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RE: Re: Re: clipping



As far as the "cooling out until dry" syndrome that every one is involved
with. And as this regards "Clipping" to help the horse.

I offer the following experience. My horse is out in the rain at this moment
and is wet. Temperature with chill factor a short while ago was 21f. These
horses have their coats to keep them from being to cold.

Now, several years ago, (longer than I like to think, we adhered to the rule
that you never return to the barn with a wet  ( even damp) horse. It was in
the winter and we were very careful to cool the horses down and have them
dry out while riding home. The trail went along the pasture fence for about
a mile. While we were walking home on our mounts, the rest of the herd
(about 6) ran like mad along the fence back and forth. Needless to say we
arrived back at the barn with cool dry horses and the others were wringing
wet, steaming in the cold air, and sure to die. They also went over to the
stream that flows past the barn (in the wet weather) and drank their fill of
cold water.

Needless to say we did not try to "cool out" six wet steaming horses but we
did realize that these animals are not as dumb, fragile or self destructing
as we like to make them.

If allowed to be in a semi-natural state, i.e. not kept in a drafty stall
but allowed to move around, they will not suffer if warm and damp when
released.

Another aspect of not clipping is the horse gets more acclimated to the warm
weather faster, when not clipped. After all the optimum temperature for
horses is in the 50's and 60's not any higher.

Bob Morris

-----Original Message-----
From: Tamara Jane Habberley [mailto:tamarahabberley@lineone.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 3:16 PM
To: hn.heather; Eenergonzillen@aol.com; smw@sos.net
Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Re: Re: clipping


yeah well

> Yes ducky

I  wasnt aware Renee was one of our avian friends ! She struck me as being a
liveley minded individual with the courage to buck the done thing trend ...

> > Okay..horses grow long coats to keep warm in the winter, right??? well,
if
> you cut all of that off, they have nothing to keep warm  with....right???
>
> Not one of your most profound statements, Renee

yes but a breathtakingly obvious one and one most my non horsey friends
make, along with;

 'why does that rider that just won sit to one side, why do dressage horse
always look pissed off, why has the stallion that won shown meglamanic
tendencies ect' , oh the follies of those who havent been indoctrinated by
horsey culture!

> but you only take blanket off when the horse is working, then you
> put it back on again, so, in principle the horse won't get cold.

Or cut out the middle man and dont clip!

Seroiuly there has been a lot of debate in the UK general equestrian press
on clipping, particularly from a lady called Marthe Killey Worhtington. She
breeds and competes endurance Arabs upto 100 milers over here. She belives
that NOT clipping and NOT rugging is benificial !

The reasons ;

1. as rennee states the horse grows a coat for a specific reason, that is ;
to keep warm 24 hours a day 7 days per week , we clip it for our convinence
on the say 2 hours per day 4 to 5 days per week we ride.

2. the coat acts as a natural wick , yes the horse gets hot but the sweat
etc draws out through the coat.

3. rugs can adversly effect the horses movement particularly youngstock,
most if you watch them sort of shuffle in rugs even well designed ones.

I have a friend who competes on un rugged , unclipped horses at there first
ride this season her mare vetted with a finish heart rate of 36 BPM so it
obviously didint harm her any.

 I clipped my cob in febuary this year to compete, he was really cold rugged
or otherwise so I let his coat grow back .  I did a 20 CTR ( okay I know
thats short to most you USA folks, but a good training ride for me) he was
hot, sweaty but vetted fine with the same heart  rate he always finishes on.

> Uh, slick & shiny with mud you mean.  Where do you live where horses keep
so
> clean?

Well there you go, its the owners convinience that you rug as its so much
quicker to groom a clipped and rugged horse... I live in the West Midlands
so we never have mud, Ho Ho ( sort of an English joke as Manchesters the
only wetter city area). However I find using a rubber curry after my horse
has been in half an hour or so works fine. I dont worry about a sadlde on a
wet back so long as its clean as to me its the same as a saddle on a sweaty
horse.

> Have you ever tried conditioning a horse with a thick winter coat?  Have
you
> ever tried drying off a horse (on a freezing cold day) thats sweated
heavily
> because of his shiny slick winter coat?  Try it sometime and you'll see
why
> we clip competiton horses in winter!

Try an airborne or thermatex rug for the stable, you can leave these on over
night and they literally wick the sweat of. I have to stable my horse at
night ( yard rule) hence reason I use a night rug as I feel it must be a
real shock to a horses sytem after working and warming up to be dumped into
a cold stable with nowt on.

Sorry to go on so , but I really get irrate about the must do whats doen
sort of thing. At my present yard I've been subject to covert gossip as I
actualy ( suck inbreath in horror here folks) CAME BACK TO THE YARD ON A
HORSE THAT HAD SWEATED WHILST RIDDEN , and BEEN SEEN TO BLOW! Apparantly
ruffling a hiar with sweat due to trotting  is considered an affront to most
people on this yard, yet not riding all week then competing in an event is
perfectly acceptable!

Tamara

p.s. the gossips covert as I flame more effectivly face to face!

----- Original Message -----
From: hn.heather <hn.heather@wanadoo.fr>
To: <Eenergonzillen@aol.com>; <smw@sos.net>
Cc: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 10:00 PM
Subject: RC: Re: clipping


> Renee wrote:
>
> > Okay..horses grow long coats to keep warm in the winter, right??? well,
if
> you cut all of that off, they have nothing to keep warm  with....right???
>
> Not one of your most profound statements, Renee.
>
> > But, you can put a blanket on them...right???
> > But what if you take the blanket off???   They would freeze their
cabooses
> off....right???
>
> Yes ducky but you only take blanket off when the horse is working, then
you
> put it back on again, so, in principle the horse won't get cold.
>
> > I just don't see the point of clipping a horse..  I mean, personally, I
> think they look much nicer when their coats are all slick and shiny.
>
> Uh, slick & shiny with mud you mean.  Where do you live where horses keep
so
> clean?
>
> > I know that during the winter they get all fluffy and not so sleek...but
> who cares...
>
> Have you ever tried conditioning a horse with a thick winter coat?  Have
you
> ever tried drying off a horse (on a freezing cold day) thats sweated
heavily
> because of his shiny slick winter coat?  Try it sometime and you'll see
why
> we clip competiton horses in winter!
>
>
> Heather
> SW France
>
>
>
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