How to Clip Your Horse
Belly Clip., Low/High Trace Clip., Irish Clip., Blanket Clip., Hunter Clip., Full Clip.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Belly Clip.
For this clip, you remove the hair from just the underside of the neck and belly.
This is common on ponies living out and only ridden on the weekends.
Hardy ponies may not need to be rugged with this clip, unless the weather is very bad. -
Step 2: Low/High Trace Clip.
Hair is clipped from the underside of the neck and belly up to where the traces would be on a driving pony.
As the name suggests, high trace clips remove the coat up to a higher line than the low trace clip.
The lower half of the head is also sometimes clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This clip is appropriate for horses who are turned out during the day, and perform moderate work on a regular basis. , A line is draw from the poll (top of the head) to the belly to make a triangle shape, everything under this is clipped.
Often half the head is also clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This is done on horses who perform light work and are turned out during the day. , This is similar to a trace clip, but the neck is fully clipped and the head is half or full clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This is good for horses that work heavily, as it removes hair where they sweat but leaves enough to keep them warm simultaneously. , All the hair is removed, except from the legs to give some protection.
Some hair is sometimes left on the back in the shape of the saddle, and less often girth, to give protection from saddle rubs.
Because most of the hair is removed with this clip, careful watch must be taken to make sure that the horse does not become too cold. , For this clip, the entire coat is clipped off.
This is done on show horses who are heavily involved in competition, to give them a sleek coat that sweat can evaporate off of easily.
A full clip should only be done if the horse is not turned out during the winter or at night. -
Step 3: Irish Clip.
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Step 4: Blanket Clip.
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Step 5: Hunter Clip.
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Step 6: Full Clip.
Detailed Guide
For this clip, you remove the hair from just the underside of the neck and belly.
This is common on ponies living out and only ridden on the weekends.
Hardy ponies may not need to be rugged with this clip, unless the weather is very bad.
Hair is clipped from the underside of the neck and belly up to where the traces would be on a driving pony.
As the name suggests, high trace clips remove the coat up to a higher line than the low trace clip.
The lower half of the head is also sometimes clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This clip is appropriate for horses who are turned out during the day, and perform moderate work on a regular basis. , A line is draw from the poll (top of the head) to the belly to make a triangle shape, everything under this is clipped.
Often half the head is also clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This is done on horses who perform light work and are turned out during the day. , This is similar to a trace clip, but the neck is fully clipped and the head is half or full clipped.
The legs are left unclipped.
This is good for horses that work heavily, as it removes hair where they sweat but leaves enough to keep them warm simultaneously. , All the hair is removed, except from the legs to give some protection.
Some hair is sometimes left on the back in the shape of the saddle, and less often girth, to give protection from saddle rubs.
Because most of the hair is removed with this clip, careful watch must be taken to make sure that the horse does not become too cold. , For this clip, the entire coat is clipped off.
This is done on show horses who are heavily involved in competition, to give them a sleek coat that sweat can evaporate off of easily.
A full clip should only be done if the horse is not turned out during the winter or at night.
About the Author
Alexander Patel
Writer and educator with a focus on practical DIY projects knowledge.
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