Clipping Horses

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hghlnd

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Hi there,
I was just wondering how do people go about learning to clip horses? Are there any qualifications that you can get for this? Just wondering as it is something that I might like to do in the future :)
hghlnd
 
hghlnd said:
Hi there,
I was just wondering how do people go about learning to clip horses? Are there any qualifications that you can get for this? Just wondering as it is something that I might like to do in the future :)
hghlnd
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There are no qualifications so to speak, it is just experience and depending on if you are good or not at it. You canbuy how to clip DVDs and books, and find a decent pair of clippers and practice on your own horse (do the smallest clips and work up to a full clip) or practice on a friends horse if they don't mind a baldy horse.
 
an old yard owner handed me a pair of clippers and said give him a blanket - it didn't go too well! its really just practise though - some freelance grooms do lessons on your own horse but not generally on other peoples x
 
Matt and Jack said:
I just have it a go myself and you find you just improve as your hand gets steadier and you get a better eye for the lines etc
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Yes, the more confident you get the less scarier the clippers get!! I always used to have a *mini* panic attack when I used to first turn them on. Just practise, practise and more practise.
 
I bought my own clippers about two years ago - the first clip I did was an absolute disaster - poor horse looked like he'd been scalped! The YO commented that it was a good job it was winter as I would be hacking out in an exercise sheet and no one would see his body!

Now, after lots of practice (legs every 6 weeks and body about every 4 months - he grows hair like a mammoth) - I have to say I am improved to the point where the YO said "that's a good clip"! Was very pleased with that! However, I am not sure I would do someone elses's horse yet.
 
Hexx said:
I bought my own clippers about two years ago - the first clip I did was an absolute disaster - poor horse looked like he'd been scalped! The YO commented that it was a good job it was winter as I would be hacking out in an exercise sheet and no one would see his body!

Now, after lots of practice (legs every 6 weeks and body about every 4 months - he grows hair like a mammoth) - I have to say I am improved to the point where the YO said "that's a good clip"! Was very pleased with that! However, I am not sure I would do someone elses's horse yet.
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Pity you are not nearer, I have one you could do every four weeks all year round, I hate clipping.
 
Unfortunately I don't have my own horse to use for practicing and I don't have anyone that I could ask if I could use theirs for practice, hence wondering if there were any courses/qualifications. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to books/dvds if I were to try to learn in the future?
 
Books & DVDs etc are ok but you really need to be with someone who knows what they are doing to show you hoe to clip. It's a thing that you need to do hands on. I clip my horses myself or my daughter does them. I certainly wouldn't have someone who had only read a book or seen a film on how to clip anywhere near one of my horses. Once a horse has a bad clip it can take some horses quite a while for it to grow out.
 
hghlnd said:
Unfortunately I don't have my own horse to use for practicing and I don't have anyone that I could ask if I could use theirs for practice, hence wondering if there were any courses/qualifications. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to books/dvds if I were to try to learn in the future?
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I have the Brooke the clipper girl DVDs, you can probably watch them on youtube as they are ridiculously priced.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
Books & DVDs etc are ok but you really need to be with someone who knows what they are doing to show you hoe to clip. It's a thing that you need to do hands on. I clip my horses myself or my daughter does them. I certainly wouldn't have someone who had only read a book or seen a film on how to clip anywhere near one of my horses. Once a horse has a bad clip it can take some horses quite a while for it to grow out.
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Thanks for the advice. I don't know of anyone near me that clips or would be willing to teach to clip so it's something that I need to research more and see if I can find someone near to me :)

equi said:
I have the Brooke the clipper girl DVDs, you can probably watch them on youtube as they are ridiculously priced.
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Thanks for the recommendation :)
 
I've got this book, which is pretty helpful. It's out of print now (pub 1995) but is still available second hand on amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clipping-Ho...UTF8&qid=1393105185&sr=1-12&keywords=Clipping

Echo others, though, that you need to practise, practise and practise some more before you could possibly set up as a professional. I have been clipping my own horses for nearly 30 years but I would still never clip anyone else's! There is an awful lot that can go wrong.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I've got this book, which is pretty helpful. It's out of print now (pub 1995) but is still available second hand on amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clipping-Ho...UTF8&qid=1393105185&sr=1-12&keywords=Clipping

Echo others, though, that you need to practise, practise and practise some more before you could possibly set up as a professional. I have been clipping my own horses for nearly 30 years but I would still never clip anyone else's! There is an awful lot that can go wrong.
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Thanks for the book recommendation. I'm not sure if it's something that I would want to do professionally because as you say there is a lot that can go wrong. At the moment it is just something that I'm looking into as it may be something which I want to learn to do if I get my own horse in the future :)
 
It's easier than people make out I think :) I quite enjoy it! I clipped Pip 5 times this winter (full clip inc legs face etc) and Simba twice (hunter clip) and I'm fairly slow but you can't see any lines - you can see the clip in my avatar. I think just take your time, and read the instructions that come with the clippers!
 
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