Because horses evolved from cold climates, their bodies were adapted to generate and store heat. And while a horse that can regulate its activity level can be quite comfortable with its full winter coat, modern showhorses that are worked year-round must be clipped in the winter. Why?
Bodyclipping is not only generally humane, but often also aesthetically pleasing.
Just as a test, the next time the weather is cold in your area, put on ample clothes to keep you warm enough to sit outside on the porch for a few hours. Then, without removing any of the clothes, take a good jog around the farm. Are you too hot? Could you run faster and longer if you had fewer clothes on?
Now, go around the side of your house and find the hose. Okay, get hosed off and wait for those clothes to dry (and no, you can't change. . . pretend those clothes are attached to you). Are you cold yet? You can't go in the house where it's warm. I've got an idea! Here, we'll put a blanket on top of the wet clothes. Feel better now? Now you know why body clipping is so important.
A horse's thicker, heavier coat serves him well in his NATURAL winter environment, (cold, wet weather, sparse feed, and a fairly sedentary lifestyle) but it's really not appropriate for the modern sporthorse. Although we mean well, we have created an UNNATURAL winter environment by stabling our horses out of the elements, feeding well, and providing artificial warmth through blanketing. The horse's extra protection is no longer needed and can sometimes do more harm than good, especially if your horse is being asked to work frequently.
Therefore, while body clipping and trimming horses can be aesthetically pleasing, the first and most important reason for body clipping should be the health and comfort of the horse. Failing to clip when necessary can result in the following problems:
1. Excess heat can cause a great deal of distress during work and profuse sweating can cause dehydration;
2. Hyperthermia (overheating) occurs when a horse's body produces heat faster than he can dissipate it;
3. Over a short period of time, being too hot can actually cause a horse to lose condition if regularly asked to work hard, even if he is being properly fed. It can be nearly impossible to condition a horse under these circumstances;
4. A thick winter coat can take hours to dry, leaving the horse to stand around wet and cold. . .catching a chill could lead to pneumonia;
5. Treatment of any type of skin condition is easier and more effective with a short coat;
6. Grooming a horse properly when his coat is long is very difficult. Dried sweat that is not removed can cause sores and rubs from tack and blankets that can lead to infection. Mud and dirt are much easier to remove when the coat is short (however, body clipping should never take the place of proper grooming); and
7. Problems, such as swelling, cuts and scrapes, skin disease, can go unnoticed when hidden by all that hair.
