CC on my first ever clip please!

tonitot

tonitot

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Today I clipped Ethel, it was my first time clipping and her first time being clipped. She was incrediably well behaved just a bit tickly in places as to be expected. I did nick her a couple of times and feel really bad about it but ended it all on a good non-nicky note :) So here are the pics, please excuse Ethel's donkey face/expression in the first pic, she was not impressed about being half naked and made to stand still for pics :p

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:)

Has anyone got any tips about how to do the elbows, chest and between the front legs? Her chest is where I nicked her as the hair just goes in all directions and I had real trouble with the elbows and between her front legs and in the end gave up on them as I was too paranoid about cutting her because she kept fidgeting because it was tickly.

All critisum (sp??) will be taken on board and ready for next time (unless you all think it's so bad I should never be allowed near a pair of clippers ever again :p )
 
You really need an extra person to do the 'armpits' as it is much easier when the skin is taut - next time get someone to lift the foot and then draw the leg forwards - makes it SO much easier!

Clip looks ok to me :)
 
Thanks rhino :) I did have someone there who did pull one leg forward but every time
Ethel flinched she dropped it so next time will get someone else. The lady was good though, she talked me through it and let me just give up and have her do it lol, she's nervous around horses other than her own :)
 
Ok.. So firstly to answer your question re front legs. I always lift the leg and pull it forward so the skin is tight. You can do this yourself if the horse is good but I would recommend someone else doing that so you have an extra hand to pull the skin tight if necessary.

For the clipping, it's a decent attempt as a first go but you need to be aware of your horses confirmation when choosing a clip as well so for me I would have done the diagonal line going right back to her hinds or taken everything off (but understand this isn't entirely practical or appropriate for some horses). Being finickity, I would have also tried to straighten the line as it looks stepped in places and I also prefer more of a diagonal slant on the front legs, you seem to have mastered that one side and not the other. However, that just personal preference and to make things easier next time draw your lines in chalk :)

I've also found that practise makes perfect :)
 
Sorry but its a poor clip and the fact that you have nicked your horse is going to make them start to hate it. I would get a good experienced clipping person to finish your horse off and show you how to do it. Please don't try to do inside her legs and chest yourself as you will nick her again and it isn't fair on her.
Sorry but you do need help. Everyone has to start somewhere but get some one very experienced to help you otherwise it is mean to your horse
 
My horse is a nightmare to clip so pulling front legs here there and everywhere isn't an option for him. I find if you hold the skin as tight as you can you can acheive a reasonable clip there. I use cordless clippers as you can manouver them much more easily. the lines at the top of your front legs are fairly easy to get as there is a inverted "V" that you can follow.
As you were both clip virgins I think you have done a good job. A friend of mine told me that the difference between a good clip and a bad one is 2 weeks!!
 
Leg_end thanks or your advise :) my plan was to go right to her hind legs but being her first time she was a bit fidgety and I didn't want to push it with her :) also I was did try to straighten the lines but couldn't get it right and was taking more and more off so decided to quit while I was ahead :p thanks, will try to get it better next time :)
 
Its fine for a first attempt. I did my first clip ever on my horse a few weeks ago and had no one there to help me. I chalked the lines on where I wanted to cut to try and get a straight line and one side is slightly better than the other. I had to abandon the inbetween the legs because I couldnt get it done right myself and didnt want to nick her but she never moved at all. So will get OH up to help me next time.

So only advice I can give you (not being a clipping expert as mine is not a great effort) But draw your lines in with chalk first and get someone to hold the legs for you.

Here is a pic of my first clip. Only got one side due to phone dying on me at the inappropriate time. Either that or it was saving the bad clip to improve first. haha

Photo0336.jpg
 
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I am rubbish at clipping, luckily my horses are very patient and not very proud! Neatest clip I ever did was a blanket clipping using a ride on exercise sheet as a guide but normally I'm lazy and go free hand.

I have only ever nicked my boy once when using a big set of electric clippers, never had a problem all the other times when using smaller clippers (Moser Avalons)
so it might be worth trying a smaller set of clippers or even trimmers to do the tricky bits.

I get someone else to pull his legs forwards to do his elbows and as for his boobs (chest) I just go with the direction of the hair and do it a bit at a time.

Everyone has to have a first attempt and on a fidgety horse it is not easy! They always fidgit when you are trying to do the lines!!
 
Thanks mattilda :) I was told that too! I'm just hoping that next time it'll be better and I won't be so worried. Will also be using someone elses clippers which are battery powered and quieter so hopefully that will help, also font think it helped that half way through we realised the blades were for coarse hair (or so we are told) and being a TB she definately doesn't have coarse hair :p

oscarwild I think your clip is really good! No nasty lines like mine!
 
Practice makes perfect:) If you find your mare is really fidgety after your next attempt do get some one experienced to give her a "good" clip, everyone nicks horses when they clip, some areas are just tricky and need repetition but your mare needs to have a good clip to make sure she does not turn into a nightmare!

I like to hold the front leg myself especially if the horse is a bit tricky.

I always like to take at least a half head off, i find it finishes the neck clip off well. The majority of horses do not mind having a half head done.

Well done :)
 
tonitot said:
oscarwild I think your clip is really good! No nasty lines like mine!
Click to expand...

Ah thats the best side. Other side has a few wobbles on it. And to be fair you cant see the face :P We tested her with clippers before removing any hair. She was fine so I did a bit on her cheek. Still fine. So off we set and I only managed to shave 3/4 of a half face. But thankfully hair is so fine you cant see it right. And you cant see the bridle path bit unless you are riding her. haha.

But we all have to start clipping at some point. And my vet told me when he came out to see mare for blood tests a day after that the difference between a good clip and bad clip is a few days :)
 
Allover I had planned to take half her head off but the clippers were very noisy and she was wary of them being near her face so left it for this time as didn't want to worry her too much :)

lionman did you expect to see a perfect clip from someone whose never done it before?
 
How very rude. I clip for a living and I think 1st clip for you on your horse for the 1st time. Well done. Practice makes perfect and you got all the sweaty bits off. Does it really make any difference to the horse if the lines are not perfect and maybe a bit patchy? No not really. Keep going and in the end, it's not as scary as it seems :)
 
Oscarwild Ethels hair is quite fine and we were told half way through clipping that the blades were for coarse hair which i think is why the lines are so bad :P
 
Thanks cyberchick :) shes not going to any shows or anything and she's my horse so I don't see why it has to be perfect either. I would love for it to be perfect though but I actually enjoyed doing it, the person helped me said it was nice to see me smile for once :rolleyes:
 
I did my first ever clip last Autumn, and yours is MUCH better than mine was. Well done! I have found that each time I do it I surprise myself by being better - practise makes confidence makes smooth clip.

This Autumn I had my mare sedated by the vet for the first clip of the season so that I could do her head properly. For the second clip I just used a bit of sedalin and I might not have to use sedalin by the end of the winter.

Don't you feel smug now :) You have added another horsey skill to your repertoire.

ps - just seen your last comment. I agree; I don't care how it looks so long as she's comfortable. I hunt, and last Autumn I turned up with wobbly lines and tramlines all over the place. To a man, the comments were "she looks lovely", "well done" and "you will be amazed at how quickly you get good at it". When I start a clip, I have the attitude "if I have to stop when she's half done (left, right, front, back) and do the rest tomorrow, I don't care because she doesn't".
 
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I agree - practice makes perfect. You have to start somewhere. Well done for giving it a go. I had my instructor help me the first few times I did a clip. She did the lines & I filled in the gaps! :D Then she clocked that I was getting over reliant on her being there & left me to do it all one day. I did have one bad day in early January this year where I nicked his chest, but he was fine. The more you do it, the more confident you will get.

Get some chalk as another poster suggested to help you with the lines, and try to pull the skin taut in the tricky areas. I am no expert by any means, but it really is one of those things that you get better at the more you do it. Good luck with the next one :D
 
Thanks jackyandrosie and natalie :) that does make me feel better :D have got someone else to help me next time and she's said if I'm worried about lines then she'll do them and I can fill in the gaps and she'll help with the tricky bits :)
 
i cannot believe how horrible some people can be, if you cant say something constructive then dont post. sorry rant over!!!!!

i think for a first time its a good effort, after all you are not going to a championship show so its a practical clip. well done for having a go and dont take any notice of negative posts. we all have to start somewhere and you will get better. perhaps if there is anyone on your yard with a horse who is relaxed about clipping, they might show you the best way and maybe let you try while they are watching you. this is how i learnt many years ago and i still remember the tips i was given then....luckily my horse goes to sleep as she likes being clipped(i know shes a bit strange!!)
 
I think you've done fine. My first clip was higher on one side than the other until eventually I stopped because as I was trying to even it up it was getting too high. Last year she had a bib clip which looked truly ridiculous (even though I CAN just about do lines now, except the half circles that go over the hind leg on a blanket or trace clip, can't do them :() because the she had an operation and the edge was just by her jugular so the vet kept clipping bits off the edge of it!
At the end of the day though, a clip is for a purpose, to keep your horse healthy and comfortable and free from long wet sweaty hair. Job done.
Your lines will get better the more you do them. Last year I got into offering free clips to anyone who would let me practise on their horses. It's a great way to improve :)
 
Agree with some of the other posters. Does the horse care if there lines arent straight and clip isnt perfect. NO. So dont worry.
A few people at my yard couldnt believe I had attempted to clip my mare and that she looks a little dodgy from the other side. But she not going anyway and if she does all they can do is laugh at us. But she wont be going anywhere for a while now anyway as last week she had a biopsy done and the vet has added to my clip by shaving off a square path on her side. I thought about matching it up and doing the other side ;)

Well done for giving it a go and please dont listen to the negative poster.
 
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I can't believe how nasty some people are being as well. No need for it.

I think it is a good effort for a first attempt. It definately takes a few attempts to get the knack so in a few years you'll be an expert :)
 
well done for giving it a go, the coarse blades certainly won't have helped :).

Again practice practice practice, I had never clipped before I had Frank.. thankfully he has supreme patience and doesn't mind me faffing about and have since managed to desensitise my Mum's mare too them, she soon learnt clippers out and running = person with pony nuts in pocket.

The more you do it the more you learn how the hair goes to get a better cut. Looking at the pics I think you would also get a better finish if you could do longer smoother strokes, in particular in the top pic you could have done that line all in one sweep and would have got a better finish.

I also tend to use chalk for my lines, it also allows you to experiment a bit with where you might like them :).
 
Well done for trying. I think for your first attempt youve done really well especially seeing though your horse hasnt been clipped before and good on you for stopping whilst things were going well.
I struggle too with elbows and between the front legs, my horse seems to have loads of skin there and clipping alone makes it hard, so today when I clipped my boy I just did the best I could, its by no means perfect but it really doesnt matter. :):)
 
Well done, for a first attempt it isn't bad. You will feel much more confident next time! I agree that maybe you could have done a more flattering clip for her, but hey so what, does it really matter ? No it doesn't. Don't beat yourself up about nicking her either , it is not the end of the world. Be proud of what you've achieved and after a few more goes it will all seem so much easier.
 
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