Hi RC. Interesting thing I remember from show days was, "You have to clip the horses before march because the summer coat is coming in and you'll cause them to look dull if you clip them later---unless they are grey." Show folks clip greys all year, multiple times. There is also vaseline envolved but we won't go there. I body clipped my mare last year because it was a hot California spring and yet the nights are cool and it's hard to dry them off after a ride. Usually I do a trace clip though. Even though I body clipped her at the beginning of the year, I touched up the clip before rides, around the neck and belly. I don't clip under the saddle, leave it furry so they don't get rubbed. Worried about uneven lines? heh heh, Only on ridecamp would you'all appreciate this. I put on the saddle and the girth, get a felt pen and trace the outline, put the tack away, use a small clipper (A5 I think) to do the edges real pretty along the ink line, then clip the rest with the big mama body clippers. Sounds wierd but everyone says it looks nice. (Except show people
) Beth