Advice Please - Clipping Nightmare!!!

[sea_view]

Badly need to clip Risky this year, I am competing weekly and I'd say he'll be riden at least three times during the week as well.

I could not get clippers near him last year, sent him into one of his crazed panic modes where Nic01 and I were lucky not to be in the rafters of his stable.

Any advice on how to get him used to it so I can clip him would be gratefully received, I'm not a big fan of sedation so any other training/de-sensitising methods gratefully received!

Thanks all.

 

[Skhosu]

Get a small doggy massager (I got one for tenner) and use ithe noise and vibration. No risk of hurting him is he spooks( unlike trimmers) and may seem less threatening?
then move up.
What clip will you do?
Does he NEED clipping?(i.e. my native will compete a good bit, but is unrugged and unclipped and is worked 3/4 times a week. He gets a tiny bit damp, but with a rug and walked a short time he is fine)

 

[flyingfeet]

[ QUOTE ]
Get a small doggy massager

[/ QUOTE ]

Hee hee I read that as small "Dodgy" massager... ahem! Well would work just as well

You can buy little diddy Wahl battery trimmers for £9.99. These fit in the palm of your hand and are ideal for training and getting them used to it. I would also do this whilst you feed, so that your horse associates clippers with something nice.

I know some don't like him, but MR also uses these clippers in his DVD. However he starts off with a hair drier, to get them used to something noisey, but warm & relaxing (in theory!).

Lots of rubbing (scratching) your horse and praise goes a long way too.

 

[jomiln]

We have just had one frightened of being clipped and I have spent time desensitising her with small hand clippers, hair dryer and also we have a hand held equissage machine.

It has taken me a few days but I now have her neck clipped out and feel I will leave it there for now as she has had a good experience.

Initially we were having back legs swinging at us and at 17.2hhs she could have done us some damage!!!!

 

[BethH]

Electric toothbrush in a feed bucket, another feed bucket on top with food in it. It is amazing how they can cope when there is food about. It gets them used to the vibration and noise and then I bought a good quality battery operated clipper called the Moser Avalon by Wahl, it is fab, ideal for 1 horse owner very quiet and easy to use and my ned is fine with it.

Take your time with this, my old horse had been twitched etc to clip in the past and it made him a nervous wreck, he never got used to it as he was forced by previous owners, I have gone slowly with my youngster and he is now a poppet to clip. Use the feed buckets first, let him watch other neds who are calm and happy being clipped, let him stand far enough away for him not to feel the need to panic and gradually move him closer so he can see everything, then run the clippers over him turned off and then on without actually clipping him, don't do this all at once take a few days to gradually introduce them. The cable can be quite worrysome for them so go for battery ones to start off with that way if he gets upset he won't wrap himself up in cable and panic because he feels trapped. Best of luck

 

[Happytohack]

Have a friend who specialises in clipping nervy horses. She starts off with "something from Ann Summers catalogue" (ahem!) as she says it is the vibration that lots of horses don't like

 

[MagicMelon]

My youngster hit the roof when I turned on clippers for the first time! I couldnt even go near the stable with them for fear of him trying to escape through the nearest window. So everyday whilst I groomed him Id switch them on next door so he'd hear the buzzing. He didnt like it but after maybe 3 days he was fine. Then I moved them into the corner of his stable, again whilst grooming (he enjoys grooming so it did help take his mind of it a little). Once calm with that, Id bring them closer until I could put them on him. He was so chilled by then - I managed a whole clip in one go with no problems at all! He suddenly like clicked that they were ok and actually enjoyed it!

I think its definately worth taking it slow in the long run. You dont want to battle every time you want to clip. And I say make sure you clip them young, the older they are the harder they are I find! My last boy who was 12 and never had a clip, didnt enjoy it one bit and never settled completely. I have doped up one pony to be clipped, but it was horrible - the pony would go dozy for like 10 mins then suddenly wake up and go crazy for a minute continually. Very odd, wouldnt do it again (this was a 19yo who was very set in his ways!).

 

[Tempi]

i clipped my new horse last night and he wasnt too keen - we got one of those lead ropes with a chain in the first bit of it and clipped one end on oneside of his headcollar and threaded it through to the otherside of the headcollar (underneath NOT over the nose) and then when he decided to be naughty he got a sharp reminder from the chain, as it pulls the headcollar tight round his nose and causes poll pressure. when he was being good we left it loose. It did work well - hes a big 17'2 and a baby (5years old) and it was his first time being clipped. i got the whole lot off apart from a bit of his neck as he was getting really bored, so am going to finish that tonight.

My other horse has to be fully sedated, she freaks out totaly even if she hears the clippers in someones stable, shes also mega ticklish and just jumps and rears - nothing works on her!

 

[Maesfen]

Like all the others say, de sensitisation is the key. I have found having a recording of clippers running the whole time, soon helps them get used to the sound of them; battery ones are better with no cables, just take your time over stroking him with them as a matter of course after you have groomed him too will help. If the clipper recording is still running, he probably won't notice when you switch them on and as long as you lay a firm hand on him, they shouldn't vibrate too much either.
I'm not a fan of sedation, think it can cause more problems than it solves; after all, the horse still hasn't learnt to tolerate the clippers if he has been out of it while you did him!

 

[Louby]

Just clipped my previously unclippable horse with out a fuss, even ate his haynet! Was amazed. He was dangerous so I first swapped my heiniger for cordless Moser Avalons, Massive improvement and played about with a set of cordless trimmers. Last year we managed to get most of it off almost upto his head and this year he was an angel, even trimmed his jawline and ears. Like the others have said, it takes time and loads of patience. Good luck.

 

[Tia]

Lots of good advice from others. We've all been there at some time in our lives.

One of mine when I bought her 9 years ago couldn't even tolerate me pushing my hair out of my face - she thought I was going to beat the cr4p out of her. I couldn't take a yard broom or fork anywhere near her and she almost had a heart-attack the first time she heard clippers!

It probably took me about 2 years to finally be able to clip her in one session and even then at the beginning of every time, she would shake, spin around, rear and just generally freak out wildly. It often took me well over a week to get the job done. Nowadays, 9 years later, believe it or not, she is still nervous when the clippers are turned on however the moment they touch her she calms right down and we get the job done.

It takes perseverance over months and months or sometimes even years - there are no quick fixes I'm afraid and some owners cannot be bothered to go to all this trouble whereas there are others who are.

 

[sea_view]

Thanks a million for all your advice, I've really got some great ideas to go and work wih now. I'll let you know how the progress goes.

Laura x

 

[Patches]

Hi Loz

I have a horse that had in the five years I have known of her (four years with previous owner, 17 months with me) never been able to be clipped without sedation. She reared, spun, barged, kicked and leapt at the mere sight of the clippers before they were switched on. That was until about three weeks ago!!!!

I was sent a DVD to watch, "Think Equus - Approach to Clipping", and it has changed EVERYTHING! I thoroughly recommend the techniques used.

Firstly, the key is to take them out of the stable, into a school or field on a lunge line. They idea being that they do not feel as intimidated as they would in their stable as they know they are not trapped. Instead of having to fight you (with all the behaviour I was used to seeing), they can utilise their flight reflex (by moving around you in circles) while training is in progress. (You will need cordless clippers/trimmers for this). First time I did it I used old hair dressing clippers.

Start off on the end of the lunge line and switch the clippers on. Horse will either stand still if you are far enough away that they can cope or will walk/trot around you as if you are lungeing them. If they stand still, or when they eventually stop moving and stand still - switch the clippers off and move forwards to reward them (pat on the forehead, tell them they are good etc).

Gradually inch closer towards them. If they stand still, let clippers run a bit longer each time before switching off and reward them again. If they move about you, DO NOT switch clippers off or let the distance between you and the horse increase. Horse has to learn to accept YOUR distance from them with a set of clippers running to be within their comfort zone. They can't be allowed back off from you until they get themselves at a distance they feel happier with, as they'll have learnt a way to evade you. They have to stand still before you switch them off.

Eventually you will get to a stage where they are within arms reach. Have clippers in your hand but touch them with the back of your hand initially before introducing clippers to their skin. Again, if they run about, don't give in (unless you are in imminent danger of course) and ONLY switch clippers off when they are stood still and calm.

Took me 30 minutes to take my clipper phobic horse from end of the lunge line to actually running the clippers on her skin the first day! I did it for three consecutive days and on the third day I had bought some Liveryman Element heavy duty trimmers. I actually clipped a bib clip in her!

Hadn't done anything for ten days with her, but went over to the field before bringing in tonight and have managed to bib clip her again today.

I used to have some Liveryman Arena clippers but have sold them and ordered some Moser Avalon clippers.

Stay calm and good luck. If Patches can do it, I truly believe that any horse can. Take it at your horse's pace. If it take two months to get within clipping distance...so be it. However, you'll possibly be as surprised as I was at how quickly you do make progress.

Here's a few pics...my clipping diary so to speak. Do excuse my attire, I think it was the day I'd been laying new turf in my hen and duck enclosure.

As I started to get closer (first day)

First contact (again first day)

Second day, she was wearing a rug at the time when I did it (which was in the field , pic was taken later in the day) but I clipped a bit off her neck. This day I realised they have to see things from both sides as she was a bit scared when I approached her from the right instead of the left.

Third day, proper bib clip! From time to switching on to clipping, under a minute! I cried tears of happiness after clipping her!

Best of luck with your horse, whichever route you take. It will most definitely be worth it when you've managed to help your horse confront their worst fear!

 

[Theresa_F]

Last year Chancer was stood next to all the good to clip horses and I just got on and clipped away with him beside me. He realised nothing major was going on and ate feed and then his hay and watched what was going on. I then let him sniff at them and progressed to turning round and laying them on him so he could feel the vibration.

I did this on the four occasions I clipped last year.

Over the summer he had his jaw, belly etc trimmed with tiny hand helds and was given a treat of a lickit to lick away at.

One thing I didn't do was to turn off or move away if he looked uncertain, but just stood quietly until he decided things were ok.

This year he was tied up next to Cairo, I did 5 mins on Cairo then turned round and started on Chancer. He just carried on eating his hay and sniffing at me. I had no one with me, just carried on with my normal routine and he was tied up in his usual spot on a longish rope so he could move a little if he wanted to.

He has a chaser clip, but I have left his head alone this time and will do the same again next month to keep him used to it.

I have done this with two other ponies that were nervous and it worked - combination of steady horse, lickit and not ganging up worked along with taking things very slowly.