We were lucky enough to have some seriously nice weather here in Texas between Christmas and New Years. Temps were mostly in the 70’s and it alternated between sunny and overcast. It climbed up into the 80’s a few days, and one day it stayed down in the 50’s, but still – it did not suck. What did suck was how sweaty and gross my ridiculously hairy horse got on those 80 degree days.
I did Henry’s Irish clip in October, and pretty much all of that hair had grown back with a vengeance. Like, no kidding, his clipped part was hairier than an un-clipped Halo. For a horse that already has a heat tolerance issue, this meant it was time for haircut #2. I toyed with the idea of giving him his usual hunter clip (leaving the legs and a saddle patch) because it looks better, but I’ve actually really liked how the Irish clip has worked for us so far this season. Yes, it’s a little goofy looking, but it keeps his back and hind end warmer and requires less aggressive blanketing. Practical Me doesn’t often win out, but she did this time.
It looks especially goofy because his unclipped part is SO HAIRY (we’re talking 3″ butt and leg hairs when he’s all fluffed up), and because of, well… his ears.
He will let me clip all the way up to the base of his ears with no complaint, but even a draft horse dose of tranqs plus a twitch (I know this from previous experience) aren’t enough to take the fight out of him when it comes to his ears. I have no interest in clipping the hair out of the inside of his ears, but it’d be nice to get all that (gross curly) hair off the backs/sides. Alas, I decided a long time ago that it’s just not worth the fight with this horse. If Henny wants his hairy squirrel ears that badly, he can keep them.
We like to say that the hair is required to keep the hamster in his brain warm. Or maybe all that hair keeps his brain from falling out of his ear. Either way, we can all agree that this is exactly why ear bonnets are a life necessity. Just stick a pretty little hat over them and nobody ever has to know about the mess underneath.
breedrideevent.com 
Oh Henny 😂😂😂
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Miles’ ears aren’t clipped either… even though the rest of his face is. Just not worth the fight! Haha
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it really isn’t!
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I love modified body clips. I did a hunter clip on my fox hunting horse this year. They just look so cute!
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LOL squirrel ears. I haven’t clipped at all this season, the irish clips look silly but I actually quite like them.
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I really like it too. As long as we aren’t hitting any recognized shows with that hair cut….
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Poor Remus is still not clipped yet this year but I like the Irish clip too. Also my horse let’s me do his ears (I think he falls asleep when i clip the outside of them, i never do the inside either but his ears are fuzzier than Henry if that is possible)!
I cant believe how often you have to clip him! (OH TO HAVE A BATH DAY AGAIN!) high of 50 today here today and high of 30 tomororw. ARGHHH
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He’s ridiculously hairy
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” Just stick a pretty little hat over them and nobody ever has to know about the mess underneath.”
Pretty much sums up my personal hair style since I started wearing a riding helmet.
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baseball hat for the win when not actually wearing said helmet!! 🙂 fashon diva HA 🙂
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kinda works in several regards
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I like the Irish clip, too. Cosmo got an updated version this year. He also does not go for the clipped ears. Not worth the battle when you can give yourself a reason to buy more bonnets!
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I DO have two more bonnets on the way from ITBF…
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SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Maybe a weird clip, but those are some fancy dapples!
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I’m dying to clip C. Full body. Hair off.
But he’s not in work and when I do get out there, he’s not breaking a sweat. So. Dammit.
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Henry was lathered last week after a conditioning ride. Like head to toe. Poor guy. Much better yesterday without all the hair! It’s definitely nice to have a valid excuse to remove hair.
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I love his squirrel ears. My guys all have hairy ears but because 24/7 turnout and no shows. I can clip them all easily enough, just don’t want to. Copper’s ears look ginormous clipped so…
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My ear clipping skills are not good lol… I need to do some sort of clip too if it would ever stop raining!!!
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You want to see funny clips, try endurance riding. We tend to leave girths areas on to avoid rubs… Looks pretty funky having a blanket clip with the girth left on but it works for my two.
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Bacon turns into a rabid giraffe if I even think about getting near the ear hairs. And I don’t really like being flung around by a rabid giraffe.
Also, Henny looks adorable.
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I took the same approach to ears with Jamp when he was a jumper. But sadly, when he became a hunter/eq horse he had to learn to have his ears trimmed. I think his favorite part about not showing last year was not having to be primped.
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I kind of love his fuzzy ears. Then again, I didn’t clip my yak at all this winter. But maybe in just trying to relive my thelwell days!
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