Trimming Up

Trimming up time!

With the show season upon us, here are a few tips to help you produce your horse neat and tidy for the competition season.

Trimming, if done carefully, can enhance and give definition as well as keep your horse looking groomed and tidy, whether competing or day to day hacking.  A well presented horse is a reflection on the owner too.

Obviously not every owner will want their animal trimmed to a show ring finish, but most owners like to keep their animals looking nicely turned out.

Most areas that need to be kept tidy are under the jaw, ears, feathers, bridle paths and down the backs of legs and heels.  Depending on the thickness of the hair, you will find that most trimmers will be able to cope.  Some trimmers are designed with an adjustable switch to give a closer or coarser finish, this is particularly useful if there are thicker areas to trim such as feathers and heels.

Trimmers are also very quiet and easy to use, and will offer a good introduction for young or nervous horses, before going on to be fully clipped.

If you are showing, it’s worth checking with the various breed societies and associations before giving your horse or pony a quick “back and sides” as some associations do not permit trimming to certain breeds.                                            

When trimming you can either clip with or against the hair.  The photos above show trimming against the way the hair is laying, this is better to do under the chin and jaw area as it gives a very neat finish.  With the feathers, again, it depends how much hair there is to trim but in the above photos the hair was soft and we wanted to give a close finish without looking like it had been trimmed. 

There are many trimmers available which are perfect for the job but all have varying capabilities. We have a selection which includes the Liveryman Classic, Liveryman Element, the Onyx, the Sonic and the Lister Tempo Trimmer, any of which are quiet and very suitable for all round trimming.

Here you can see the difference a bit of a trim and a wash can make.  Always good to brush off as much mud and dirt first, or if time, wash and dry and then trim.