Best techniques for clipping a nutty horse?

LivingTheDream92

LivingTheDream92

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my new boy, Welsh D, knows his strength and how small i am and makes the most of it. his old owner ACPd him when clipping and i'm guessing it was because he is very bargy, will most likely kick out with his back end when clipping there and swing round on you or throw his shoulder at you from middle and front end.

i'm not a big fan of ACP with clipping so anyone got any success stories for other methods on equally difficult horses? was hoping to full clip/very high trace/blanket or just leave saddle pad because can be cold backed.

cheers :)
 
Hi. Now, your safety is paramount here.

My old appAloosa was terrified of clippers, so i spent months de sensitising him, first running clippers when he was fed, moving them over him and progressed to clipping little bits of him whilst he ate. He always had to be eating at first but eventually he would accept a few polos and tolerate the clippers, but soon let me know when he'd had enough. I could never clip him in one go, it would take 2-3 days but it was much cheaper than injections!
Sedalin was not enough - my lad needed full on IV sedation to be clipped! Eventually my perseverance won and he did 'tolerate' me clipping him with no sedation, but never between his front legs or his head. It took a long time, with once or twice daily exposure, for him to accept being clipped. He never liked it either.
If you can face doing all that, then it would be worth it. But using sedalin or similar is not a bad thing; it's not like you use it all the time to drug the horse. The main thing is to be safe.
Good luck.
 
My best tip would be time, patience and perseverance. My welsh D was the same and she would fight the largest dose of sedative so I just had to work to de-sensitize her. I started with a small pair of batter powered trimmers and would just stand in the stable with the running, then graduated to touching her with them, then moved onto clippers and went through the same process. It helps if you can buy some really quiet clippers that have low vibrations and don't be too ambitious to start with.

I don't think that sedating horses to clip helps in the long run as they still have the fear, they are just unable to fight it.

I clipped Annie on my own last year and managed to do a full body including half a head and ears without any problems. Quite an improvement from the little horse who a few years ago would rear up at the sound of clippers.
 
he's that bad to groom and tack up half the time as well so i'm used to his behaviour, but i know what you mean because he must have been sedated for a reason :)

have been recommended sedalin, how affective is it?
 
Sounds like my boy... he is nutty but through previous bad experience rather than just bargy. I also dont like sedating but it is a matter of my safety, I use ACPs amount vet recommends but he is also twitched for his legs as the sedation isnt enough! I tried sedalin it was useless!! I have heard of people using magic calmers 1/2hr before clipping and that has calmed there horses im thinking of trying that next time. If anyone has used this for that reason stories would be appreciated
 
thanks will start desensitising him sooner rather than later so that when it comes to the actual clipping it wont be such a shock. if he still needs sedilin or sedation closer to the time i might succumb this time and desensitise for the next clip after that :)
 
dizzydancer said:
I hope you have success dont forget tho you safety is paramount
Click to expand...

thanks, will hopefully post a success story XD

as for safety having had him for 7 months now there's barely a day goes by where he doesn't put my safety at risk so i've become good at dodging and seeing it coming just before he reacts XD for any seat problems i recommend a bucker! he's done my riding position wonders XD :D
 
I thought ACP and sedaline had the same drug in them.

I found though that ACP was stronger (must have more in it) and took less time to send him to sleep, I sedated him last year to go out after all that awful ice and snow so he didn't damage himself hooning around, he is a 31 year old arthritic who thinks he's 3

Anyhoo

I'd just give him ACP why don't you like it ?

If he's that bad get the vet to sedate with injection, costs but safe but be aware they can still kick ! would be costly but if you can wait as long as you can to clip for the 1st time you might get away with clipping twice a year.

I usually do 4 times, he doesn't need sedating for that he just stands there, I've done some difficult ones in my time, but I don't take the risk anymore
 
I used to have Annie properly sedated by the vet and it works out really expensive if you clip 3 times over the winter. Plus she fought it so much it only really worked for about 30mins before she started to come around, which doesn't give much time for a full clip!

I would deffinately make sure you have fully prepared in terms of de-sensitising before trying to take anything off though. I thought I had cracked it with Annie and tryed to do a bib clip before our first day hunting and ended up looking like this.
untitled.jpg


Very embarassing
 
LivingTheDream92 said:
thanks, will hopefully post a success story XD

as for safety having had him for 7 months now there's barely a day goes by where he doesn't put my safety at risk so i've become good at dodging and seeing it coming just before he reacts XD for any seat problems i recommend a bucker! he's done my riding position wonders XD :D
Click to expand...

Don't put up with this behaviour, don't let him boss you around, be bolchy in the stable etc you need to lay down the law. You could get his saddle checked if he bucks just in case
 
Always think safety first when clipping :) I managed to desensitive my mare enough last year to do her whole body and most of her neck while she stood like a rock not even tied up but I still sedate to do up round her head and she gets super stressed which isn't nice for her and I don't want to get squahed lol :)
 
i feel that sedating doesnt solve the long term issue, also i'm not sure how long it works on him because by the look of his clip when i got him it was done in a VERY big hurry and it wasnt even a full clip XD

i'm big on bombproofing and feel a horse can be bombproofed from clipping as well so i prefer to give the horse a chance to react naturally and get over his fear, but i do get what you all mean about the safety, i swear he's going to break a few bones of mine by the time i'm done with him and thats just with riding. he really is the most unpredictable horse i've ever met! but i love him XD
 
NOISYGIRL said:
Don't put up with this behaviour, don't let him boss you around, be bolchy in the stable etc you need to lay down the law. You could get his saddle checked if he bucks just in case
Click to expand...

thanks, i have worked very hard on his behaviour and he is much better to when i got him, he just reverts every now and then, the most testing horse ever! as for his back, has been checked, saddle made to fit him, he even rodeoed on a bute test so he's not in any pain, he just has a bit of a temper and is a very sensitively brained horse :)
 
Its all well and good saying you want to bomb proof him,that is fine, however if he needs clipping, he needs clipping!

It has taken 9 winters worth of clipping to get my mare to let me do her face. She has always had sedalin and a twitch in the past using less and less of each, every time.

Sedalin IS ACP - the oral sedative is Acetapromazine either in tablet form (ACP) or gel form (Sedalin/Sedigel)
 
TBH, it's not worth the risk to you or your horse. I would get him sedated. I do this with mine for safety reasons (even though I think he'd be ok!). I've timed his teeth check visits in time with clipping so he gets it all done at once, plus a willy wash for good measure! :D
 
CrazyMare said:
Its all well and good saying you want to bomb proof him,that is fine, however if he needs clipping, he needs clipping!

It has taken 9 winters worth of clipping to get my mare to let me do her face. She has always had sedalin and a twitch in the past using less and less of each, every time.

Sedalin IS ACP - the oral sedative is Acetapromazine either in tablet form (ACP) or gel form (Sedalin/Sedigel)
Click to expand...

thanks, clears up my confusion about the different meds :D

and he will deffo need clipping! hairy cob and all, cant wait, i'm not really a hairy cob person! i will try and desensitise but will ACP if it doesnt work :)

thanks for the advise everyone :D
 
Right, I will start with a disclaimer: your safety is paramount and only do the following if you feel confident you can avoid accidents and injuries.
Now, that's what I do with one of mine, who is particularly unhappy about being clipped.
Cordless clippers are required for this technique.
Find a large safe space with good footing both for you and the horse.
Put on horse's head headcollar/bridle/chifney - whatever gives you most control and ability to turn the horse easily.
Don't tie up, hold the leadrope with one hand and clip with the other on the move - horse circling around you.
I have found out by experience that the more we try to restrict horses' movements, the more they become agitated and eventually, when the flight response is completely taken away from them, they switch to fight mode.
 
martlin said:
Right, I will start with a disclaimer: your safety is paramount and only do the following if you feel confident you can avoid accidents and injuries.
Now, that's what I do with one of mine, who is particularly unhappy about being clipped.
Cordless clippers are required for this technique.
Find a large safe space with good footing both for you and the horse.
Put on horse's head headcollar/bridle/chifney - whatever gives you most control and ability to turn the horse easily.
Don't tie up, hold the leadrope with one hand and clip with the other on the move - horse circling around you.
I have found out by experience that the more we try to restrict horses' movements, the more they become agitated and eventually, when the flight response is completely taken away from them, they switch to fight mode.
Click to expand...

sounds interesting, he tends to try and pin against wall if wall is available so that could do well with him. will try all these techniques if one of them doesnt work :) i'm open to all suggestions :)

Ta all :)
 
have you tried the BARKING method ?
pour a gallon of petrol over the horse ,light a match ,throw it on the petrol and WOOF .
dont use acp ,not good ,the best sedation is with a mixture such as detomidine and butorphanol for unruly horses
 
ferrador said:
have you tried the BARKING method ?
pour a gallon of petrol over the horse ,light a match ,throw it on the petrol and WOOF .
dont use acp ,not good ,the best sedation is with a mixture such as detomidine and butorphanol for unruly horses
Click to expand...

XD that would get the hair off XD might also take the skin off too though :confused: tehe

and can that mix come from the Vet?
 
sorry you will need the vet but believe me it makes the job safe for both you and the horse. i am talking personal experiences here ,i am a farrier and have had too many expensive high end horses that need jabbing
 
see thats the funny thing with my boy, he's fine to do teeth, farrier, jab, but he was still ACPd for clipping, so not sure if was just older owner being careful or if he really needs it, will bring out clippers soon and have a look at how he reacts
 
Sadly it is definitely safer to sedate. Have tried everything with my big lad, strangely he will let me do his legs, jaw and bridle path but as soon as I move the clippers to his body that's it!

Being half Clydie he needs at least 3 or 4 clips so works out bloody expensive, but I live to tell the tale :D
 
Sedalin didn't work with my boy we got the vet out to sedate him. Then the year after I clipped without any sedationa nd he accepted it because his experience of it last time was good.
 
Aniseed said:
My best tip would be time, patience and perseverance. My welsh D was the same and she would fight the largest dose of sedative so I just had to work to de-sensitize her. I started with a small pair of batter powered trimmers and would just stand in the stable with the running, then graduated to touching her with them, then moved onto clippers and went through the same process. It helps if you can buy some really quiet clippers that have low vibrations and don't be too ambitious to start with.

I don't think that sedating horses to clip helps in the long run as they still have the fear, they are just unable to fight it.

I clipped Annie on my own last year and managed to do a full body including half a head and ears without any problems. Quite an improvement from the little horse who a few years ago would rear up at the sound of clippers.
Click to expand...

That's what I think, sedating isn't a way to solve the problem, as in my opinion they are still pretty much awake but unable to move so must be awful for them which is why I don't want to do that t my horse.
Although when she was being schooled on at pro yard they sedated her which probably is why i've never been able to clip her!

You want to come and do mine :D;)
 
Go for the desensitisation - get a running electric toothbrush and put it in a bucket with his feed on top (in another bucket). Try that until he is absolutely fine about it then progress to running them up and down his body.

Also, get hold of a Dually headcollar and teach him a few ground manners too. Lead him around stopping and starting, backing up forwards again turning both ways and make sure he is at your should at all times. Be extremely firm and put him in his place if he even so much as looks like he is going to overtake you or not react immediately to a stop, start or back command.

Then clip outside - not in a stable - I always find this better - horses seem to like it more - seems to stop them from feeling "trapped".

Good luck.
 
I also found with my nervous boy that if I stood him next to other horses while I clipped them, let them eat hay while outside, he got used to the noise and was quite relaxed about it all after 2 or 3 had been done. So by the end of the winter I had done a trace on him.

Liz
 
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