Preparation and a bit of planning before starting to clip will ensure that clippers, blades and horse will be clean and tip top condition!
Although most professional or seasoned grooms will be able to make a clip look good in most conditions, the less experienced will benefit from keeping a few key tips to hand, to help achieve a smooth finish, without causing stress to horse, owner or equipment!
Don’t expect to bring in a wet, muddy horse, and then assume a quick brush over and clip will give you the finish of your dreams.
A few days prior to clipping:
1. Check all your clipping equipment. If you are doing your first clip of the season, don’t leave it until the day before. Clippers that have been left unused for several months, may not be ready to start when you want them to! Plug them in or re-charge the battery and start them up.
2. Check your blades to see whether you have the most suitable grade to hand. Do they need sharpening, and have you got spare sets in the same grade?
3. If you are using a trimmer for heads and fiddly areas, again check that you have them on a grade setting that is compatible to the grade of blade you are going to use on the body. Some trimmers have built in blade adjusters, others have grades of blades that can be purchased.
4. If you are using a mains clipper, ensure it is fitted with a circuit breaker and check for any cable breaks along the main lead as well as going into the head of the clipper.
5. Ensure you have clipper oil to hand as well as a soft blade brush to clean away excess hair
and a clean cloth or towel to wipe away excess oil from the clipper once oiled.
6. Most clippers have tension sets – this is what keeps the blades together. Always handy to keep a spare one of these, as they can easily get lost in the straw or shavings.
7. Small clipper blade boxes are handy to keep spare blades in as well as tension sets and other small accessories that may be needed.
On the clipping day:
1. Ensure the horse is clean (preferably bathed the day before), dry and relaxed.
2. Allow plenty of time and choose a time in the day that suits the horse too – turnout and feed
times should be avoided.
3. Have a rug handy – a smooth, nylon type that won’t attract the clipped hair is best. Keep
this over quarters or on any areas that are not being clipped to keep the horse warm.
4. Apply a tail bandage to the tail and plait up the bottom so there is no chance of tail hair
being caught in the clippers, especially when clipping legs.
5. Have a sturdy stool, or box handy to stand on, there are often moments when its easier to
be higher up to clip.
8. Keep a Haynet handy, if you can clip the head and neck area first and then give a haynet
whilst you are doing the rest of the body, this can distract a horse that is fidgetty.
9. An extra person is handy. Not essential for a more experienced clipper but helpful when
clipping initially.
10. Choose a dry, well lit area with a solid non-slip surface. An area that is out of prevailing
winds is also sensible.
11. Wear clothing that gives protection from masses of clipped hair! Coveralls or waterproof
jacket and trousers are a good choice as well as a hard hat and sturdy boots or shoes.
Where to start?
Decide before hand what type of clip will be required and mark out with chalk or similar if
unsure of where to clip to.
Check blades are correctly tensioned and oiled and then turn the clippers on and run near the
horse for a few moments to establish if the horse is apprehensive or not. If all appears to be
fine, then start to clip around the shoulder area. Keep the blade parallel to the coat rather than
tipping the blade forward. Applying a constant pressure will give a smooth finish. Uneven
pressure will cause lines to appear.
Slightly overlap each line as you go, taking clean sweeps. Hold any excess skin back to avoid
catching the sensitive soft skin areas.
Use trimmers or light duty clippers which are quieter and more manageable around the head
and other sensitive areas.
Stop frequently to check blades, and oil every 10 minutes. If blades still get hot despite oiling,
apply a blade coolant, or remove blades and change to a fresh set if the horse is getting fidgety.
This is quite often the cause of irritated horses along with using blades that are blunt and pull on
the skin.