6 Tips for Clipping Your Horse

Clipping horses can be a bit of a challenge. Here are six tips for clipping your horse that can help things to go smoothly.

1. Choose Your Clipping Time Carefully

The success of your clip job can depend on the time of day when you clip. Only start clipping your equine friend when things are quiet around the barn. Try to avoid clipping before your horse will be expecting a meal or another activity.

Schedule your clip times when your horse has already eaten and is relaxed and quiet. You’ll have a more cooperative and happier horse, leading to a better experience.

2. Enlist a Helper

If you know that your horse is troublesome to clip, or if your horse has never been clipped before, then get a friend to help you. A friend can hold your horse and can help to distract your horse if and when he needs it.

3. Take Frequent Breaks

Clipping is tiresome for your hands, and your clippers can heat up quickly. Additionally, clipping requires that your hequine friend stand perfectly still, which is against many horses’ nature. Make sure that you take frequent breaks to give yourself and your horse a few minutes to relax after each clip session. During these breaks, cool down your clippers using a clipper oil to keep them running smoothly.

4. Pay Attention to Detail

Clipping is a detail job. Whether you’re doing a basic cleanup to get your horse ready for a show, or you’re doing a full body clip in preparation for winter, the details matter.

Before you start clipping, make sure that you know just what you want to do. If there are particular standards for your breed, familiarize yourself with these standards before you start taking hair off – you can’t put it back on again!

5. Reward Your Horse

Clipping demands a lot of a horse, so make sure that you reward him for his cooperation. In addition to praising your horse during each break that you take, give him some sort of reward at the end of the session. The reward can be a tasty snack, a trip outside to graze, or anything else your horse enjoys. For some snack ideas, check out these eight human foods you can share with your horse. 

6. Take Good Care of Your Clippers

You depend on your clippers to work smoothly, so take good care of them. Familiarize yourself with good clipper care and maintenance to keep your clippers in great shape and ready to go when you need them.