First time body clipping

[ExJumper]

After participating in the "Body Clipper Recommendations" thread I finally decided that I would give body clipping a shot this year on my own.

I pulled the trigger and bought a pair of the Andis ACG 2-speed clippers. It was a hard choice, as I do have a nice furry ISH, but I will only be using them to clip one horse (him) a few times a winter, and I thought I should try the cheaper ones before jumping right into the bigger more expensive ones. (I found these on eBay for about $120 with shipping.) So let us not discuss if I should have gotten different clippers ;) because those are the clippers that I'll be using on this, my first body clipping attempt.

So now I have a few quick questions about how to go about this. I know a few things to do:

1) clean horse, so I will bathe him the night before
2) relaxed horse, so I will ride him before I clip him

I've clipped his legs up to his knees and clipped his blaze before and he didn't care at all, so I think he'll be okay about this thing. He's pretty laid back on the cross ties.

I go against the grain, right? Do you start somewhere in particular? What sequence do you do their body parts in? Do you do one whole side and then the other whole side of the horse? I know I leave a triangle of hair above his tail, but can I leave a trip along his whithers? Do you do the parts you think he'll hate FIRST, or LAST? Should I drug him the first time just to be sure? Would a little ace do the trick or do I need something more complicated?

And clipper care:

The clippers will have new blades. Should I order an extra set to have with me at this first clip, or will the one set do okay? How frequently do I need to dip the blades in something? What is it exactly that I dip them in?

Is there anything I'm missing? I realize that no matter how I mangle him he'll probably look okay in a few weeks, but I don't want us to get laughed at, either :) He's furrier than my old TB so I think he'll have to be clipped a number of times this winter and I don't want to pay $150+ three or four times. That's a whole horse show I could go to!

Any more hints? I've searched on the topic, but I thought I'd ask again specifically as it's rapidly approaching body clipping time and others probably have the same questions.

:)

[NorCalDressage]

Try it without Ace. Sometimes they get sweaty with that, and clipping a sweaty horse is no fun.

My recs are:

1) When you start with the brand new blade, apply some Andis clipper oil (a container should come with your clippers) across the teeth of the blade - where the two pieces slide across one another - you do this with the blade off of the clipper.

2) Use Kool Lube type spray (aeresol can) pretty often. Maybe even every 5 mins or so. Spray across teeth of clippers and into the sides where the blades slide across one another. You do this with the blade on the clippers, while they are running. Try not to get much in the clipper drive area though - just on the blade. Wipe any excess off with rag. The point of lubes is to create less friction. This means less heat and faster clippers.

3) One blade will be fine.

4) Yes against the grain. You will probably have to experiment with different directions. Sometimes they way you think their hair goes, goes a bit of a different direction. If you clip a line and it doesn't come out really smooth, try a couple different lines - a little more going up or down, etc.

5) You can do it in whatever order, but my pattern is to do the body, minus the legs, then the legs, then the head. One side completely, then the other. Doesn't really matter though. Horses usually like their shoulder done, because they are itchy there - and getting clipped, sometimes feels like they're getting a good scratch! Some horses actually like getting clipped.

Those are my suggestions. I have the Andis too - good choice!

[Sparky Boy]

I think those are the clippers I have. I only clip one or two horses a year so they work fine. I use a wide T8 blade and always start with a new blade. Have another on hand incase one breaks. Not even sure how it happened but I did break a blade once.

[baysngreys]

Despite how your horse turns out the first time, you WILL get better at it!
Ask me how I know this!

First time, took me 4 hours (over 2 days!) on a not-at-all patient TB. Now I can do a full body clip in 45 mins to 1 hour.

Show Sheen helps the clippers just slide thru the hair.
You can clip any pattern you like. Some clips leave a saddle pad, or just a wither pad of hair. Those are pretty easy, just put the pad on, clip around the edges, remove the pad and clip out the middle.

If you're doing a trace or Hunter clip and don't trust your ability to "eyeball" level edges on both sides of the horse, then you can put a strip of masking tape at the top of each leg. Yes, I've done that! But I've gotten better at getting the clip lines level now!

Plan on taking a few breaks, for you and for your horse. Have a bottle of water handy and lots of clipper Cool Lube spray, and use it often, don't wait for the clippers to get hot. Your horse will let you know if they do get hot! Keep testing them with your hand on the flat, smooth part of the blade.

Oh, and the clipped hair WILL GET IN EVERY PLACE YOU CAN THINK OF!!! And a few you never imagined!!!
Wear clothes that are snug around your neck, wrists. Keep a cloth for wiping hands, face, eyes. I've even seen someone wear a plastic bag over their clothes! Maybe not a good idea unless your horse is really quiet!!

[ania]

if you have time, i'd bathe the day of clipping- not the night before. it ensures that they're squeaky clean. especially if you're riding before clipping, more dirt will get on him and it defeats he purpose of bathing.

start wherever you like- i like to start at the shoulder, do the neck, then to the body. often i would get most of it done and then go back to do some touch ups (evening any lines out, etc). it helps to take a break from looking at the same area and come back to get a fresh look at it.

[pacificprima]

For you:
*Make sure you cover as much of your body as you can with clothes you're not partial to (if possible with an old track/rain suit so the hair slides off). Avoid Fleece!
*Use vet wrap around your neck and wrists to keep the hair out.
*Wear ear protection, your head will be closer to the sound of a running lawn mower for longer than you want and ear plugs will keep hair out of them!
*Do NOT wear lipgloss- you will regret it!
*Keep water handy, a lot of hair will be ingested ;)

For your horse:
*I wouldn't bathe the day of for a couple of reasons. 1) It's going to be a LONG day for both of you already 2)your horse needs to be 100% dry or your blades won't cut (and there is a risk of shock/electrocution) 3) the more day light you have the better.
*If your worried about how he will react, use a hairdryer around and on him. It sounds silly, but it's a loud strange noise and the vibration is similar.
*Keep a cooler handy, cover the areas you have completed as quickly as you can. Cold=Cranky

For the clippers:
**Oil the blades every 10 minutes of use. Less is not more here! Oil them before you start too!
*Hold the clippers on their side while they are running and apply the oil wherever the blades touch until it runs out the bottom. You can actually keep your clippers just as cool if not cooler if you oil regularly than if you would with Kool Lube. Plus, the Kool Lube will cause your blades to rust, it's sort of like using WD40 in your engine instead of motor oil. :no: You will have longer life for your blades and motor this way.
*If they have an air vent/filter make sure you keep it free of hair as you go.

I would start at the chest/shoulder (going against the hair) and work backwards, leaving the legs and head for last, since there is the possiblity that neither of you will enjoy this going into hour number 4! If you start with a bib or chaser pattern at first and switch sides as you go, it will be easier on both of you. This way if you or your horse have decided that enough is enough, you can just tidy things up on each side-not worrying about having only one side done and the other partially or not at all. Your back will thank you if move to different positions frequently too.

If you are planning on doing a pattern like a blanket or trace, use a seamstress chalk or a bar of saddle soap to mark it out with.

Keep in mind that there is no rule that says is has to be perfect or completed in one day...

Good Luck

ps I can't remember how many hours my first clip took (lost count!) but now I clip A LOT of them throughout the year for $$ and it takes well under an hour :)

[ExJumper]

Thanks for all the tips -- and the encouragement! I'm actually kind of excited to give this shot! He may be going to a schooling show next weekend and I don't want to make a huge change before then, but I think I'll be clipping him after he gets back, so the last week of October.

Keep the tips coming if you have any more!

[Sparky Boy]

Last year, I left the hair on the legs and face. I've never clipped the face/head. This one won't let me do the ears so no point in doing half the head I suppose.

[pacificprima]

I do more half heads than full, especially over winter...
Do the full flat side of the cheek up to just under the boney ridge and from just under the base of the ear to line up with the cheek (staying below the bone/divet next to the eye). Then from the corner of the mouth to the point of the ridge at the top of the cheek **do not press hard here and go from the bottom up, not straight across. Leave about 1/2" above all of these lines and then trim WITH the lay of the hair to blend. It sounds complicated but it's a relatively natural line.

The hardest part will be around the ears, but going with the hair will soften the line, and your halter/bridle covers it anyway! I do it on chestnuts and friesens and noone knows the difference :)
If I can I will try to find pictures

[ljc]

I was a first-time clipper two years ago. Now I do maybe 20 body clips a year. All with the andis 2-speed clippers. I ended up buying a second pair, however, because I felt the one pair of clippers couldn't quite handle clipping very fuzzy miniature horses. So, I switch back and forth when the blades get hot.

I keep a ton of extra blades on hand - both wide and regular. On occasion I've had to clip unwashed horses and that will DESTROY any blade. With minis, you have to sometimes first clip with the hair and then against the hair - their coats are just too thick.

Lately I've been using WD-40 instead of blade wash and I really like it better. The blades seem to stay cooler.

And please know that you will never, ever, ever do as bad a clipping job as I did the first time. Even my horse was embarrassed. The good news is everything grows out quickly!

I love to clip now. Still not great at heads and legs but still working on those!

Good luck.

[skyy]

I could be you! I own a big, furry well fed ISH who needs to be clipped 3x per winter and doing the math this year made me decide to learn how to clip. I bathed the day before and Show Sheened like crazy. I started with his big spots - neck, barrel, top of his butt - to perfect my technique. I knew he was good about these spots and if we had to stop for the day before getting done, I could ride him without getting the major sweat spots all sweaty and having to rebathe (he sweats the most on his neck and the obvious girth and saddle areas).

We ended up losing power that day so I had to wait until the next day to do his legs, head and lower belly. This was a lot harder and I think I poked him a little. I ended up twitching him just so we could get it over with and then he stood really still. However, because I was going as fast as I could to get the twitch off, I missed a lot of little spots. So, my big suggestion is, even if you are working in a well lit area, take your horse out into the daylight and see what you've missed!

[Sparky Boy]

I do more half heads than full, especially over winter...
Do the full flat side of the cheek up to just under the boney ridge and from just under the base of the ear to line up with the cheek (staying below the bone/divet next to the eye). Then from the corner of the mouth to the point of the ridge at the top of the cheek **do not press hard here and go from the bottom up, not straight across. Leave about 1/2" above all of these lines and then trim WITH the lay of the hair to blend. It sounds complicated but it's a relatively natural line.

The hardest part will be around the ears, but going with the hair will soften the line, and your halter/bridle covers it anyway! I do it on chestnuts and friesens and noone knows the difference :)
If I can I will try to find pictures

I did my body clip today. The head or half head was pretty easy to do and blend in! Thanks for the tips. I didn't do the legs but blended at the top part. I wonder if I shouldn't just clip the legs now since the hair will be back by the time it gets really cold and nasty out.

[sublimequine]

WEAR SLIPPERY CLOTHES. DON'T WEAR FLEECE. And don't have anything planned for afterward, as you'll want to go directly home and shower to get off all the godawful itchy hairs. :uhoh: :lol:

Also, have a nice little pile of treats at the ready, and give the horse a break if they start getting impatient. Handwalk them around a bit, turn them loose in the indoor for a few minutes (if they won't roll!), etc. Give treats liberally if horsie is good. :)

The first time I bodyclipped my mare was the first time my mare was ever bodyclipped, so it was really an experience for the both of us! But she was just an angel about it, and was fed ridiculous amounts of peppermints while I worked. Now she LOVES to be clipped. She literally will cock a hind foot the second she hears the big clippers turn on, and fall asleep. I wake her up to give her treats though, of course. ;)

So it went from "I'm nervous about the clippers" time to "Sweet! Time to nap and be fed things!" time. :winkgrin:

[Green Acres]

The first time I bodyclipped my mare was the first time my mare was ever bodyclipped, so it was really an experience for the both of us! But she was just an angel about it, and was fed ridiculous amounts of peppermints while I worked. Now she LOVES to be clipped. She literally will cock a hind foot the second she hears the big clippers turn on, and fall asleep. I wake her up to give her treats though, of course. ;)

So it went from "I'm nervous about the clippers" time to "Sweet! Time to nap and be fed things!" time. :winkgrin:

I will definately remember the peppermints for my boy when I clip him in the next week or two!!!:yes: He's bad about his back legs so I'm really concerned about that. I have never body clipped either :eek: but am going give it a whirl after my show this weekend! I don't want anyone to see him after I clip him.:lol:

I have Oster Clipmasters but do you use something that big on their legs? Or a smaller pair of clippers? The legs and head scares me, specially since my horse is bad with his back legs.

[maybedog]

I always stuff their ears with a wad of cotton or pom poms. Just remember to take them out afterwards!

[sublimequine]

I will definately remember the peppermints for my boy when I clip him in the next week or two!!!:yes: He's bad about his back legs so I'm really concerned about that. I have never body clipped either :eek: but am going give it a whirl after my show this weekend! I don't want anyone to see him after I clip him.:lol:

I have Oster Clipmasters but do you use something that big on their legs? Or a smaller pair of clippers? The legs and head scares me, specially since my horse is bad with his back legs.

Are you clipping his legs all the way down or leaving them hairy like this?

http://www.freewebs.com/horseclipping/hunter%20or%20full.JPG

If you're clipping all the way down a smaller pair of clippers may be easier, but I don't know, as I always leave the hair on my mare's legs. She's pasture-boarded, so I kinda have to.

[ArenaBallerina]

Can I hijack this thread for a second? Last year I had access to big Oster body clippers at my old barn, but now I am stuck with my Wahl Show Pro. I am planning on body clipping my pony within the next week or so. Could my clippers handle body clipping?

[sublimequine]

Can I hijack this thread for a second? Last year I had access to big Oster body clippers at my old barn, but now I am stuck with my Wahl Show Pro. I am planning on body clipping my pony within the next week or so. Could my clippers handle body clipping?

Probably not. I had those exact same clippers, and I could get a bib clip done, and that's it. :(

[kellyb]

I have two blades... Even using Kool lube, they get hot. Swapping blades every 10 mins keeps my horse happier. I leave the hot blade on the cement floor for quick cooling. I sometimes set them up with a haybag... Passes the time easier for them, they have more patience for me :)

I will never clip a dirty horse ever again after seeing how fast it ruined my blades! I like to bathe/showsheen and clip right after. Wet coat = hair falls right to the ground, no chance to go up my nose, in my shirt, etc.

[Shiaway]

I recommend leaving a saddle patch even if you're completly body clipping. I know not everyone agrees with that but it's my recommendation.

Andis 2-speed did not work for my horse. He's got a very funny coat. In fact, I bought the big Andis clippers and even they complain when I get to the top of his rump. Show sheen really helped me the last time!

I also like to give a quick bath afterwards, if it's still warm enough, to get the hair off the horse.

Last year I clipped WITH the hair on the underside of the belly where the blankets don't cover and I liked the result. It's not pretty so if you're going to show I wouldn't suggest it because clipping with the hair means lots of clipper tracks but it leaves the hair a little bit longer than if you clip against it. My horse is gray and so it's harder to notice a bad clip job on him. The ONE advantage of owning a grey horse.