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Post by dizzydusty on Apr 21, 2011 22:08:10 GMT
Fairly new to showing with my maxi cob, who is just floored by the recent heatwave...ok very mild weather. His summer coat has come through, which is a good bit longer than when he was clipped out. My dilemma is whether or not to clip him out completely again. I dont want to destroy the shine his coat has..but then he is shiny in the winter when hes clipped out!
He is fairly fit, but stood in the warm up arena at the grandslam puffing and panting as if I hadn't ridden him in months.
If I clipped him out, would this be frowned upon in the ring?
I hate the idea of judges riding him and thinking how unfit he is, when its not that at all. How do all you mountain and moorland folks manage with your horses in the heat as they must suffer too, being native cold blooded horses.
Thanks
Dizzy
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Post by Lavender on Apr 21, 2011 22:14:22 GMT
I'm faced with almost the same dilemma, but I'm determined not to clip this year!! Each year, I have clipped my cob out, legs and all before his coat has started to shift, but he always turns out a peely wally horrid colour!!! This year, he only had a bib type clip in late Nov, his coat has been shifting, but seems to have stopped  Because his coat is coming, I fear I will wreck his coat if I clip now and he seems to be coping with the heat, with two rugs on  |
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Post by dizzydusty on Apr 21, 2011 22:26:43 GMT
My boy is out, during the day with no rug and in at night with no rug at the moment! He came out in heat bumps 2 weeks ago cos I had a half neck on him while he was stabled at the grandslam.
I had clipped out his face for the grandslam and noticed his coat stayed a fairly bright bay colour, he goes completely different colour in the winter time though. Cant be doing with his thick winter coat coming out so hes always fully clipped in the winter...otherwise he hangs on to it well in to the summer!
Im at puddledubs show in a weeks time, so I may just go for it and clip tomorrow, that gives it a week to settle down and probably grow back in lol!
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Post by Verity on Apr 22, 2011 9:05:30 GMT
I am having the same issue- my section D is standing sweating in the field!! No rugs on and shade, he is really feeling the heat. His coat was shifting but has stopped and he is so hot. I Am going to clip his belly out i think this weekend. I want to keep his nice coat thats coming but don't want him to be uncomfortable so even if i take the belly off its a start and no one will notice hopefully!
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Post by dizzydusty on Apr 22, 2011 10:20:38 GMT
Thats the thing though, Im not waiting on winter coat going as he was fully clipped out, his summer coat is in, but its so much longer than his clipped coat.
He goes quite lethargic in the heat also...any ideas of what I could give him to pep him up a bit in the heat or is that just one of those things in owning a cold blooded horse!
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Post by Lavender on Apr 22, 2011 11:20:02 GMT
If his summer coat is in, then I wouldn't clip, his coat will be wrecked, IMO! Maybe do what V suggests and clip the under his belly to help him stay cooler!! As I said, my Cob is not over-heating despite the fact, he is wearing two HW rugs at the moment, maybe it's because he's used to Poland!!
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Post by knockandy on Apr 22, 2011 19:16:19 GMT
My black highland is really struggling with the warm weather too. He is running with sweat after just half an hours hacking out. Ive been mulling over clipping him too With being black he seems to suffer much worse working in the heat than the greys. |
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Post by dizzydusty on Apr 22, 2011 22:29:12 GMT
Ohh lavender... too late, clipped today completely bald now and he doesnt look too bad. Will try and get a picture and then everyone can debate whether it was the right thing to do!! Lets hope the judge at the puddledub show doesn't mind clipped cobs! I still cant get over the volume of hair that came off him!  |
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Post by Vicky on Apr 23, 2011 9:21:02 GMT
I'm afraid I am very much of the opinion that if ridden work makes them sweat and uncomfortable, even in their summer coat, then why not clip them - for me personally it's comfort of the horse that is paramount over our necessity to have that shiny 'show' coat, but that's coming from someone who has showing much further down the list of priorities anyway and I know that also puts me in in the minority.
For me it's all about the comfort of our ponies in our circumstances - everyones circumstances may be different, so it's down to the individual.
Two of mine are clipped at the moment - they were getting far to sweaty on hacks because of the recent warm spell we've been having and it also allows them to be more comfortable when they are in the sea and afterward.
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Post by oldmoss on Apr 23, 2011 9:46:13 GMT
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Post by smithfield on Apr 23, 2011 19:07:09 GMT
I find that when I clip even in summer the coat grows back in pretty quickly again and you still get a shiney coat- you don't have the same undercoat as you often get in the winter. This is a picture of Marco at the Golden Horseshoe in Exmoor two years ago (10th May)- he was clipped less than a week before this pic and still had some winter on the unclipped saddle patch. The rest of his coat hardly looks clipped though as in its not that funny colour you get in winter. As others have said if it makes them more comfortable and ultimately go better then surely its better.  And on his return home- again you can't really see he was clipped only a week before. Pic Courtesy of Sian at Animal Snappers!  |
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Because his coat is coming, I fear I will wreck his coat if I clip now and he seems to be coping with the heat, with two rugs on 
