Is it too late to clip?

[workinggirl]

Hi all

If I clip now, will some hair grow in or does the does the winter coat stop growing at a certain point?

[RiverBendPol]

I used to clip around Thanksgiving, if I could stand to wait that long and then again mid-January. The January hair was almost as thick as the November hair so yes, it keeps growing. I always had plenty of winter coat to curry away in April. Now, with my bad boy, I only do it once, in February, for a couple of reasons...He's in light work, mostly hacking, during the early winter and he has to be knocked out and have 2 pairs of clippers going to get him done before he wakes up! Such a PILL!
Short answer? No, you're not too late :)

[tullyleague]

I hope not, my mare's getting her trace clip tomorrow! :)

[saultgirl]

Hi all

If I clip now, will some hair grow in or does the does the winter coat stop growing at a certain point?

I don't think it's ever "too late" to clip. Anytime the horse's coat is heavy enough to interfere with work/cooling out is a good time to clip.
When the days start getting longer again, the new hair growing in is the summer coat, but it does keep growing.

[whbar158]

In the past if I clip my horse near thanksgiving he stays pretty good all winter, if I have to clip before then I do another clip in Jan and then he is good. He is a hairy monster! I am going to clip him in about a week. What I don't like is the color her turns! November turns him into a pumpkin!

[monalisa]

Why would it ever be "too late to clip"??????

You can clip a horse anytime.

[Simbalism]

My trainer had a pony who was part Yak and he got clipped numerous times during the year. Probably about every three months if not sooner depending on show schedule.

[ponygrl25]

I clip a horse in work as soon as it is taking longer to cool out. My older pony has a skin condition that requires clipping or she gets sores that are just nasty and impossible to treat under all the hair, she is 1/3 yak as well:D. You wouldn't think sooo many ponies are of yak descent in the summer, but wait until about halloween and the breeding comes out! Anyway, I try to wait until she has grown a full coat before I clip her. I clip lots of hunt horses right before opening meet. Some people don't like to clip until it is consistantly cool enough to leave a sheet/blanket on most of the time. They don't have time to go pull Hoss's blankie off at noon when it warms up to 70 and put it back on when it starts raining 2 hours later.

[vxf111]

I *try* to hold out until Thanksgiving but at any rate I always hold out through October and don't do the first clip until November. I've never had any adverse results. I think it's a bit of a rude shock to clip a horse for the first time in the middle of sub zero winter and that it's better to get the first clip in during the fall, before it gets frigid-- but certainly late October/November in our area is a perfect time given the weather.

[Foxtrot's]

Not too late at all. I clip around Grey Cup time - or your Thanksgiving - and enough grows so they are not completely nakid when the colder weather comes here in BC. I 've never had to clip again, except clip off the jaw whiskers, but some more showy people do it again.

[00Jumper]

Nope - my mare has strong woolly mammoth heritage, apparently, and I usually clip her 2-3 times per winter. :rolleyes: You'd think once, maybe twice would be fine, but noooooo. She's got to be special. I clipped her at the end of September for the first time, just a hunt clip, and I'll be clipping her again sometime within the next two weeks, this time a full clip. Hopefully that will hold us over until she gets her month off mid-February, but if she poofs back up I will have to clip her for a 3rd time, whenever that might be.

So in short, no, it's never too late to clip. ;)

[Bravestrom]

I clip my guy at the beginning of October - because he is already to hairy to work and then he still gets nice days where he can go out without a blanket. I have to clip him twice anyway so this way I clip again mid december when the main cold has not hit yet.