When to do the last clip of the season?

When do you clip your horse for the last time for the season? This was a question we received recently and, like many equestrian queries, it has multiple answers. Traditionally, horses usually received their last clip in December or January so as not to interfere with the summer coat coming through. 

If you ask a showing owner, he or she will probably tell you that they clip all year round, especially if they specialise in cobs who need constant trimming to keep them looking tidy.

If you ask a hunting owner, the horse will be clipped to stop him sweating until the end of the season which is usually February.

And then it depends on where you live and what the weather is like. When we asked others on our Facebook page, it turned out that owners in Scotland will clip as late as April some years if weather is cold.

When planning to clip a horse, the main thing is to be flexible. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I really need to clip the horse? Is he or she sweating when working and finding it hard to dry afterwards? If the horse or pony doesn’t sweat, is not in work or only in light work such as hacking, there is no need to clip.
• Is he an old horse who sweats in warm weather and gets very itchy? If this is the case, clip in Spring to keep sweating to a minimum and reduce the chance of skin infections. Removing the rug instead can help if the weather is warm.
• Different sports require different types of clips. A horse who has to gallop fast will need more clipping than one used for leisure riding.
• We have a whole page devoted to caring for horses in winter so click here for more info.