Elf On A Shelf
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It takes me about 40mins from start to finish on your average horse that isn't too much of a fidget. It takes me an hour to do Arthur just to make sure it is absolutely perfect and I haven't missed even a single hair!
Full clip - how do you do yours?
- Thread starter Tiddlypom
- Start date
It takes me about 40mins from start to finish on your average horse that isn't too much of a fidget. It takes me an hour to do Arthur just to make sure it is absolutely perfect and I haven't missed even a single hair!
JulesRules
Well-Known Member
Best way of doing a full clip? Pay some other b*gger to do it ???
Sorry, I always respond to clipping threads the same. It's just a job I hate. I itch for days after ???
Sorry, I always respond to clipping threads the same. It's just a job I hate. I itch for days after ???
Joyous70
Well-Known Member
I hate clipping with a passion, I start at the shoulder make sure she's happy and then just make it up as I go along, generally do shoulder and as far up neck as i can get before she freaks out, then do patch for saddle and front leg, do all one side and then go to the other side. My clippers despite being serviced seem to get hot very quickly so generally find they spend longer cooling down than being in use. and i always get lines doesn't seem to matter how careful I am. Took me hours last week, and she already looks like she needs doing again!!!!
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Leandy
Well-Known Member
Depends on the horse. If I'm not sure about it I start on the chest and under neck (think bib clip), then the lower shoulder, between legs, bit of tummy. The idea being that if it is a nightmare and proves difficult I can just tidy it up into a bib/irish if I have to and leave it. If I'm sure the horse is easy I like to start at the back end and work forwards so I can get a rug over when the back end is done and then finish off front and head whilst they are warmly rugged up. Also they can have haynet until I get to the front to keep occupied. It helps them to not get fidgety. I'm not a pro though! If I was I'd whip it all off in 30 mins flat and wouldn't worry about spending so much time they get wriggly!
cobgoblin
Bugrit! Millennium hand and shrimp.
I've always done it in stages on different days. Trace to blanket, to full if necessary.
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
I guess technique wise I always do the same.
Bath horse day before.
Dig out clippers. Congratulate myself that I cleaned them and stored them correctly with freshly sharpened blades. For someone as disorganised as me, it’s a big achievement.
Retrieve clipping attire from storage. Namely stolen boiler suit from other half and cap.
Prepare clipping area. We’re lucky to have a big area with a solarium at the yard. Get poop scoop ready, there’s nothing worse than poo and hair mucking up the area.
drag reluctant horse into clipping area.
start on shoulder and then commence up neck.
2 mins into starting realise that I hate clipping with a passion and wonder why I don’t pay someone to do this. Then I remember I’m a real tight a*se and carry on. I repeat this thought several times as hair gets in my eyes, up my nose and I start to overheat because the boiler suit that’s keeping the hair out is insulating heat in.
Clippers start to overheat, so they’re turned off, cleaned and oiled. I survey my handiwork, realise how slow I am at clipping and vow that next time I’ll pay someone else even though I know I won’t.
Clippers cooled its time to start again. I have to cross hatch some areas as my grey comes out with track lines otherwise ?.
Tackle leg lines. Swear a lot and remember the days when I had to clip at least two horses a week all winter and my lines were as the youth of today would put it ‘on fleek’.
Usually At this point someone else (livery, child or partner of a livery who’s been dragged down to the yard) will come and comment
“Oh, clipping are you?” I’ll have to turn off the clippers and ask them to repeat what they’ve said and laugh politely. Sometimes they’ll ask if I’m doing a heart, clover, star or a recreation of the Sistine Chapel ceiling on her hind quarters like some people can do (I’m not bitter). Again I laugh politely and cry on the inside that it’s hard enough to do the leg lines let alone going freestyle.
Finally when it’s all over and I’m sweating even more under the solarium but the horse is comfortable. I survey my work, not too shabby. Hot cloth horse. Rug up and clean up.
Bath horse day before.
Dig out clippers. Congratulate myself that I cleaned them and stored them correctly with freshly sharpened blades. For someone as disorganised as me, it’s a big achievement.
Retrieve clipping attire from storage. Namely stolen boiler suit from other half and cap.
Prepare clipping area. We’re lucky to have a big area with a solarium at the yard. Get poop scoop ready, there’s nothing worse than poo and hair mucking up the area.
drag reluctant horse into clipping area.
start on shoulder and then commence up neck.
2 mins into starting realise that I hate clipping with a passion and wonder why I don’t pay someone to do this. Then I remember I’m a real tight a*se and carry on. I repeat this thought several times as hair gets in my eyes, up my nose and I start to overheat because the boiler suit that’s keeping the hair out is insulating heat in.
Clippers start to overheat, so they’re turned off, cleaned and oiled. I survey my handiwork, realise how slow I am at clipping and vow that next time I’ll pay someone else even though I know I won’t.
Clippers cooled its time to start again. I have to cross hatch some areas as my grey comes out with track lines otherwise ?.
Tackle leg lines. Swear a lot and remember the days when I had to clip at least two horses a week all winter and my lines were as the youth of today would put it ‘on fleek’.
Usually At this point someone else (livery, child or partner of a livery who’s been dragged down to the yard) will come and comment
“Oh, clipping are you?” I’ll have to turn off the clippers and ask them to repeat what they’ve said and laugh politely. Sometimes they’ll ask if I’m doing a heart, clover, star or a recreation of the Sistine Chapel ceiling on her hind quarters like some people can do (I’m not bitter). Again I laugh politely and cry on the inside that it’s hard enough to do the leg lines let alone going freestyle.
Finally when it’s all over and I’m sweating even more under the solarium but the horse is comfortable. I survey my work, not too shabby. Hot cloth horse. Rug up and clean up.
Elf On A Shelf
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Ceifer - I just ignore people when I clip! If we have a spare stable that I can commandeer for the day I write on it - clipping is NOT a spectator sport! Bugger off!
People interrupting you is the most annoying thing on the planet! One woman at work got her head severely snapped off last year! I was ignoring her because I really couldn't be bothered with speaking to anyone and she spouts some amount of random crap and states the obvious all the time. Not what I wanted nor needed. So what does she do? Unplugs my extention cable!!!!!!!! Just to have a bloody chat because she is bored!!!!!!!!!!!!
After that episode she didn't bother me again for the rest of the clipping season...
People interrupting you is the most annoying thing on the planet! One woman at work got her head severely snapped off last year! I was ignoring her because I really couldn't be bothered with speaking to anyone and she spouts some amount of random crap and states the obvious all the time. Not what I wanted nor needed. So what does she do? Unplugs my extention cable!!!!!!!! Just to have a bloody chat because she is bored!!!!!!!!!!!!
After that episode she didn't bother me again for the rest of the clipping season...
HappyHollyDays
Slave to a house cat, 4 yard cats and 2 ponies
Said very tongue in cheek.
I pay somebody to do it for me ?
I pay somebody to do it for me ?
HorsesRule2009
Well-Known Member
How does everyone get the line right on back legs doing a full clip?
Front I'm fine with as I just follow the muscle back leg I'm struggling with ??
Front I'm fine with as I just follow the muscle back leg I'm struggling with ??
Leandy
Well-Known Member
How does everyone get the line right on back legs doing a full clip?
Front I'm fine with as I just follow the muscle back leg I'm struggling with ??
I stand behind the horse to do it starting about a hand span or a bit more above the hock to the groove in the front of the stifle joint. I find back legs easier than front due to wrinkly elbows at the front! Although having said that, I'd call it a hunter clip if you are leaving legs on. A full clip is exactly that.
Elf On A Shelf
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Hind leg lines are different for each person and each horse. I swing round the muscle to the point of the stifle so I don't have to clip the front of the stifle.
sherry90
Well-Known Member
I always give a haynet, keeps him quiet. I tend to do the fiddly bits first and ‘cut in’ (painting term ?) the lines on the legs, armpits and hind legs etc. I then do the neck, up to ears (leave them unclipped) then body, then face last.
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
If I'm doing head and legs off I usually do those first before I get itchy and horse gets hacked off, and then whizz off the body afterwards.
otherwise start on shoulder, up the neck, half head, between front legs and then body/quarters one side at a time. unless it's freezing in which case I will clip front half with rug folded back and then swap over.
otherwise start on shoulder, up the neck, half head, between front legs and then body/quarters one side at a time. unless it's freezing in which case I will clip front half with rug folded back and then swap over.
Roasted Chestnuts
Well-Known Member
I haven’t done a true full in years but I’ve always started from back and worked my way to the front leaving the head and legs to last as I usually do them with smaller cordless clippers.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I do the awkward bits, head, leg lines, elbows first, before either of us gets bored! Then “colour in!”
.... sometimes I pay someone ? that’s by far preferable but you do have to have someone decent because if you pay someone to do a worse job than you can do yourself it’s seriously annoying!
.... sometimes I pay someone ? that’s by far preferable but you do have to have someone decent because if you pay someone to do a worse job than you can do yourself it’s seriously annoying!
Auslander
Well-Known Member
I did one in 22 mins last year! The horse is a sod to clip, and was sedated, so i wanted everything off as fast as I possibly could! The vet was a bit worried when she realised I was on my own (hadn't occurred to the owner to book a time she could be there) so popped in on her way past 30 mins later, and was a bit surprised that I'd already finished and had a coffee!
Elf On A Shelf
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Yeah I've done some a lot quicker due to sedation etc. And then it takes me nearly 2 hours to do a Shetland ?? I start with course blades then go to medium and go through 4 sets of blades to make sure they arw cool enough ??
Auslander
Well-Known Member
Lol! I took the garden shears to Ted one year as even coarse blades wouldn't go through his coat! I hacked everything off with the shears, then ran over him with the clippers - worked beautifully!
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
Really?! That’s so bad of the person to unplug your lead. I would have had the same reaction.
AUB
Well-Known Member
I start at the shoulder, then get the details around the head out of the way because my mare isn’t a big fan of that and will fidget when she loses her patience. Then I do the rest.
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
i start off at the neck ,with the intention of doing a blanket clip. Then realise its lopsided ,so attempt to straighten it up, this continues on either side until i realise its a mess and whip everything off. Happens every year. Im a real pro with this technique .
Equi
Well-Known Member
Purely because i know my ponies so well i tend to do a line right from the stifle to the poll, then anywhich way the hand decides to take me. I have never claimed to be GOOD at a clip, but i get the job done. Eventually.