The foaling mare clip

[Charlotte]

I was just out currying Star and Red...the first two due here. I wonder how many hours per foal I have spent currying?

I know some do the preg mare clip. How many do?

I've always thought it was probably a good idea to either do the clip or to curry the mare as clean as possible to help prevent a hair impaction in a young baby. Now just a week or so ago I was reading somewhere about foaling miniature mares and it talked about doing the clip to help prevent corneal ulcers in the very young foal. I had never heard of that reason but it makes sense.

So if you do the preg mare clip.....the hair is still there and shedding, just shorter, right? Would that still bother the eyes?

Also, I worry about doing that clip on a mare like Red. All pink skin and we ARE in Oklahoma where the sun always shines. I think I would worry about sun burn?

I'm very undecided and would like to hear some opinions.

Thanks,

Charlotte

 

[txminipinto]

Yes. I do just a #10 clip up their flank, their entire belly, armpits, and chest. It helps with all the reasons you listed, plus, it's 80 degrees today! Those mares are hot!

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Yep, we do the clip here too, and in fact will probably be clipping my first here in a few weeks as she's due as early as March 30th on her first set of breeding dates and has a decent size udder..

I clip our girls similar to what txminipinto said, though I don't do their chests, and I do clip around their tail-head and down their butt cheeks to keep the long/shedding hairs off the baby as it's born, don't want them sticking to the baby and then the mare ingesting them when she cleans off the foal..

 

[Mona]

No, I never have and don't plan to start. I do like you, and brush, brush, brush (with a rake). That gets rid of the most of it, and I have never had a reason to do otherwise. It works for me, so I'll continue doing as I am.

 

[REO]

For Spring foals....I have found that I have to keep checking for, and clearing out the mare's shed hair out of baby's eyes. I guess I'll have to start clipping the mare's sides, chests and buns too! Or get goggles for the foals! *sigh*

 

[Leeana]

I am planning to clip the belleys and part of the flank on our mares too when they get closer, will most likely just use a #10 too. With how the girls are shedding, first mare being due in early April, when the foal is trying to find the milk bar i am sure they will appreciate not having a mouthful of momma's hair too.

 

[Matt73]

Nope. Maybe I've been lucky. My first mini foal headed straight for the udder (smart little girl). No mouth-fulls of hair. Lexus, my mare that's due at the end of April/beginning of May has been blanketed all winter (she's a little princess that gets cold easily and shivers :Cold-Scared ) and has a minimal winter coat (although she's now starting to shed). I'll just groom her.

 

[Indy's mom]

Would anyone have a good pic of the foaling mare clip?

~Tammy

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Here's one of our gals from 2007, got a little "extreme" with her, usually don't clip quite that high, but she foaled first of April and still had ALOT of hair on her that came out in handfuls:

 

[cowgurl_up]

I've only foaled out one mini and that was in March last year but I did a clip just around the udder area. The mare was shedding like crazy but I didn't have any problem with hair getting the foals eyes or mouth.

Here's a pic of the clip I did.

 

[Viki]

I have and havent done it. It depends on the mare and time of year. If she is shedding really heavy, I'll clip. If not, I leave her alone.

Viki

 

[countrycharm]

i clip my mares that are due early and are really fluffy, one mare i didnt do as i cant get near her with the clippers and i kept having to clean the foals eyes it was terrible. i do much the same as the bay mare but do clip up the arm pits aswell i find the mares thoroughly enjoy it to getting sooo hot and itchy by the time they are due

the mares due later i tend to leave as they are all shedded out

 

[sedeh]

This is the first year that I've got earlier foals coming. In the past my first foals haven't been until the end of April and I could get them pretty well shed out. I've got 2 mares that are within days of foaling(I hope). I've just been aggressively shedding them with my "furminator" and brushing them daily. They actually look pretty good and don't have much loose hair at all. So, I'm not clipping. We'll see how it goes!

 

[wildoak]

Those of you in Canada probably don't have mares shedding out like crazy yet

I do a partial clip, how much I clip depends on how much the mare is shedding. I've done a moderated version for the mare I'm waiting on now, but at the rate she's going I'll be body clipping before she foals! 355 days today.........

Jan

 

[Suzie]

We clip here. You can see our mare on camera now for her clip.

 

[Mona]

Those of you in Canada probably don't have mares shedding out like crazy yet

You're absolutely correct with that...they start their massive shedding in March/April...just in time for foaling season!!

 

[Indy's mom]

We clip here. You can see our mare on camera now for her clip.

Hi Suzie

Is that mare due tonight? She looks ready to go!

I got a good look at her clip job, thank you!! Good luck!!

~Tammy

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I started two years ago, it makes it easier to see under there for one thing, and they are so itchy I would think it's more comfortable for the mare too! A lot of times they are getting sweaty because it warms up enough during the day, but is too cold at night to do a full clip.

I figure the more things I can prevent as far as the foal getting impacted and corneal uclers, the better. They can get in enough trouble anyway!

 

[Charlotte]

They can get in enough trouble anyway!

AMEN!

I REALLY appreciate everyone's input on this and those clip pictures too. I think I'm going to have to go ahead and clip Red. I may do Star too, but Red has enough hair for 3 horses and she's been quite hot already!

sedeh, What is a 'furminatior'?

Charlotte

 

[REO]

It isn't that the foals go grabbing mouthfuls of hair, it is also that the first milk is sticky and the hair sticks to the sticky milk around the foal's mouth and then they get it in their mouths. I'm always worried about that because there have been a few people that lost foals to a hairball colic