Clipping Tips!

Unfortunately, horses don’t change their winter coat based on temperature, (its Nov 4th and 70 degrees out,) they change coats as the light changes. This means I have a lot of fluffy horses getting way too sweaty after riding, which means, yep, it’s clipping time. I generally clip 2 or 3 times a year: right around Halloween, end of February before my show season starts back up, and I’ll do summer clips as needed. To round out fall clipping week, here are some clipping tips!

When to Clip:

-If your horse is in moderate to heavy work clip so that their winter coat doesn’t interfere with their ability to cool after a workout.

Preparing to Clip:

-Have a couple clipper blades available so you can swap out when they get hot

-Make sure blades are oiled

-Make sure you have clean horse! Dirty horses dull clipper blades

While Clipping:

-Let the blades do the work, don’t press too hard

-Pull loose skin tight to get a cleaner clip without pinching the horse

-Follow the fur

-Keep clippers clean

-Lay clippers flat against the horse if blade goes into the skin it can pinch

After Clipping:

-Make sure you have adequate covering for the horse after they are clipped! Taking away the fur takes away their ability to keep warm and stay protected from flies.