Clipping Nervous Horse

[Deefa]

Just wanted advice on how you guys would go about cliping a pony who doesn't like clippers!

Before i had him he was clipped in winter but it was a battle, they gave him triple dose of sedative and he still sweated and shook at the back of the stable rearing.
I really dont want to sedate him as personally i dont think it really works with him. Over the years i have had him i have slowly got him to the point where i can clip his beard off with qiuet human hair clippers with only a head colllar round his neck, but i will need to use a proper pair of clippers on him for his body.

Would you get a perfessional in or would you borrow some clippers and take your time with him and slowly get it done? and any ideas on helping him cope?

 

[jumpthemoon]

If it was me I would just take my time and do it. I've had a few horses that hated being clipped and I don't like to use sedative (if I can help it). It may help to leave the clippers on outside his stable and standhim around while clipping other horses, so he gets used to the noise and doesn't associate it so much with clipping. Othr than that, patience is about all that works! If he is really bad to the point of dangerous I would sedate though - it's not worth getting injured over and you might end up making him worse instead of better. Good luck

 

[skye123]

i have the same problem with my horse so will intrested to see the replies

 

[jumpthemoon]

Oh - other things you could try are cotton wool in ears (sometimes works) and stroking the area you are just about to go over with the clippers a few times first, to de-sensitise. This works really well with my mare who tenses up so she is like a rock then starts shaking, bless her!

 

[_Libby_]

My mare is terrifed of clippers and usually needs double sedation however I did manage to clip her myself without sedation.

Spent plenty of time with the clippers running to let her get used to the noise, maybe clip another horse right next to her stable (A calm one) let her sniff the clippers , look at them to see they arent so scary. Just take your time and see how you go. If you do end up needing to get her sedated you havent lost anything just be careful.

Cotton wool in ears might help with noise. Sedalin gel might also knock the edge off but didnt help my mare at all.
Eventually near the end of clip my mare had enough and I managed to get the rest off with a twitch.

 

[SpruceRI]

I've started a few youngsters off clipping and last year had a mare who was terrified, though just stood rolling her eyes and snorting.

With all of them I started in the stable with a headcollar and rope on but not tied up. Treats in pockets, chatting away about things and then turned clippers on at back of stables and ignored the scramble/jump.

Carried on chatting, picked up end of rope and approached. B, the mare I had last year was seriously scared, but after a while of turning the clippers off giving her some treats, especially when she approached me for a treat I turned the clippers off, so in the end even though I had scary clippers in hand I was the 'nice person' because I had the treats. That seemed to work for her

I clipped her once a week for about 6 weeks, and although she was still visibly scared she stood stock still and allowed it. .

I think if you can clip and they trust you it comes better being done by you than a stranger.

I've found with all mine (all have been mares apart from one) that if you tell them how fantastic and wonderful they are in a sleepy voice, they'll let you clip or do other unpleasant things such as treating wounds.

 

[vita]

the important thing is to cure the fear which only has to be achieved once and will last a life time. Absolutely endless patience, training in very very small steps so that the horse is comfortable before progressing on to the next stage, training on consecutive days with the clippers, the horse will learn more quickly. Dont over face the horse and let the horse tell you when its uncomfortable. so hold a few seconds and then withdraw the stage which is alarming for the horse, but this needs to be done when the horse has stopped so that the removal is the reward for good behaviour and not reward for the horse playing up
Alternatively get someone in to train your horse on it.
Even if it takes every day for two weeks.
For example, train your horse on the noise first by turning it on and off outside the stable during feeding time. Only for a second. This may need to be done for a week before the horse continues to eat without taking any notice of the noise at that distance.