Do grey horses always look awful when first clipped?!

[alexomahony]

Is it just me, or does anyone else experience issues clipping grey horses?

I just can't seem to avoid lines - my chestnut looks fab after being clipped - shiny, line free and smooth. My grey always comes out looking tram liney and unever. Please tell me it's not just me!

 

[Bernster]

But it'll grow out in the next few days

I wonder if they have coarser hair? Mine seems to really love a good scratch and has quite itchy hair, which I never noticed with other non grey horses.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I hate clipping greys! I do think their coats are different from other colours - they stab you more than bays or chestnuts!

I have mever had one come out in lines though!

 

[Lillian_paddington]

Ooh yes mine is like this too!! I think it’s the contrast - if you leave a bit more fur in one area it really shows up against the dark skin! Although that fancy brush brand - Haas I think? - has got different brushes for grey coats because they’re coarser apparently. I thought it was just marketing but maybe it’s true

 

[Ranyhyn]

Yes

 

[JFTDWS]

Yep greys always look liney and weird but even up after 24/48 hours

 

[Sasanaskyex]

I struggle clipping my grey because it's not always easy to tell which bits I've done so I nearly always have to unpack the clippers again because I realise I've missed a patch! I don't find I get too many lines, I used to but now I've got into the habit of giving her a good bath the day before and then when I clip the clippers just slide through lovely.

This was my horse straight after clipping last winter

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes it does grow out quickly so it’s not a disaster.

 

[albeg]

Yep, apparently though using medium instead of fine blades helps.

 

[tatty_v]

Yes, my grey always looks awful and covered in lines and the chestnut looks flawless! Luckily it grows out in about a week 😂

 

[alexomahony]

Oh this makes me happy! Thank you everyone for responding and settling my mind!I agree I do think it's the contrast of coat and skin colour. Sadly as mine is so nervous of being clipped I have to use trimmers that are basically dog ones- they're super quiet and hardly move so I'm sure they don't help the situation! He looks better already today Phew!

 

[NinjaPony]

Yes, clipping greys is hard! I agree re using medium not fine blades. Mine looks bald with fine blades and medium are much more forgiving!

 

[teddypops]

Yes!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Dolly looks like a carpet when she's just been clipped. She looks absolutely horrendous. Her skin is different colours underneath so she is mottled and patchy!

 

[MissTyc]

I take a step or three back and evaluate from a distance. If it looks OK from there, it will look good within a few days up close. If it looks terrible from a distance, I've really messed up (usually the wrong blades!)

 

[beingachicken]

I always think greys have very different coats. We had a few and I’m actually quite allergic to greys!

 

[Annagain]

Archie in particular has quite a coat. It's almost like he has a downy, fluffy undercoat and then a coarse top layer which makes clipping him very tricky. Monty's coat is much softer and easier to clip but I think that's maybe as he's 5/8 TB. He's also very fleabitten so I'm not sure if he's different sort of grey? He seems to have a much more blue tone to his grey than Arch who is more pink. He doesn't get lines - or maybe the very obvious flea bites he shows when he's clipped mean they distract from the lines!

 

[Fransurrey]

I use a medium blade on my piebald and he does seem to have exceedingly coarse hair, although it looks like silk in the sun! I watched a couple of clipping videos to refresh myself on technique and one thing I picked up was the 'hoover technique', which means going back and forth in a fan-like movement over the clipped area, which evens out any tram lines.

 

[tatty_v]

This year I’ve sort of cracked it! A2C blades, a pony who has finally stopped being a PiTA about it (!) and going back over my clipped areas at a 90 degree angle. It’s not perfect, but by god it’s a million times better than previous years 😂