Body Clipping
To Clip or not to clip:
The first question to ask when considering body clipping is: is it necessary? The horse’s winter coat provides natural protection and insulation as well as keeping natural oils near the skin which helps keep a healthier shinier coat. If you choose to body clip your horse, you will need to keep him blanketed and provide extra shelter to make up for the loss of hair. If you cannot keep your horse in a stall or do not want to do the extra work of managing blankets, you should not body clip your horse.
There are some legitimate reasons to body clip your horse. If you are working your horse on a regular basis during the winter, they will tend to get sweaty and may overheat or be difficult to cool out and dry off when you are done working. This is especially true for horses that get a very long or fluffy winter coat. If your horse is not in good physical shape, they may also be prone to overheating or excessive sweating and may also be candidates for body clipping especially if you are going to be riding to get the horse into shape.
If you will be showing your horse, you probably want to consider body clipping. The body clip will make the horse look better for the show ring as he will have cleaner lines and sweat less when competing. Also if you are traveling from cold climates to warmer climates to show, the horse will need help adjusting to the warmer weather and body clipping will keep them from overheating.
The reason you are clipping and the condition of your horse will determine what type of clip to do. Clipping patterns range from just small areas of hair removal to clipping the entire body. If you or your horse does not have experience with body clipping, start with a small area and have someone that is experienced help you. There are techniques and procedures that will help your horse have a good experience and look its best. These techniques are best taught by an experienced groomer and through the experience of clipping the horse. As a general rule of thumb, when choosing what type of clip to do, is to remove as little hair as possible for what you are doing with your horse. Also, clipping goes best when the horse has been washed and the hair is dry. This means that unless you have a warm water bathing area, you need to choose a warm day to clip your horses and plan for it to take a few hours.
Types of Clips: ()
While there are many types of clips, these are the basic clips and most types are variations of these. Heartland saddlery has a great page with pictures of these clips. Always consult your trainer or other trusted equine professional before clipping your horse. The chest is the warmest part of the horse and the hardest to keep cool especially when the horse is working, so clips will start in that area and expand to the rest of the body.
Neck and Belly Clip:
Like the name suggests, this clip goes from the neck to under the belly, leaving the neck, chest, and belly free of hair. This clip stays between the legs and does not extend to the face. This is for horses that just need a bit of extra help cooling down after work. Horses with this clip can still be turned out but may need a blanket on colder days.
Irish Clip:
This is an extension of the neck and belly clip where the clip also includes part of the shoulder and barrel. This is for horses with a thicker coat or in poor physical condition who need help cooling down after work. These horses may need a blanket when turned out, this will depend on the horse and the weather.
Trace Clip:
This continues from the irish clip back along the rest of the body. A “high trace” will extend up to remove hair from the jaw and higher up on the rest of the body. Hair will still be left on the legs and back. This is best for horses being put back to work after time off that easily get sweaty. Remember that the more hair that is removed, the heavier a blanket the horse will need to keep warm.
Blanket Clip
This clip leaves hair on the legs, back, and rump. This is for horses that are being worked hard and may have to go to a show or move to a warmer climate. If these horses are in cold areas they will need blankets and possibly hoods to keep warm.
Hunter Clip
For horses that are going to shows, but don’t need a full body clip, this clip will work well. This clip just leaves hair on the legs and saddle area. The hair on the saddle area is for extra padding and comfort when riding. These horses will need to be blanketed if turned out and should be watched closely for signs of chill.
Body Clip
This is where all the hair on the horse is removed. Legs, head, belly, and the rest of the body are completely clipped. This is only for horses that will be showing and are mostly kept inside or with heavy blankets.
Clipped horses need to be groomed to keep the oils on their skin and to help a healthy summer coat grow back. They should be watched carefully for signs of chill and should be brought inside or given extra blankets on especially cold or wet days. Clipping should only be done if absolutely necessary and should be done under the supervision of a trainer or barn manager.
