Nekkid

There's one rite of spring that I can't escape:  Theo's last clip.  No horse grows hair like mi papi.  It's ridiculous.  And then he's super attached to it and doesn't shed out quickly.  He still had marks from his clip in June last year.  With the temps hitting 87* today (I still have 6 - 9" of snow melting in my backyard, I give up on this weather), I had to make sure his winter coat was gone.

You know how they say never clip a dirty horse?  There's a reason.  Theo hadn't had a bath since September.  His coat was about two inches long in the places that weren't clipped in his trace clips.  This meant even my most vigorous attempts with the curry comb didn't get to the skin.  There was about a half inch of oil, dirt, and dead skin zone.  I couldn't give him a bath until that massive winter coat came off.  I couldn't get my clippers through his winter coat without a bath.  They gummed up and stop clipping within 30 seconds with the state of his coat.  I had to dunk the blades and clean them out, then try again.

The end result was my gorgeous horse looking like a giant moth attacked him in his sleep.

I was so embarrassed.  Every time his sheet came off, I cringed.  I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture.  Especially his haunches with the bits sticking straight up. Today was a spa day with Trainer A and I doling out baths while temps are hitting 80*.  After his scrub down, I gave him a new clip job.  Much improved!

He looks like a real show horse!