Clipping horses in winter removes their natural insulation, creating welfare management obligations to ensure adequate warmth through rugging and shelter.
Clipping creates a management obligation: when the horse's natural thermoregulation is compromised by removing insulating coat, the owner assumes responsibility for maintaining appropriate temperature through rugging and shelter. Failure to rug appropriately after clipping causes welfare harm through cold stress. However, the equally common problem of over-rugging - horses sweating under multiple rugs on mild days - is also a welfare concern that owners less frequently recognize because the horse appears well-covered. Weather-responsive rugging management that adjusts to conditions rather than leaving one rug all season is the welfare-positive approach.