Clipping?

Question
QUESTION: Hello! I am the owner of a 13 year old Saddlebred, and I had a question about clipping. My horse (Spirit) gets *very* hot in the summer when we're working (jumping, Saddle Seat, and a bit of dressage), and after maybe 2 hours of hard work he'll just be covered in sweat! It looks like I dumped water all over him! So I was wondering if clipping would help him. I am in 4-H with him, and we ride for about 1-3 hours every day in summer. Spirit is on pasture 24/7 as well. Would clipping help him? Also, would it affect his normal coloring? I know it would go back to normal after he shed his summer coat out, but would his normal color and shine come back before then? Because his coat is a beautiful red sorrel, and I'd hate to mess it up:)
Thank you!! -Montana and Spirit

ANSWER: Hello and thank you for your question. If you do show in the summer (even 4H) I wouldn't recommend clipping him in the spring/summer. It will give him a slightly different color and it may look a little odd he may not be as shiny either.  With shorter hair the insects and irritants may affect him more too. If you are concerned about him sweating heavy in the winter you may want to trace or body clip in the winter. I have body clipped for shows in February and to tell you the truth the horse did not have a great show coat for the summer. It was just dull and didn't look the greatest even though he was getting the best food and supplements and had very good hair conditioning. I wouldn't worry too much about his sweating, all horses are different just like people, and some sweat more then others. Just cool him out good after your workout and give him a good rinse ( not bath, too much shampoo can cause a dull and itchy coat). I show a lot in the summer and when its hot every horse sweats, it doesn't look good but it happens to everyone. I hope I have helped, best of luck and happy trails!

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QUESTION: Thank you very much for your fast response! I've decided not to clip him. However, should I clip his white socks? Because they are practically impossible to get white! Thanks!

Answer
Hello again and thanks for the question. I have a paint with 4 white socks that go really high on his legs and I know how hard it is to keep them clean! I would recommend clipping the white. I like to keep the white clipped starting in early spring through to fall even when I am not showing (but not in the winter). Start to clip from the hoof up the leg against the hair and STOP right at the sorrel. I like to clip 2-4 days before the show. It takes some practice so when it warms up a little start clipping his socks so you can get the hang of it before you start to show, that way you can make mistakes and learn how to make it work for you and him. I also suggest getting some spot out cleaner and white/whitening shampoo. The whitening shampoo is for horses, its a purple color and works well to get the white supper bright. The spot on cleaner such as VETROLIN'S GREEN SPOT OUT works well to get stubborn stains out before and at a horse show. I hope I have helped! Best of luck and happy trails. If you have any other questions just ask. Thanks!