Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Shaggy horses & Clipping

Actually, I agree with you Jackie.  When I first started endurance in the early 80’s I was lucky enough to be at Washington State University in grad school and working for the head of the equine dept. at the Vet school, Dr. Barry Grant.  He was a good early mentor for my transition from show to endurance.  He told me that a wet horse is a cold horse.  He advocated a trace type clip taking the shaggy hair off the lower neck, some of the chest and the belly and then blanketing the horse.  You leave hair on the big muscles so they are warm while working and take hair off the areas that dissipate heat.  If the horse is dry and has a blanket for extra insulation they don’t get cold having a trace clip on the lower belly and neck.  I have done that many times in the last 20 years and have not experienced horses shivering or losing weight in the winter.  I do use high tech blankets with belly bands now but they were not available back then; my horses had turn out rugs that were waxed canvas with a wool lining.  They were dry by the time I walked them in from the ride and always toasty warm under the blanket when not being ridden.  

I am sure there are many methods to care for our horses that will work in the winter.  I think you have to evaluate the heaviness of the coat on the horse.  I have shaved my very furry horses and not shaved horses that had much lighter coats that would dry quickly.  You also have to consider your situation; are you able to check your horses blanket in the evening and morning?; are you able to take the blanket off in the morning later in the spring when they don’t need it during the day?; are you willing to invest in several different weight blankets for differing weather conditions?  Having your horse live with you versus at a boarding facility can be a big factor in this decision too. 

Kathleen