Clipping 101

Clipping is an acquired skill; some would even say it's an art. One thing is certain, and that is everyone has to start somewhere. The more you do it, the better you'll get. There are some people that are just more gifted when it comes to doing a masterful job. Planning, organization, repetition and consistency will help you have the best possible experience and outcome.

Planning:
It's a good idea to think carefully about when you're going to clip your horse. The night before the show is not the time to attempt a full body clipping session. In the cooler climates, we recommend body clipping up to a month pre-show season. It allows you to take your time and get the coat in tip top shape and let minor errors grown out. If you do clip a few weeks before an event, makes sure you're ready to double or even triple blanket in the cooler climates to keep the coat looking how you want.

Gather your equipment and perform general maintenance on it a few days before you're thinking of clipping. If you're purchasing clippers, we recommend buying the best clippers you can afford. Speed, ease of blade changing, and how often you have to oil the blades are all things to consider. Rechargeable clippers are fine for small jobs, but often speed and durability are sacrificed by going cordless. If it's been awhile since you had the clippers out, clean and oil them and makes sure your blades are sharp. Typically, we buy blades at the beginning of each season. You can have them sharpened mid-season, but repeated sharpening tends to wear on the blades. If you can afford it, a new 10 blade for the body and a 30 or 40 for the face is not a bad investment each year. Great blades mean fewer nicks and lines.

Bathe your horse the day before you clip. This not only allows your horse's coat to dry completely, but it helps the horse's stress level. If you pull your horse out, run maintenance on your clippers, bathe him and then wait for him to dry before you clip, that's a long time in the cross ties and more time for him to become anxious. If it's too cold to bathe your horse, take a couple of extra days to thoroughly curry and brush him. Dirt clogs clippers and makes the clipping process difficult. Spot clean the really dirty areas with warm water and towel dry.

We recommend buying a quality grooming halter without a throatlatch. The less time you have to fuss with the halter or make adjustments to clip around the head, the better.

Pick the proper stool to stand on when clipping. This may seem minor, but it's actually pretty important. You want one that's sturdy, but if you do have to jump free you don't want one that's so bulky it can hurt your horse. A good stool will not have any handles or extras on the side - fewer things to get cords or your feet suck on when you have to move quickly.

Decide where in the barn you'll be clipping. We like brightly lit grooming stalls that are out of the way of the general traffic flow. It's easiest to clip horses when there's relatively little activity at the barn. A quiet area will reduce your stress levels and the horse's as well. You want to focus on what you're doing. There is no need to have a gallery of spectators watching your every move, or distracting you with chatter. While clipping, you need to be tuned into your horse to do the best job possible, and do it in an efficient period of time. That said, we recommend having someone with you to hold the horse and help if needed. Hopefully you don't have to twitch your horse to do his ears or other sensitive areas, but if you do, it's definitely a good idea to have someone working with you. Trade your service; one day you're the one with the clippers and the next you're holding your helper's horse for them.

Clipping Day:
Before the Blades Touch Your Horse
Prior to pulling your horse out of his stall, lay out everything you need in an accessible place to where you'll be clipping. The clippers, clipper oil, cooling lubricant, blades, extension cord, a clipper brush, a few towels. People always seem to run out of clipper oil. You can use baby oil if absolutely necessary, but clean everything especially thoroughly when done if you do this. Make sure your clipping area is clutter free and your tools accessible but not in the way of the horse if he gets excited.

Pull the horse out of his stall and get him settled in the cross ties. This should be a calm, matter-of-fact process. Don't rush, but don't dawdle. You have a job to do, a process, and you're going to do it. With your helper standing next to the horse, stand a few feet away from them and turn on your clippers. Watch how the horse responds. If he gets jumpy or tries to move away from you, the horse is probably sensitive and going to take a little more time to clip. That's fine, don't put excessive pressure on yourself or the horse. If you're attempting your first body clip, give yourself plenty of time. It may take two or three sessions over a few days. That's okay. It's not a race.

As you draw nearer the horse, if he starts to pull back on the cross-ties, turn off the clippers. We recommend not keeping him tied, but have your help hold him with a lead rope. Take a moment, calm the horse and then walk around the horse with the clippers in hand, but not turned on, and touch him with them in several spots. After a turn or two, go back to the same spots and pet him again in the areas you touched, but this time with the clippers in the hand you're not using to pet him. You should be able to calm him, but understand that you're probably not going to do a full body clip in one session.

Time to Clip
It's a good idea to start clipping a horse where he's less likely to be sensitive and where you can get comfortable. We recommend starting on the area in the middle of the neck that is typically covered by the mane. Hold the clippers firmly in your hand. The idea is for the clippers to float over the body of your horse with even pressure without pressing down too hard, just hard enough. You also don't want the clippers to leave the horses body. We like to use an x motion clipping against the direction of the hair when going over the horse which really helps eliminate lines. Take your time and don't rush. We recommend saving the face, ears, stomach, legs and other areas that can be trickier and more sensitive for when the horse is comfortable.

Things to Keep in Mind While Clipping
There are no hard rules as to what parts of the horse you clip first or in what sequence. Many people will do the body, then the legs and end with the face. Others move around a bit based on how their horse is doing going back and forth, side to side. Figure out what works for you and your horse and have at it.

Keep the blades clean. Most clippers come with a brush which you should use frequently to get loose hair out from between the teeth of your blades. If you're like us and lose the brush that comes with the clipper, a soft toothbrush works great.

Oil as you go. After you brush the hair and dirt out from the blades, oil your clippers - preferably with oil made specifically for clippers. With the clippers off and pointing down, put a small amount of oil on the teeth and the back bar of the clipper blade. It's especially important to have the clippers pointing down when you turn the clippers on for 30 seconds to a minute to distribute the oil. You don't want the oil to run back into the drive part of clippers. Turn off the clippers and wipe away excess oil. When body shaving, we typically oil the blades 3 to four times a session.

Clippers get hot - really hot. Keep checking the temperature with your own hand and use coolant spray liberally. A good coolant will immediately cool the blades.

Watch the cord. Pick an extension cord that's not too long, but long enough to work on your horse. It's dangerous to have a cord either you or your horse can get caught on when working. Always know where the cord is and don't drape it over or under your horse.

Breaks are good. It's rare that a horse will stand perfectly still for hours at a time. Take breaks and walk you horse or let him back in the stall for some hay or for a chance to urinate.

Stay alert. Don't let the buzz of the clippers lull you into a false sense of security. Your horse may be fine and dealing well with the clippers one minute and upset the next when you begin working on legs, ears, stifle, or the very ticklish belly. If his tail starts moving or he raises his head, be ready to move away from aggressive behavior. Don't let yourself get kicked or knocked off the stool. A horse usually will raise his head or twitch his tail in protest to clipping a certain spot before he becomes more aggressive. Be careful and stay alert especially near the front legs, where a horse can strike forward, or the back legs where he can kick out.

General clean up. When you've finished using your clippers, clean and oil them before putting them away. This will prolong the life of your clippers and protect your investment.

The Day After:
Your horse's coat is going to need extra special love and conditioning the days post clipping. We recommend lots of brushing, conditioning and even hot oil baths to keep the coat looking great and not mousy. Ultra hot oil is a great product. Many people say they get great results with human hot oil products such as V05 or Suave.

Give your horse a little extra love. Clipping even under the best of circumstances is stressful. Even if you're not a "treater", a few extra carrots after a session and the next day won't hurt.

Have any advice or experiences you want to share with fellow members? Post your comments below!