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Need Blanketing Help for Clipped Horse!

4K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  MightyEventer 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,
I'm planning to clip my new wooly mammoth...err, I mean, horse. In addition to being VERY hairy, he is also pretty out of shape - which combines to make a horse who gets sweaty VERY easily. And then obviously requires 30 minutes of walking with a cooler to completely cool/dry off. So, that's why I'm clipping him! Considering the thickness of his coat, it's going to look very silly, but I intend to just trace clip him. I am not a fan of, and really have no need for, a full body clip.

Of course, a trace clip looks like this:



So my question is: What weight of blanket should I put on him? Could I get away with a medium weight (220g fill) + maybe a fleece sheet, or do I need to go to a heavy weight? Do I need a neck cover? And/or a belly wrap?
 
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#2 ·
I had a couple of medium weight blankets, as well as a waterproof sheet for my mare last year when I clipped her...I did kind of a modified trace, and stopped at the flank. I was also in AZ, so not sure that would make a difference where you are; it never got below the teens, and if it did it was only at night every once in a while.

I blanketed at night, usually with just one...I checked on her late at night, to make sure she was cozy; I only double blanketed her once or twice on a couple of super windy rainy type nights. During the day, I stripped the blanket and put the sheet on...if it was warmish, I would even take that off for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. The key is to make sure the horse is comfortable, and I see no need to over blanket him, even if he is clipped.

If your weather does get below the teens alot, I would say invest in a heavy weight blanket, in case he doesn't seem to stay comfortable in the medium weights.
 
#4 ·
I would go with a medium weight blanket and buy a fleece blanket liner to go with it. The medium weight should be fine for now, but you may need the liner at night if it dips in to the teens or below. You'll just have to watch him and see how he does.

If you're worried about the belly, just leave it fuzy! ;-)
 
#6 ·
Hi fellow Ohioan! (and I live in NE Ohio, on the snow belt!!) ;) My horse is trace clipped like the image you showed in your original post. And the Ohio weather (of course) has been nutty lately!! 20's at night, and then 40's today, and 55 tomorrow, back down to 30's on Weds and snow!!! GEESH!

Anyway, I've been bouncing back and forth between a light weight and medium weight since the temps starting dropping to highs during the day only in the 40's. Generally if it's in the 50's I just use a waterproof rain sheet for turnout (although my mare destroyed hers the other day so I'll be using her light weight until I get it fixed! lol) Once the highs are in the 30's (like Weds) I use her medium weight, and I actually don't own a heavy weight blanket, I just use a wool blanket as a layer underneath her medium weight if it gets into the teens at all.

I always monitor her temp, you know, the old stick your hand under the blanket up against her back/side/chest trick! ;) If she feels too warm or is sweating at all, I drop the blanket weight down a notch. If she feels cool to the touch, put a slightly heavier one on. I can't always get it right since I board and work full time, so I have to blanket her at night when I'm at the barn, then can't make any changes until I'm off work the next night, so I rely on the weather report a LOT! But basically as long as you get it close to right, I'm sure your horse will be fine, they're pretty hardy animals! ;)

As long as you're not over blanketing and making your horse feel like he's dripping wet and in a sauna...or the other extreme -- making your clipped horse who has half of his natural coat protection gone stand around in the below freezing wind chills without a blanket! I think he'll be fine and ready for this horrible Ohio winter everyone's been talking about already!
 
#7 ·
@Hoofprints - I live in SW Ohio!

I think I'm going to go with the medium weight & possible additional layers route. Of course, we all know that as soon as I buy the medium weight and my horse has gotten it nice and dirty so I can't return it, it's going to drop to like 10 degrees. LOL.
 
#8 ·
You will be better off with a medium weight and being able to put on a fleece/wool liner under it, or a light rain proof one over it, then only having a heavy weight blanket. You can do more combinations of blanketing with a medium then a heavy.
 
#10 ·
Clementine,

I trace clip my horse in the winter and it can get down to -30c. ( thats the coldest we will put them out in) and he wears a stable blanket, and then a insulated shell, and he did fine.. I tryed to put a hood on but he ripped it off 20 minutes after I put it on. So i'm pretty sure your horse will be fine with a medium weight blanket.
 
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