The dilemma: Every year I tell myself I’m going to try not to body clip my horse. And every year I get to November and have to clip him. I’m not alone – I have yet to see a horse in full work who sweats routinely that doesn’t get clipped during the winter months. I don’t think it’s possible to keep a horse in full work with a full winter coat.
IMO:
Clipping ends up being more about skin health and time than looks. The hours it would take to properly dry and clean my horse unclipped would be incredible, and certainly far too long for the average working adult ammy who only has 2-3 hours available for barn time during the week. And if you live somewhere cold, you can’t clip your horse and not blanket (unless you want a really cold, miserable, and generally unhappy horse).
The verdict:
I hear the argument against blanketing and for the most part, I agree. If you have a healthy horse with a good winter coat that isn’t sweating up and is easy to keep clean, then why spend an obscene amount of money on blankets? A recent study concluded that unblanketed horses ate slightly more hay, but no blankets means no rubbed out manes and other areas. It certainly seems cost effective to go blanket-less.
But wait, there’s more:
Horses, riders, and horsemanship don’t function in a vacuum. We have to do what’s best for our horses within the context of what we can feasibly do. My horse might like to be a shaggy yak, but he probably wouldn’t like standing on the crossties for hours while I dry and clean him after his workout each day. Clipping ensures he can get the exercise he needs to stay happy and healthy, while keeping our grooming time to a tolerable length. And a wardrobe full of blankets ensures that he has exactly the protection he needs against whatever cold or weather comes our way.
This hot take originally published in the Heels Down Spark in December 2020. Sign up now to get conversation starters delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.