Guide to Types of clips for your horse

This is a guide we have put together to help you find a style of clip that will suit your needs. There really is no right or wrong. A simple rule to follow is the more work your horse is doing the more hair you could remove, the more natural protection you want your horse to have the less hair you clip off. Also make sure you have a decent pair of horse clippers.

A few things to think about before you decide which clip to go for!

Have you got adequate rugs for the horse to wear after the hair has been removed?

Is your horse sensitive under saddle, possibly a little cold backed?  If it is, it is essential that you leave at the very least the sausage / saddle patch. The hair left behind will ensure the back stays warm and will reduce the levels of sensitivity.

  Apron clip. A useful clip for a Native pony simply just removing the hair from the chest of the pony, you could take the clip down under the tummy too. Commonly used with horses and ponies not in a lot of work. On a healthy Native pony you could give this clip and still not worry about the need to rug.

  Neck and belly clip, as the name suggest, only the hair from the underneath of the neck through in-between the front legs and along the belly is clipped off. This is the perfect clip for horses that are in very light occasional work. It is even possible that Native or hairy cob type horses may still not need to be rugged with this clip. In milder winters this clip is often given to horses and ponies that might be suffering from cushion’s disease.

  Neck, belly and tops of legs. The hair is clipped in the same area as the apron clip but additional hair is removed from the top of the front legs. This clip will be of use if your horse or pony is in light work. Removing the hair at the tops of the legs will help with grooming and the removal of mud prior to tacking up. The tops of the legs can easily become sweaty in the lightest of work.

Irish clip, a little more hair still is removed. Perfect for horses doing a little more work or animals that get a little more sweaty. More hair is removed off the neck half the shoulder and a good half of the belly is clipped. You could also go onto clip some of the hair in the jowl and cheek are on the head. Removing the hair from under the jaw of the horse not only makes mud removal easier but can also improve the appearance of the head.

 Half chaser clip with half head, this clip is often seen in the race horses. The neck is clipped completely with the clip line coming from the top of the wither so the saddle area is left protected along with the loins and quarters. Only clipping the hair from the areas that are likely to sweat the most during work.

Chaser clip with half neck and full head. As the name suggests this clip is very popular with race horses. A slim line of full coat on the neck. Along with a full coverage over the loin and quarters. Removing the all the hair on the head from just behind the ears prevents sweating under the bridle. With this level of hair removal onwards it is essential to monitor your horse’s condition, perhaps ask a friend to take a glance over your horse. In cold weather horses will loose condition quickly during sudden cold snaps of weather.

Low trace clip, chalk at the ready now! The trace clip gets its name from its origin, Driving horses were clipped with the “trace lines” of their harness used as guideline. This is when you really need to start paying attention to the lines of your clip. Ideal for the horses that also sweat around and in-between their back legs. There are 3 variations to this clip so it really is up to you how low you take the clip line. As a guideline, pop the saddle on and measure down about 16/18cm from the bottom of the saddle flap.

Medium trace clip, so again it follows the lines and pattern of the Low trace clip, but the line is higher up, more hair is removed so there for more protection needs to be given.  It is common practice for this clip to include a half head clip too, but this is entirely up to you.  For a cleaner appearance I would always suggest at the very least trimming the hair under the head, a heavy beard and clipped neck, can make the head look big and untidy.

Blanket clip with a half head clip. This is a really useful clip for horses that are doing regular work, hacking, schooling some jumping. Now that all the hair is removed from the neck, the horse really does need to be provided with shelter from the elements in the form of either a stable or field shelter. Ideal if your horse doesn’t like to wear an exercise sheet as all their natural protection is left on. A great clip and very useful.

Half chaser clip with half head, this clip is often seen in the race horses. The neck is clipped completely with the clip line coming from the top of the wither so the saddle area is left protected along with the loins and quarters. Only clipping the hair from the areas that are likely to sweat the most during work.

 Hunter clip with saddle patch and legs left on. As the name suggests this is the clip often associated with horses that are hunting so there for in hard work, hard work often means lots of sweating so the more hair is taken off. The head is half clipped, this allows for the sweating behind the ears the leg hair is left on. This is to provide additional protection.  A saddle and “V” shaped patch of hair at the top of the tail is left on too.

Hunter clip with half head, sausage and spur patches legs and “V” patch left on at the top of the tail.  This clip is great for horses in a lot of work. They will need to be well rugged and stabled. Or at the very least be provided with a good field shelter if they are to be expected to live out. The sausage patch serves the same purpose as the saddle patch but is often easier to clip. Much less fiddly. Provides additional warmth and protection for the horse when saddled.  The spur patches are great particularly if you have a horse that is a little lazy to the leg. A fully clipped coat offer little protection to the skin and continuous contact from the rider legs can lead to rub marks.

A full Clip, Bald!

Have you got adequate rugs for the horse to wear after all the hair has been removed?