Clipping Services

Are you thinking about clipping your horse this winter?

Horse Amour’s own Steph Wissel is offering professional clipping services! From full clips to specialty clips, she is your go to girl for being ready for winter riding! There is a checklist in the barn with prices for each option.

Clipping your horse gets rid of that unwanted hair, but once you make the cut, you’re committed to blanketing him—a routine that gets both expensive and cumbersome. 

So you’re faced with a dilemma: to clip or not to clip? Would you rather deal with hair or blankets? Or some of each?

First, determine what kind of riding you plan to do this winter. If you don’t have access to an indoor ring, does winter footing and weather limit you to walks down frozen roads for the next few months? If so, why clip at all? Those winter strolls won’t work your horse into a sweat, so you won’t have to worry about drying him off. 

On the other hand, will you be moving to an indoor ring and riding actively all season? Then a full-body clip or hunter clip is probably in order. You’ll need to purchase several blankets to protect a fully clipped horse properly: a sheet and various stable rugs, which can be layered for changing conditions; a quarter-sheet to keep his back warm while riding on really cold days; and a turnout rug for outdoor protection.

But if you’re like most of us, your riding schedule probably fits somewhere in between these two extremes. And if your level of riding activity varies mightily according to the weather, a partial clip may be the perfect solution. 

Which clipping method you choose depends on your level of riding activity, your climate, and your horse’s turnout, barn and lifestyle conditions. 

Even the most modest of clip jobs, however, require some sort of blanketing. When you remove a horse’s hair, you expose his skin to the cold. If you clip, you’ll need to commit to daily blanketing and unblanketing.


The Strip Clip


The Low Trace Clip


The Medium Trace Clip


The High Trace Clip


The Blanket Clip


The Hunter Clip

 

Post-Ride Care for the Unclipped Horse
Leaving your horse unclipped allows him the full warmth and protection of his winter coat and eliminates most blanketing chores for you. However, if you do choose to leave your horse unclipped, be prepared to dry him properly once he’s worked up a sweat under tack.

Curry his wet hair as best you can to release some moisture. Then cover him in an Irish-knit or anti-sweat sheet that contains "holes” in the fabric, allowing the air to reach his coat. Cover this with a wool cooler or a high-tech cooler that will wick moisture away from the horse.

If his coat is really drenched, you may need to change these rugs as they become saturated. Once he is dry, remove the wet rugs. You wouldn’t spend hours in a wet towel after your shower, would you?

Winter riding doesn’t have to be a chore, and with these options, the right hairdo for your horse is in your reach

Further Reading
HorseChannel's Guide to Clipping Your Horse

junPo© Sue Cook 2015