With the unusual heatwave we experienced over the past week or two, everyone was scrambling around to come up with ways to stay cool – and for horse owners, it was equally important to do the same for our trusty steeds.
In addition to taking a break from hard work and making sure they have plenty of shade and water, for some horses it occasionally becomes necessary to clip them in early summer if their winter coat doesn’t sufficiently shed out. Many ponies will also routinely retain a heavy hair coat year-round and will be more comfortable with having their coat clipped each summer.
In the case of a horse or pony with a metabolic condition, such as Cushing’s disease or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), the normal functions of the pituitary gland are damaged, resulting in a long and shaggy coat which is delayed in shedding out. Although most of the longest hair eventually sheds out, the remaining coat is still thick and furry.
We had this problem with our Morgan mare some years back and we decided to purchase a set of clippers.
If you are going to clip a horse for the first time, it’s a good idea to have a friend to help. Put the horse in cross ties and station your helper near the horse’s head. When you plug in the clippers, take up the slack in a loop over your arm so that the cord won’t dangle near the horse’s feet and become tangled. Turn on the motor of the clippers and quietly move it around close to but not touching the horse. Let the horse know that sound is not dangerous.
Then, while holding the clippers, rest the back of your hand against the horse so the horse feels the vibration, but no real contact of the blades with the skin. As the horse acclimates to the clippers, begin to clip near the head or on the side of the horse’s neck. If you decide to clip the head and ears, do this sensitive area first, before the horse gets too fidgety.
Clip against the lay of the hair and try to keep a consistent pressure on the instrument – don’t press too hard but try a light hand that is evenly distributed in order to do a smooth job. You’ll need to add a drop or two of machine oil from time to time in order to keep the head of the clippers from heating up.
Summer clipping doesn’t need to be too short, and if your clippers do not have a setting for determining the length of the coat, clip with the lay of the hair, not against, so as to leave enough hair behind for protection from the flies.
It’s important to remember that places like the brisket, elbows and flanks have loose skin that needs to be held in place with one hand while you work with the other. It’s difficult to clip neatly under the throat because of the degree of loose skin – it will be easier if you stretch it out and turn the horse’s head away from you.
Misty with her full summer clip. Photo by Emily Valerio
When working under the elbows, it is easier to have the helper hold the front leg up to make the skin taut enough to clip. Remember to follow the hair pattern, especially in the flank area.
You can clip under the throat and then from the top of the neck, just under the mane, back to the tail and down to the tops of the legs. We clipped our horse’s stomach but left the hair on her face and legs intact for protection from flies.
Many working horses are clipped in autumn and winter. Depending on the type of work the horse will be doing and the amount she usually sweats, there are a number of different clips that can be used:
- Pony Clip – This is the simplest clip, where the hair is removed only from the underside of the neck and chest where the horse sweats the most. In some cases, this is all that’s needed – but you can always clip more later on.
- Hunter Clip – For horses that hunt or are ridden in rough country, such as trail horses or stock horses, the hunter clip leaves the hair on the legs, which protects them from brambles and briars. The dividing line between the clipped and unclipped area on the legs can be curved rather than straight and slanting slightly downward from front to rear.
- Full Body Clip – This is for horses that do a lot of showing, jumping and galloping. In cold weather, it is preferred to clip all over the horse.
- Driving Clip or Trace Clip – This style gets its name from the fact that it follows the line of the traces of a harness. It was commonly used in carriage horses and is used today in riding horses. The hair is removed from the chest area straight back and along the underside of the neck and belly. The driving or trace clip can be high or low, depending on how far up the horse’s flank the hair is clipped. The hair is left unclipped on the head, with a good hair coat left over the back and on the top side of the neck and also on the legs for warmth and protection.
- Blanket Clip – This clip removes the hair on the neck and flanks, leaving a blanket-shaped area of coat over the back and hind quarters, which keeps the back and loins warmer in extremely cold conditions. Similar to the hunter and driving or trace clip, the hair is left on the legs, protecting them from underbrush when traveling across rough country.
Your horse will appreciate a good brushing out after the clipping is done; don’t be surprised if she takes a good roll after you turn her out.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions after you finish clipping – brush off loose hairs, clean the air screen and add a touch of oil before putting them away for the next use.
Take good care of your clippers and they will last for years to come.
by Judy Van Put
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