Foster in a trace clip
For the last 10 or more years that I have been competitively involved in horses, I have always looked forward to that time of year when I get to take my clippers to a fuzzy body and reveal the svelte creature underneath. Though the process involves itching and picking tiny hairs off of clothing for the next few days, something about watching the hair come off is like an OCD artistic outlet to me. The changing colors of the horse as the process goes on never gets old, and trust me, it’s the one thing that I think is more fun with a paint horse. Does anyone else feel this kind of sick fascination with clipping?
Barely there Irish Clip
But this year, it’s hard to justify shaving the creature, given the low workload he’ll have. He’s not a huge sweater anyways, so I definitely don’t anticipate our 5 minutes of eventual trot to make for uncomfortable nights. My main aggravation with the winter coat, besides its poofiness (made-up word for the win?), is that my horse is a pig, and long hair makes for even more frustrating grooming sessions. Currying clods of mud from a half inch coat sounds a hell of a lot easier than picking strands of mud and muck from hairs twice that long.
Full body clip until the mare lost her patience before I could get to udder and eyes
For now, practicality and wanting to be kind to my horse will stop me from revving up the clippers. But come January, when the mud and nastiness will be at its worse, I don’t know that I’ll be able to say the same.
What are your plans for clipping? Anybody doing an especially artistic clip this year?
Red on the Right 
There are so many reasons to clip, but yeah, sounds best to wait for now. Ouch. I hate fluffy horses.
I’m like you with clipping – the hair just drives me crazy! Fortunately Simon is in work and a decent sweater so I feel I can justify it.
I’m in the same boat as you. I was going to clip, but now that Nilla isn’t doing anything, I left her hair on. But I hate hairy horses. I will certainly shave her the moment we start doing any work.
Just a plain old clip because ponies needs to look respectable for clinics. Last year I couldn’t even get my trainer to clip my creature and I stewed in hairy sweaty madness all winter. This year he will get clipped even if its a really shitty one by me.
i’ve never bothered clipping my mare bc she doesn’t sweat much or grow the craziest winter coat anyway, plus our workload gets less consistent in the winter when we start losing places to actually ride
I’ve only ever full clipped one winter: and that was the one winter where we were showing a LOT. Thankfully, my OTTB 4 year old was perfect for it.
I can’t even clip my current guys whiskers, much less touch him anywhere with clippers WHILE sedated heavily for teeth floating/injections. I like to watch his winter coat shed anyway (he transforms in color month to month, it’s so awesome).
I feel your pain on the dirt/poop on the poofy winter coats. Especially on horses with a lot of white, like ours! I have put a light breathable sheet on Apollo on days where I plan to ride. He lives outside 24/7 so it doesn’t make much sense to clip him.
Just clipped Arrow yesterday! If I had any forethought I would of stenciled out a really cute bow and arrow for his butt but sadly only thought about it when it was to late to find a stencil 😦
I have a love hate relationship with clipping- I enjoy not having to blanket as much if they’re hairy (or not at all for Arrow when he was dormant- holy crap his winter coat is insane!) i love a good clip but I tend to not clip if I don’t have to bc my guys are out 24/7 and my barn is quite open. But I so loooove putting designs on butts and the simplicity of cooling out a clipped horse in the winter!