Q: What are the different types of clips?
A: If a horse has to do a lot of work while his thick, winter coat is still present, he can quickly lose his condition through excessive sweating, become dehydrated and also struggle to dry off after a session leading to him getting cold rapidly after work. The solution to these issues is to clip the thick winter coat and provide him with blankets to keep him warm at night. There are various types and styles of clips – some are better for certain purposes than others.
Clipping types
Full clip
A full clip means removing the entire winter coat, including on the legs, head and ears. Your horse will then have no protection from the cold, so careful stable management will be required on a day-to-day basis. This clip is suitable for horses in hard work with minimal turnout.
Hunter clip
This clip removes most of the coat, but leaves the saddle area and the legs as is. This is ideal for horses in medium to hard work and daily turnout, because it keeps the back and legs warm. Leaving hair on the legs also gives some protection against injury, and sweating is less of an issue here. Similarly, hair left under the saddle can prevent rubbing issues. You can choose not to clip the head. As with the full clip, you will need to make sure the horse is adequately blanketed when need be.
Blanket clip
The blanket clip means removing hair from everywhere except the back (from the wither to the hindquarter) and the legs. Again, you have the option not to clip the head. This clip is ideal for horses in medium work and with plenty of daily turnout. It allows the horse some extra warmth, but without excessive sweating during work.
Chaser clip
This clip is similar to the blanket clip, but you leave winter coat on the top of the neck as well. It is also ideal for horses in medium work and those who have plenty of daily turnout. It is called ‘chaser’ clip because it is commonly used on Thoroughbred racehorses.
Bib/trace clip
This clip only removes a small amount of hair from the neck and chest area. The bib clip is ideal for horses in light work and can also be used on horses who are turned out throughout winter, as long as they have a proper blanket and access to shelter.
