We keep a supply of large terry cloth bath towels in the barn and do a
good rubdown first to remove excess moisture, fluff the hair and promote
circulation. Towels are much easier to wash/dry than blankets and you
can get end-of-season beach towels for not-too-much-money.
As for clipping, we simply refuse to clip here in the damp, cold NE. My
horses need all the fuzzies they can get, so I prefer to go the extra
mile and spend the time with toweling & rubdowns. Last year wasn't a
problem in any case--the only sweat that got worked up was on me from
shoveling.
Diane @ Safe Haven