I've body-clipped my endurance horse since last fall. At first, it was minor. And gradually increased it (as the weather continued to warm) until he has a hunter clip (hair left under saddle and on legs/head). Mainly because the horse is from Minnesota and grows a thick coat - and now he is in Texas. He gets blanketed on colder days and put up in the barn at night. My other 5 horses (the broodmare band) live naturally outdoors w/ access to sheds and round bales, shelter in the trees, and fed pelleted feed once or twice a day. I have to disagree that horses "like" or are "happy" in extreme temperatures. Just feel their noses or ears - they're COLD. Perhaps horses are stoic, but I believe they do endure pain in extreme temps. Even on mild days I will often see the horses seeking the shelter from wind and dozing during the day to make up for the sleep they lost being cold... It must also take time for horses to adjust to the colder temps and grow longer coats if they are moved. Depends also on the type of cold you have - wet or dry and the amount of wind and sun. And how much winter coat they grow...as to how cold they actually get. But their noses and ears are the most exposed and I would suppose their feet get cold, too.
