Aaarrgh! Clipping legs...

Three

Three

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Clipped the cob today (I know it's late but it's fine).

My problem is he hates having his lower legs done. Generally with time and patience I get his back legs done but he's a nightmare with the fronts.
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Because I've been idle over the winter
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there's more there to deal with than usual.

I've tried sedalin with a little success but does anyone have any other ideas please?

The sooner they make Veet for horses the better!
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My hairy gypsy cob mare is just the same. Can clip down to her knees and she doesn't move. Below the knee and she will start snatching her front leg up very sharply. The natural reaction is to move away just as sharply, wait til the leg goes back down and try again. My mistake! She was just teaching me to back off every time she whipped her leg up! With patience and - as hard as it is - NEVER losing my temper or getting cross, it's now possible to clip her legs. The trick is NEVER to back off when she snatches a leg up. Go with her, keeping the clippers against the leg no matter what, even if you just hold them pressed against the leg, not clipping. Never, ever move them away when the leg is snatched up, however much you want to. It can look like a new dance routine as you follow her around lol! After about 10 mins (seemed like 10 days lol) my girl worked out that snatching the leg up didn't have any effect on what was being done and she was the only one expending any effort. With her sucking lemons face on and a look that could curdle milk, she gave in.

You might win the first time with a twitch and 2 strong people but it would only be round one in a liflelong battle. If the horse makes the decision not to do it, the whole battle is won. Don't forget to wear a hard hat and keep a safe work area. Maybe you could borrow a friend's cordless just to win the battle? No trailing wires if things get exciting! Good luck x
 
Thanks all.

He's not colored (its black cob in my siggy) and he really does look better with it all off.

BoF, that's what I've been doing - we just haven't had the breakthrough yet.
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Ah well, I'll just carry on .... *sighs*
 
Clicker training
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My previous horse hated clippers, would overide sedative and leap around like a total wally. He was on prolonged box rest and had to have his lower leg clipped for one of the treatments he was having. We actually strtaed doing clicker with him just as something to make his brain work while he was on box rest and he took really well to it. So when it came to accepting the clippers we did it a stage at a time with clicker. By the time we'd finished the leg that was being clipped was going nowhere! It was planted to the floor because he was going to get his reward come hell or high wind!

If you are interested I can tell you the stages we did it in. I won't type anymore now cos I've typed too much already!
 
Michael Peace has a great dvd out on clipping clipper-phobic neds but I suspect - like my mare - your gorgeous cob isn't afraid as much as saying NO. All I can suggest is do it again and again and again and if you are totally consistent you should eventually sort it. Even if you just get 10 hairs clipped with ned holding the leg VERY reluctantly still for a split second. End it on that microscpic high. Next time (next day!) you can clip 20 hairs etc etc. It's hard I know - my mare once deliberately threw herself into a holly hedge rather than walk forwards past a tiny baby goat in a field. You have to be more stubborn than the stubbornest ned. More determined than the most determined ned. Have you got a no-nonsense pal who could help? Sometimes the very closeness of the relationship between horse and owner makes things harder x
 
Ali2 - yes please, would love to know more. PM me if you prefer.

BoF - That's kind of where I'm at atm. Ten hairs, good boy, pat pat, leave it for today. He's actually better behaved for me than anyone else - he has trust issues (long boring history there) so is a bit of a mummies boy sadly. My v sensible friend - who he trusts - does help.

It is good to hear that someone else has the same problems though so thank you.
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