Cold weather is now upon us, meaning potentially lots of changes to your horses’ routine. At this time we may decide to rug up our horses, they may be stabled at night and/or day, and you may be considering clipping your horses’ winter coat! In this Blog we are going through a few different clip designs to help you decide what is best for your horse.
Full Clip:
A full clip is where all their winter coat is removed including their legs, head and ears. This type of clip is suitable for horses in heavy work where they are likely to sweat much more than the average horse or pony. Full clips are most commonly seen on competition horses due to their heavy and consistent work load.
It is very important to ensure you have adequate weight rugs to keep your horse happy, healthy and warm with this clip, and be aware of the increased likelihood of illnesses such a mud fever.
Hunter Clip:
The Hunter Clip is a very common clip among the hunting community (hence the name) however can be seen in all disciplines. This is where the body, head and ears are clipped out leaving the legs and under the saddle with the winter coat.
This type of clip is suitable for horses in heavy work, who are more likely to stay out in the field in wet and muddy conditions. Leaving their winter coat on their legs gives a natural barrier against health issues such as mud fever.
Irish Clip:
The Irish Clip is probably one of the most popular clips for horses in light to medium work i.e young horses or horses owned purely for pleasure. The clip starts behind the ears and above the elbows leaving the majority of the body with a winter coat. This is where horses are most likely to sweat.
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