best clippers for cob feathers?!

[Sophstar]

My vet has recommended i clip off my cobs feathers just to help get on top of the mites i've been told he has on his legs, and need some advice on suitable clippers/trimmers. A girl at our yard has a pair of clippers but only has fine blades so is unable to help and i am willing to buy a pair if he is going to have them clipped off at the start of every spring. I don't want to spend a fortune as this is pretty much all i need them for and maybe doing a small bib clip in the winter. He has never been clipped before so need something reasonably quiet just incase it becomes the most 'scariest' ordeal! Something that is small and can get into the nooks and crannies on feathers is what i need so it looks like i've done a reasonable job! I can cut the bulk of his feather off and just want blades that will leave him with some hair and not completely bald! Someone recommended just picking up a pair of dog clippers?!

 

[vicksey]

If your horses feathers are anything like my boys then you will need a pretty decent pair to get thru them! I have liveryman harmony which are good but they can struggle through really thick coarse feather, I also have Lister star which are great and breeze through feathers even when they are tick. I have had master clip ones too but they were so loud and heavy, didn’t like them!

 

[Shear Ease]

'Someone' was probably right about the clippers. If all you intend to use them for is feathers and the occasional bib clip then it would be a waste of money to buy a horse clipper.

Below are my suggestions with a brief description.

Firstly you have Oster Golden A5 clippers. These come in single and twin speed models. They are one of the most robust clippers suitable for you. They have a 35w motor which should breeze through feathers and will knock out a bib clip with no problems at all. It takes all A5 blades, is fairly quiet and still holds its position as number 1 clipper for vets. We see them in for repair having been used on horses and they are in no worse shape than when they are used on dogs. The handpeice is bulky and no consideration is made for the shape of the users hand. The armature sits in two solid brass bearrings which means it is prone to get warm easy. Oster did make an unbreakable case which lived up to its name but seem to have gone back to the bakelite cases which break just by looking at the floor. A single speed can be found with a blade for about £110. Add another £20 or so for the twin speed version.

You then have a moser max 45 clipper. These are a twin speed clipper with more than enough power and guts to cope with your needs. Although it is not quite as awkward as the oster clipper, it is not much more compact either, however consideration is given to the shape of the users hand which makes it fairly nice to handle. There are no design faults with the clipper and it comes with a 2 year warranty. The only thing to be said is that occasionally a brand new one will stop working and for some unknown reason, the motor goes, which burns one of the fuses on the board. This repair is expensive, but is balanced with the favorable length of the warranty. Moser changed the design of the drive lever to a very nasty one which broke all the time, generating unwanted reviews from those who it snapped for. They have since changed the drive lever back to the original and is now as good as ever. The clippers casing is of good quality and will survive most drops. You should expect to pay about £110 for this clipper. The same clipper is also branded as a Horseline Artiko. Do not buy it as an Artiko, it is the same clipper branded slightly differently and £5-£20 added on for good measure.

The most expensive but best clipper for you is the Aesculap Fav5. It takes the same blades as the above 2 clippers. As with all Aesculap clippers everything from tip of the the drive lever to the earth pin on the plug sing beautifully yet stands solid as anything you can buy. It is quiet, powerful, designed with the users handshape in mind and is slimline. The armature sits in 2 ball bearings meaning there is almost no heat generated by the clipper itself. It is by far the most reliable clipper in its class. The case is unbreakable. We have tried to break the casing on this clipper - it really is impossible, the case bends in the vise and a lump hammer bounces off it. As with all A5 blades, if the clipper lands on the blade the tongue guide on the blade will probably bend making it wobble. You will need to part with £250 to get this clipper, which is costly, but great for someone who is willing to pay for luxury.

I could review an Andis AGC for you, which is light, lovely to hold and operate but we've never had one in for repair or service with evidence of use on horses. It is a dog clipper, the same as the 2 above are but I'm not too sure I would consider using one on horses. If the above 3 don't interest you then I can tell you about the Andis clippers but I just don't think they are relevant to your needs.

Hope that helps!

 

[Django Pony]

Depends on what you mean by feathers! If you mean full, traditional cob type feathers like these:

then proper clippers will be much easier. I had to clip Jasper's feather's due to mites They went from as above to this:

I don't think smaller clippers would have coped! I used proper horse clippers to remove the "bulk", then I maintain and trim with a smaller set of clippers/trimers as described above.
If your horse is less hairy, smaller clippers as mentioned above would be fine.
Another top tip is to use a razor comb to neaten them up after clipping.

 

[diet2ride]

Nas has full thick feathers, which get scabby behind his knees. So I clip them off. I have a set of lister clippers, But I find it faff to use them just for his legs.

So I often just clip them off with my dog clippers... Andis 2 speed with a number 10 blade -that's all I have in to clip my dogs- they might struggle in places but thing to remember is to let the clippers do the work, don't force it.

 

[Tnavas]

I have some Wahl rechargeable clippers that are great for legs.

Wash legs clean first and allow to dry, then initially clip downwards to remove the bulk of the hair, then clip upwards if you want a close clip.