How to Clip a Horse's Whiskers

Horse shows often demand a highly polished, well-groomed appearance. The horse needs to be bathed, groomed and trimmed in order to be presentable enough to win an award, and this grooming routine can sometimes be very complex. Most serious horse show competitors trim their horse’s whiskers in order to present a smooth, clean look to the judges. Clipping a horse’s whiskers is not a difficult process, although it does take a little time and patience.

Things You'll Need

  • Clippers
  • Coolant
  • Rag
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wash your horse’s face before attempting to clip him. Dirt can bind up your clippers, and they can nick your horse’s face.

    • 2

      Tie your horse to a secure tie ring or post. It is much simpler to clip your horse when she is standing tied.

    • 3

      Turn the clippers on and gently move them towards your horse’s chin. The chin is where most of the whiskers are, and it is the starting point least likely to scare him.

    • 4

      Lay the clippers flat against the skin on your horse’s chin and slowly move them over the skin. Clip in the direction of the whisker growth when possible to get them as short as possible.

    • 5

      Spray coolant on your clippers every ten minutes to avoid overheating. The coolant will cool the clippers and lubricate the blades to keep them sharp.

    • 6

      Clip the whiskers around the upper lip and nose of the horse once you’ve finished the chin. Take care when clipping around the nostrils, and many horses are extremely sensitive in this area.

    • 7

      Cover your horse’s eye with your hand and gently trim the bottom whiskers from under the eyelid. You want to cover the eye to make sure that you do not cause any damage with the clippers and to prevent and hairs from falling into the eye.

    • 8

      Run a damp rag over your horse’s face to remove the trimmed hairs. Clip any straggling whiskers that you find to give your horse the smoothest look possible.