Winter clipping guidance spotlights four common horse clip styles
Bottom line
Equus Magazine this week published two practical horse-care pieces by Laurel Scott that zero in on winter clipping: one outlining four commonly used clip patterns, and another reviewing when clipping makes sense, when it doesn’t, and how to do it safely. In the broader guidance article, Scott reports that common options include the trace clip, blanket clip, and full body clip, with clip choice tied to workload, turnout, and how much the horse sweats. Alena Meacham, director of the Horse Riding Program at the University of Connecticut, told Equus that horses in heavy work, competition, or those that struggle to cool down and dry off are the clearest candidates for winter clipping. (equusmagazine.com)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, technicians, and barn teams, the takeaway is less about aesthetics and more about thermoregulation, recovery, and management. Extension guidance from Rutgers notes that regularly exercised horses may benefit from at least a trace clip, but fully body-clipped horses shouldn’t be left out in inclement weather even if blanketed, and they may have higher energy needs because of heat loss. That makes clip selection part of a larger winter-care plan involving blanketing, shelter, nutrition, skin monitoring, and realistic expectations about turnout and work. (njaes.rutgers.edu)
What to watch: Expect more seasonal education on clip choice, blanketing, and re-clipping intervals as winter coats come in across North America, especially for horses in regular work. (equusmagazine.com)
Equus Magazine has put winter clipping back on the radar with two new educational pieces from Laurel Scott: one focused on four popular clip patterns, and a companion article published September 24, 2026, on the “hows and whys” of clipping. Together, they frame clipping as a practical management decision for working horses, not a cosmetic one, with the central question being how to balance exercise demands against the protection of the natural winter coat. (equusmagazine.com)
That framing reflects a long-standing tension in equine winter care. Horses in regular training often sweat heavily under a dense winter coat, which can leave them wet for prolonged periods after exercise. Scott’s reporting notes that this can make cooling out difficult and increase the risk of chills, especially on cold evenings. At the same time, clipping removes some of the horse’s natural insulation, which means management has to change once the coat comes off. (equusmagazine.com)
In the Equus article, Scott cites Alena Meacham of the University of Connecticut, who says horses in heavy work, competition, or those that sweat excessively and struggle to cool down are the most likely to benefit from clipping. Meacham also says horses in more moderate work may benefit if they routinely take more than 30 minutes to cool down and dry off. Equus says most horses are clipped after the winter coat comes in, typically between October and December depending on region, and some may need touchups every six to eight weeks. (equusmagazine.com)
While the source package highlights “four popular winter clips,” the broader clipping guidance identifies the trace clip, blanket clip, and full body clip as standard options, each removing a different amount of coat. Rutgers NJAES adds two important points for veterinary professionals: horses in regular winter work may benefit from at least a trace clip, and body-clipped horses may have higher energy needs because of increased heat loss. Rutgers also notes that full body-clipped horses shouldn’t be left out in inclement weather, even if blanketed, underscoring that clip choice is inseparable from housing and turnout decisions. (equusmagazine.com)
Additional industry guidance aligns with that message. PetMD’s equine clipping overview lists the most common patterns as full-body, hunter, blanket, trace, Irish, and bib clips, while Chewy’s educational guide says clipping can be especially helpful for horses with endocrine or hair-coat problems, including PPID, because it can improve comfort and temperature regulation. Those sources are not veterinary consensus statements, but they do reflect how clip decisions are being translated into everyday barn management for pet parents and trainers. (petmd.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary teams, winter clipping is a management issue with clinical implications. A horse that stays wet after work may be at greater risk of prolonged chilling, skin problems, and poor recovery, but a horse that’s clipped without an adequate plan for blanketing, shelter, calorie intake, and daily skin checks can run into a different set of problems. Rutgers specifically warns that blankets should be removed at least daily to check for rubs or infections, and that clipped horses may need more nutritional support in winter. That makes clipping a useful entry point for client education on the full winter-care picture, especially for performance horses, older horses, and horses with abnormal coat growth. (njaes.rutgers.edu)
The expert perspective here is notably practical rather than controversial. Meacham’s comments to Equus emphasize matching the clip to the horse’s actual workload and avoiding late-season clipping that could remove early summer coat. That kind of nuance is useful in practice, because many pet parents think of clipping as a yes-or-no decision, when in reality the more important question is how much coat to remove, when to do it, and whether the barn can support the aftercare that follows. (equusmagazine.com)
What to watch: As colder weather sets in, watch for more extension and veterinary messaging around individualized clip selection, re-clipping timing, and the downstream needs of clipped horses, especially blanketing protocols, turnout limits during bad weather, and nutritional adjustments through late winter. (equusmagazine.com)