Body clip opinions

[Mominis]

I am planning on body clipping Shkae 14 days to the day before he shows, he'll be clipped on the 1st. He has been growing hair like mad lately, you can't even tell he was recently clipped for the Lincoln show. My plan is to put him under lights, like I would if I were starting for a spring show. Two 250 watt bulbs for 16 hours/day. But do you think I should start that the week before I clip (next week) or start the day that I clip? I have finally figured out how to keep his sheet on (thank you Chew Stop), so he's wearing that now. Does anyone have other suggestions on how to keep him from fuzzing up too fast from the clip?

I should add that 14 days before showing is perfect timing for him as he is grey and white and his pink skin REALLY shows on his white spots, unless I do it that early. Also his grey, which is a gorgeous pewter color, takes time to get it's depth back, even with coat treatments.

 

[Becky]

It's my understanding that putting a horse under lights to limit hair growth has to be started on Summer Solstice. This year, that would have been June 21. You have to do it before the days start getting shorter to be effective.

The horses are now growing winter coats and for the AMHA World show, my horses will be clipped the day before they show. Everytime. Otherwise, they will be too hairy! Even my 'solid' white pink skinned mare. They will be wearing 'clothes' to keep the hair laying flat after they are clipped. You can't stop the winter hair growth, but you do have to get creative with grooming and clipping for these fall shows.

 

[ssshowhorses]

I dont know about anyone else but two weeks before a show would be way, way too long. Especially with the fall aproaching I get maybe 4 or 5 days out of a clip. As far as lights go if he has already started to grow a coat in quicker it is probably too late for lights, although they wouldn't hurt.

 

[Charlotte]

Now that the horses have started growing their winter coats I find they look best right after they are clipped.....but I don't clip and show the same day. the horse is too tired of being messed with to show at his best. So I clip the day before the horse shows. If I have one with a fine haircoat that shows real pink skin on the white spots I will clip with a longer blade. Or if I have one that I need to leave a bit more color on like some buckskins and palominos, I will clip with a longer blade also.

If you want to use lights to help with the coats you would start that, like Becky said, on the summer solstice. It is too late now for the lights to have the effect you want. We have used lights some years in the past and I really didn't find it to make much difference in the coats.

Charlotte

 

[minimomNC]

Yep, we always had lights on our big horses and 60 days is the bare minimum to get a coat slick. I also think 14 days is to far out to clip for Nationals. Our horses have been clipped so many times during the year that they retain their color now even clipping only a couple of days out. We do have one mare that grows a coat so slowly that she will be clipped before we leave on Sept 6 to show the second day of youth Sept 10, then she will be clipped at least one more time for ammy, futurity and open. And everyone is clipped with 30's this time, its 15's all year but with this show you want it all to look clean and tight. Facials and baths the night before they show for everyone every time they show. This is the show to do it allout for. Good luck and can't wait to see your horses at the show.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

You can clip 2 weeks in advance but I guarantee you will have to clip them again and I advise to wait to do it at the show. You will be amazed how fast a mini's coat grows during Nationals, you clip them and 2 days later you can see hair again. I have to show mine in liberty under one day and then in 3 days show in his gelding halter class. In order for him to lood good for halter I'm going to have to clip him the same day he will go into liberty. Hopefully he will feel good to go run around and play after that lol.

Also I think their best color shows at Nationals. They just look better in September then they do all year IMO.

 

[disneyhorse]

I don't think putting under lights with so little time will be effective at all. The days have already begun to shorten and the brain will recognize this.

I also think 14 days is too far out. We live so far away from Nationals that I've actually had to clip before I leave, and then clip halfway through Nationals for classes that were later in the week there. You will be clipping his head every other day anyway

I wouldn't worry about the pink skin. All the other pink-skinned horses will be in the same boat! If you clip closer to the show, just use a longer blade such as a #10 for the body instead of a #15 or #30.

Andrea

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

Two weeks is way too far out before Nationals. You will need to clip just a few Days before showing. I know that after about a week of being there the horses look ungroomed if they aren't reclipped and blending the heads just doesn't work We have tried that. If you are worried about losing color then make sure you do a hot oil treatment . We live in Texas and it is really hot but our horses are growing hair like it is coming up winter.

 

[DianeT]

We clipped today and will clip again the day before they show at Nationals.

Good luck to you & Shake

 

[Mominis]

Thanks for the support!!

As far as being too late to get moving on the lights...drat! I had hoped. Oh well, I learned something from this and next year, we'll have lights on them starting on the solstice.

I can see how two weeks may be a early this time of year, but a few days before to body clip? I'm certainly not doubting you guys, you have way more experience than I when it comes to mini-fuzzing (or would that be mini-de-fuzzing? lol) But a few days seems awfully close to the show for the clip. His coat would look nice and tight, but I'm afraid that his pewter would be pale grey and the rest of him would be pale pink and that's clipping with #10's. I do give hot oil treatments after body clipping, but he generally doesn't get that depth of color back that quickly. Hmmm...the first year with a new horse is always so hard to figure out.

What would you say would be the absolute earliest I could clip and still get the tight look I'm after without this pink?

Does anyone have a photo of a grey and white clipped for a past Nationals?

 

[Echo Acres]

I kind of think personally that people go clipping crazy for nationals and I suppose worlds (never been to worlds) I was told to clip the horses a day or two before they show in a 30 for this. I have done both a 30 and a 10. But I can say that at nationals they seem to grow hair like crazy with the cool nights and warm days. If you are using a 10 I would only do it a couple of days ahead and touch up his bridle path and the whole head that morning. Some people clip at least twice during nationals especially if they have a horse showing from youth on. I just couldn't bring myself to do that, but the one horse by the end was really fuzzy and borderline. At least these were only driving classes. Their facials were done every day or every other depending on the horse. I believe for this I used a 30 that time too.

 

[KayAnn]

We've started rough clipping all the show horses going to Tulsa. I can't believe how much hair they have grown since the last show. Then we will clip the day before the horses show. We have futurity horses that we are hoping we will not have to clip again before open classes on Friday, but if we need to we will. After clipping they will be all bundled up-blanket and hood. And someone posted earlier that they are retaining their color because of being clipped so many time this year and I agree with you, the horses coats do look richer. Have tons of fun in Tulsa, it's always a great time.

 

 

[midnight star stables]

Does anyone have a photo of a grey and white clipped for a past Nationals?

This is my mare clipped the night before each day showing in a 10 (or maybe a 15). Black shampoo is a dream!

Helps a lot for greys!

Here were pictures of the same mare, earlier in the year, when not using black shampoo and clipped two or three days before.

IMO, Nationals is just different. Horses just seem to sparkle there!

Hope I helped a bit...

 

[shadowpaints]

i was wondering about light palominos?? my stallion is a LIGHT palomino pinto, and freshly clipped he looks grey? should i just clip him the week before?? or still clip him the day before??

 

[Mominis]

Thanks for the photos! Looks like you had a really good National show that year!

 

[Sandee]

Thanks for the support!!

As far as being too late to get moving on the lights...drat! I had hoped. Oh well, I learned something from this and next year, we'll have lights on them starting on the solstice.

I can see how two weeks may be a early this time of year, but a few days before to body clip? I'm certainly not doubting you guys, you have way more experience than I when it comes to mini-fuzzing (or would that be mini-de-fuzzing? lol) But a few days seems awfully close to the show for the clip. His coat would look nice and tight, but I'm afraid that his pewter would be pale grey and the rest of him would be pale pink and that's clipping with #10's. I do give hot oil treatments after body clipping, but he generally doesn't get that depth of color back that quickly. Hmmm...the first year with a new horse is always so hard to figure out.

What would you say would be the absolute earliest I could clip and still get the tight look I'm after without this pink?

Does anyone have a photo of a grey and white clipped for a past Nationals?

What everyone is saying is that by Nationals their winter coats are starting to come in and even the "feel" of their coat is different. It's a bit coarser and seems to grow very fast. Have you notice that in the summer you can sometimes get by with clipping only once if you have 2 shows close together? Well, not a Nationals. I will be taking my big clippers because we clipped one year before leaving and before the show was over my horses looked like an old guy who beard is much over do for trimming.

Sorry this isn't a close up but here's my guy and it was towards the end of the week at Nationals.

I'm worried that his dapples aren't showing right now. Hope I find some when I clip!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I can see how two weeks may be a early this time of year, but a few days before to body clip? I'm certainly not doubting you guys, you have way more experience than I when it comes to mini-fuzzing (or would that be mini-de-fuzzing? lol) But a few days seems awfully close to the show for the clip. His coat would look nice and tight, but I'm afraid that his pewter would be pale grey and the rest of him would be pale pink and that's clipping with #10's. I do give hot oil treatments after body clipping, but he generally doesn't get that depth of color back that quickly. Hmmm...the first year with a new horse is always so hard to figure out.

Believe them- it's true! I have to rough-clip my chestnut Kody a month before his first spring show and then again no later than two weeks before to have him looking less than totally mauled. By June I can clip with a 10 two weeks before and he looks okay, July I can move to clipping with 15's and doing it a week before, by August I can clip him three days before an event with 15's or 30's and he's already red again. By late August/early September his coat looks like crushed red velvet and is a totally different texture than during the summer. And believe me, if not clipped just a few days before he looks like a stubble-field!

Using blankets helps to lay the fur down but doesn't do much for the belly or legs so I really would either clip closer to the class or clip those areas with a much closer blade than the rest of his body if doing it earlier so that they're still pretty tight after some growth.

I do think that people go a little insane with clipping at Nationals but depending on the horse and the classes entered sometimes there's really no choice. Minis seem convinced their only goal in life at this time of year is to turn into little yaks!

And it isn't a pretty process...mine were fresh-clipped when I left for the UK three weeks ago and I came back to find them both in full coat already. Like fluffy, puffy, insulating, pre-winter coats.

Yipes! I'm told they roasted while I was gone as temps jumped into the 90's. Poor horses! It's cooler now but I'll probably trace-clip again before the end of the summer so they can work without sweating up.

Leia

 

[JMS Miniatures]

What everyone is saying is that by Nationals their winter coats are starting to come in and even the "feel" of their coat is different. It's a bit coarser and seems to grow very fast. Have you notice that in the summer you can sometimes get by with clipping only once if you have 2 shows close together? Well, not a Nationals. I will be taking my big clippers because we clipped one year before leaving and before the show was over my horses looked like an old guy who beard is much over do for trimming.

Sorry this isn't a close up but here's my guy and it was towards the end of the week at Nationals.

I'm worried that his dapples aren't showing right now. Hope I find some when I clip!

Ok I have to ask did you retouch his head and neck and leave his body or is his color just like that? I have seen that before in silver dapples and was curious.

I agree people clip so close at Nationals. Even 50 sometimes on the body. I just clip mine with a 10, and he is all pinked skin. It may show up that same day the pink does but the next day its gone. I of course clip closer with the head then I do with the body.

 

[Mominis]

You guys are the pros and I think I've formulated a plan with your advice in mind:

Shake is a little odd, he will stand like a stone to get his ears clippped even without a halter on, but boy does he ever HATE getting his legs clipped. So, I'm going to do those in detail with 15's while he is still dopey from the vet coming to do his teeth on the 10th (yeah, maybe it's cheating, but oh well...

) Then I'm going to actually clip him down on the 10th and retouch his legs then in the 10's. We show on the 14th and 15th. I'm going to keep him blanketed and will but a slinky on him and hope that the grey looks marginally deep when we get to Tulsa. I'll do the face clip and ears while we are at the show.

What do you think?

PS...YAKS? Leia? YAKS? Seriously? OMG. ROFL!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

...I'm going to do (his legs) in detail with 15's while he is still dopey from the vet coming to do his teeth on the 10th (yeah, maybe it's cheating, but oh well...

) Then I'm going to actually clip him down on the 10th and retouch his legs then in the 10's. We show on the 14th and 15th.

So you're going to clip the whole horse with a 10 and do his legs with a 15 on the same day, four days before the show. Is that right? I'm a little confused by the reference to touching up his legs with a 10 the same day they were clipped with a 15.

Do yourself a favor and clip the abdomen, pectorals, throat and head (including the outside of the ears) with 15's as well. It really helps make the horse appear just that little bit more sculpted/tighter! I was a dedicated "only-use-a-10" clipper for years and still hate how horses look when fresh-clipped with a 30 or higher but I've come to realize those with more experience were right and a 15 really does look better without being a big jump up from a 10. It will also give you that extra couple of days on grow-out and this time of year should not affect how quickly his color comes back.

PS...YAKS? Leia? YAKS? Seriously? OMG. ROFL!

Ah yes, it's your first winter with a mini. You won't be laughing so much soon! *LOL*

Leia