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Winter is almost here and this means that horses’ coats will become longer and thicker to protect them against the cold. In some cases, however, these winter coats are a much bigger problem that in others.

Some horses’ winter coats are downright ugly! The hair is long, dense and dull, and sometimes even curly! It doesn’t matter how often the horse is groomed or how many blankets he wears, the coat always looks untidy.

Many people believe that the earlier one puts on a horse’s blanket, the smaller the chance of him growing a long winter coat. This is successful to some extent, as a horse wearing a blanket will not grow as luxuriant a coat as a horse with no blanket.

The hair will lie flatter, appearing nicer. Yet this will not prevent the horse from growing a winter coat. A horse’s hair growth is determined genetically and not merely by cold weather as is generally accepted. Day and night length also play a role.

Even though it can be controlled to some extent with blankets, correct feeding and grooming, one cannot completely stop the natural growth of a winter coat. Wrapping a horse in layers and layers of blankets, is also very unpleasant for the horse. At night the horse will sweat under the blankets and will lose condition. He will overheat while working and will take very long to get dry. In such cases there is the option of clipping the horse.

To clip or not?
Certain breeds should rather not be clipped when they are being showed in their breed classes. Find out whether your breed society will allow this. There are various clipping patterns for horses, but not all of them are acceptable for all show classes. The most general pattern is the full clip. This means that all the hair on his body gets clipped, except the mane and tail.

The second pattern is the hunter clip, where the hair on the legs, in line with the belly (follow the line of the large shoulder muscle) are left longer at the bottom. Sometimes the facial hair are also left longer at the bottom (follow the line from the jaw to behind the ears). This second clip pattern is better for horses that don’t like fidgeting in their faces and may even kick. However, the cut is not as handsome as a full clip and is also not suitable for show classes.

Some horses are clipped under the throat and beneath the belly only, for example endurance horses, as this gives them the opportunity to cool down, while protecting them against the cold. Other clip patterns include leaving the hair long under the saddle blanket to prevent the saddle from irritating the horse. But this pattern is rarely found.

If a horse had been clipped once, chances are that you will have to clip him every year. In theory his hair will grow back thicker every year. So, be sure that this is something you truly want to do.

Equipment
Firstly, if you plan on doing the clipping yourself, ask the advice of an expert. Once the hair is off, you can’t put it back again! Get the right clipper for your horse’s hair. A clipper designed for human hair or even dog hair, is not suitable for a horse. The motors are too weak and the blades will go blunt in no time.

Ensure that the blades are sharp enough before you start clipping. Blunt blades will clip uneven, will pull the hair and will eventually not cut at all. Some veterinarians will send blades away for sharpening, or talk to the doggy parlour in town and find out where they have their blades sharpened.

Start clipping
Bath your horse. Make sure that all the soap is rinsed off and that the horse is dry before you start clipping. Dirt in the coat and on the skin will cause the blades to become blunt, and damp hair will not clip.

Tie the mane and tail up and out of the way so that it doesn’t accidentally gets caught by the blades. Show the clipper to the horse. Switch it on and let him smell it. Move around his body, without clipping, so that he may get used to the sound and smell. Put cotton wool in his ears, to dampen the sound of the clippers. Always clip against the hair.

Start first with a patch under the belly, where it is not too visible. Follow the lie of the hair and hold the clipper at a steady angle.

The clipper gets very warm. Stop every now and then to let it cool down and give the horse a chance to rest. Keep a can of oil close by to oil the blades during resting periods (look at your clipper’s diagram to determine where the oil should go).

Some horses are very difficult to clip and may even become dangerous. Let someone hold the horse or put him in a crush. If necessary, use a twitch, especially for the neck and face.

If he becomes difficult with his legs, let someone pick up one of the legs so that he cannot kick. Sometimes it might even be necessary to have a very difficult horse sedated by the veterinarian.

Ensure that you keep the clipper’s electrical cord and the extension cord (if using an electrical clipper), away from your horse’s feet. Should your horse step on the cord with his horseshoe, he may get an electrical shock!

To fully clip a horse, is no small job and may take several hours. Once you are done, brush the horse off. The clipped hairs on his skin is very unpleasant for the horse and can cause itching – you yourself will know the feeling and will long for a shower!

Keep a clipped horse warm
Just remember, when you have clipped your horse, you have removed his natural insulation. Make sure that you cover him with a blanket at night. It might also be necessary to cover him during the day in the camp if it is very cold. Once he is warmed up after exercise, cover him with a sweat blanket or day blanket to cool him down without him catching a cold. In very cold, windy conditions, it might be necessary to use a working blanket (one that fits underneath the saddle) when riding your horse.

Make sure that your horse’s blanket fits him well, as a clipped horse easily gets chafe marks on his chest and shoulders. To prevent this, a piece of sheepskin (the fake version works just as well) can be sewn onto the inside of the blanket where it chafes.

Worth the while
Despite all the effort, clipping your horse is worth the while. The horse will feel better immediately. The horse might have clip lines directly after the process, which might not look good. This is normal and unless holes have been clipped into the coat, the lines will disappear after about ten days to two weeks.

The lesson here is that the horse should not be clipped a day before a show, but rather a week or two beforehand.

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