Things You'll Need
- Electric clippers
- Blade wash
- Extension cord
- Feed bag (optional)
Instructions
The Clippers-
The setting-
The First Cut-
Taking it to the Next Level-
Ears- using a 30 or 40 numbered blade you can clip the ears (inside and out) for a clean look, but you must provide fly protection for your horse after the clip. Also, many horses really don't like the noise, so you can put some cotton gently down in the ears to block the noise.
Eyes- using a 30 or 40 blade clip the long whiskers that grow over and under the eyes. Make sure not to clip the horse's eyelashes and DON'T do this if your horse is skittish - there is a chance of injuring your horse's eye if he jumps. Always use great caution around the eyes.
Muzzle - use a 30 or 40 blade, and clip all the long whiskers off the horse's muzzle. You may need to blend into the longer hair on the horse's face.
Jaw - using a 15 blade, clip the long hair that grows under the horse's jaw, and blend up into the face hair.
The first step to clipping your horse is to pick your clippers. If you are just clipping whiskers on your horse, then you can get a basic set for $25 - $45 dollars. If you are going to do a full body-clip, then you will need at least one set (and a back-up set is helpful)of heavy-duty clippers that will run over $200. Clippers with two speeds and interchangeable blades are the kind that most horse owners typically buy if they will be clipping for horse shows. Blades are numbered, with a number 10 blade being a coarse cut - for basic leg trimming, and a size 40 blade is almost a surgical clip - it will shave the hair down to skin level. My personal preference is to use a number 15 blade for every-day clipping, and then use a number 30 or 40 blade for show clipping. You will also need blade wash and clipper cool if you are going to do anything more than clipping whiskers. The blade wash will clean the blades and give you a sharper cut, and the clipper cool will prevent the blades from getting hot and irritating your horse.
You will want to pick a quiet place, free from distraction. If your horse is very difficult to clip, you should spend time getting your horse used to the clippers. Start out slowly and as your horse reacts calmly, move the clippers closer. Start by rubbing the clippers on your horse's shoulder, and then if he is still calm, slowly move up his neck towards his head.
If you are going to be body clipping your horse, you might want to give him a bag of hay to eat since it typically takes 2-4 hours to complete a full body clip.
If your horse is just out in the pasture or ridden for pleasure, it makes sense to clip his bridle path (that is clipping about 2 to 4 inches of the mane right behind the ears - this prevents the halter/bridle from getting tangled up in the mane. You might also want to clip the whiskers on his muzzle, but this is purely aesthetical. If your horse has really hairy ears, you can clip the outside of the ears, but don't clip the inside hair as this is what keeps the flies out of the horse's ears. If you are going to show, and must clip inside your horse's ears, you need to provide him with a fly mask with ear covers and/or fly spray or fly wipe in his ears. All these types of clips can be done with a 10 or 15 numbered blade.
If you are going to a larger show, and you really want your horse to look sharp you will want to go a little farther in your clipping routine. If your horse is very fuzzy, and you don't have time to blanket him and get his winter coat shed out you have the option to body clip him. A body clip is clipping ALL the hair off your horse - this is a very time-consuming process, and this is really a last resort. If you do body clip your horse you need to do it a few weeks before the show so the coat has a chance to return to its former luster and color. You will also need to blanket your horse after you body clip it to prevent chills.
The most common places that show horses are clipped are:
Legs - usually a number 10 or 15 blade to clip the hair on the back of the cannon bone and fetlock. If the hair on your horse's legs is long, you will need to blend the parts you clip carefully so they flow into the unclipped hair without a distinct clip mark.
You can also clip the small, short hairs that grow down over the coronet band.