how much will we take off?

The answers to these questions will differ from horse to horse and rider to rider. A clipped horse will be less likely to sweat profusely, and what sweating he does do will dry more rapidly. Strategic trimming can also help his tack fit better, keep him cleaner, and possibly avoid skin conditions caused by the mud associated with the late fall and early spring. However an unclipped and untrimmed horse will be perfectly happy with no further protection than a good run in shed to keep the snow off and blunt the worst of the icy blasts. A clipped horse may need to be brought indoors at night and during stormy weather or cold snaps and will probably require round the clock blanketing of one kind or another. So it is all about finding the ideal balance for you and your horse.

Unless you plan to put your horse out to pasture for most of the winter and work him infrequently and not to the point where he will sweat you will probably need to do some clipping. On the other hand, unless you plan to train hard for more than an hour a day seven days a week and live in a fairly moderate climate you are unlikely to need to pull off a drastic clipping job. Most horse's winter time schedules fall somewhere in the middle. Trace clips and blanket clips often fit the bill well for these horses.

A true blanket clip includes clipping the horse's head, neck, shoulders and belly leaving a large patch over the back and haunches in the shape of an exercise or quarter sheet and the legs unclipped. Often the lower legs are also trimmed slightly to help keep them clean.

A trace clip, originally used for carriage horses traditionally includes clipping the head, and the lower half of the neck and body including the belly. Again, often the legs are trimmed to help with cleanliness. I like the additional coverage in this clip to the muscles of the neck and shoulder that are not protected by a blanket clip.

I've also often seen a modified low trace clip that only clips a narrow (4-6") path just under the jaw and down the underside of the neck, the front of the chest, between the front legs, and a wider (12-18") path down the belly. These are the areas that get the hottest the fastest, so it is a functional minimalist clip for horses that spend a great deal of time outside and will work sporadically and lightly through the winter. Even if you do not clip, you may choose to trim for many reasons. For example, trimming a bridle path and the longest whiskers under your horse's throat will help his bridle fit better. Trimming his feathers can help keep his lower legs clean and dry.

Whatever you choose to do, try these three great clipping and trimming tips:

1) Start with clean clippers and sharp blades. When was the last time the blades were sharpened? When was the last time you took the blades off and brushed all the sneaky hidden hairs out of the clippers themselves? Dull blades and hair choked motors will cause horse irritating noise, uneven (ugly) cutting, clippers that overheat and burn within minutes, and undue wear on your clippers.

2) Spray lubricants are great, but they don't remove hair buildup effectively. One of the best tips I ever got was to keep an old coffee can or sturdy plastic pan of liquid blade wash within arm's reach. Immerse the blades only while the clippers are still running when your clippers begin to get warm or between sections of the clip. This is the most efficient way to avoid hair build-up and cool your blades.

3) No mater how mad your clipping skills are, don't forget to draw out your clip with chalk (or charcoal on a grey horse) first. The last thing you want is a horribly lopsided clipping job. I've gotten lazy and made this mistake myself. The old adage "measure twice cut once" is appropriate here. Make sure your horse is standing square on level ground and then check your lines carefully from all angles before you start cutting and you're much less likely to have "fixing" to do later, which is aggravating for both you and your horse.