Re: clipping

[MBlanchrd@aol.com]

Hi, Campers,

I never heard of clipping affecting the quality of a horse's summer coat, I'm not quite sure how it could. HOwever...........my horse is 23 years old this April and as long as I've owned him, he's never fully shed out. I think he has Cushings. 
His belly hair will NOT shed out. It never has. I have to clip it. The first summer I had him, I waited and waited and waited for him to totally shed out. He had long hair even in July. He was HOT. I finally gave up thinking he'd actually turn into a normal summer coated horse and clipped him. His relief was both immediate and obvious.
 In six weeks, his hair had all grown back in. So now I clip him (in the summer months) every six weeks, just to keep him cool.
The first year I owned him, he began shedding ..in NOVEMBER.

I really don't care what his summer coat looks like. At his age, he's not a show horse, he's my friend and pasture jewelry, as well as a trustworthy trail horse. I'm more interested in him being comfortable and healthy, and if it means clipping him, that is what I will do.
I blanket him all winter, more to prevent rain rot than any other reason. 

Michelle
Jordan (I can't help it, mom, I just like that hairy look.)