Last clip of the season: Is this tradition or is there a reason?

If you want to keep with tradition, then the last week in January is always the date to aim for.  Traditionally most horses start to grow their new coats at the beginning of the year and start to shed their winter coat in February. 

However, many more horse owners now prefer to clip all year round, particularly if competing, and they are looking for a consistently short coat throughout the season.  From a practical point of view, now that clippers have become more accessible to horse owners, it can be easier to clip in the Spring to remove the excess shedding hair. 

Although there is consideration to be given on whether clipping after January will affect the natural growth of the coat, for most types, this doesn’t seem to be the case. 

Comfort should be of prime consideration, and this goes hand in hand with the amount and type of work that the horse is being expected to carry out.  With the dynamics of equestrianism changing, many horses are expected to compete in extreme conditions, which will necessitate clipping during the summer months especially if competing abroad and in hot climates. 

Competition horses need to be turned out to a high standard and look good, but the necessity for perfection in their coats is not as extreme as in the showing world.  A few lines left on a show jumper or an event horse, would not be frowned upon in the same way as in the show ring. 

Different breeds will grow varying densities of hair, and the re-growth on natives can be tricky.  Careful timing for clipping these types is essential to ensure that they enter the ring with a gleaming summer coat.  The only way to assess this correctly is knowing your horse and how his coat reacts during the winter months, and then being able to time it accordingly for the last clip. This can be any time between the end of January to even as late as April depending on the colour and coat conditions. 

So, to answer the question is there a specific time for the last clip of the season, it is personal preference and depends on you and your horses’ individual needs.  If you need to clip, then clip.  If you are lucky to have a horse with a fine coat that can carry you through the year without seeing a set of clippers at all, then even better!