has anybody got any advice on how i can hog my cob??!!!!

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xmariax

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my cob is an absolute star to clip i can do his legs and body everywhere other than his forlock, he stands un tied like a rock for me... but when it comes to doing his forlock he just wont let me he really doesnt like his pole being touched anyway but when i take the clippers near the top of his head he goes mad.
he came over from ireland as a 3yr old and has a scar on top of his head from ear to ear,hes now 7 i show him as a show cob so have to clip him so he has to be hogged, each time i do it he gets worse ive tried everything from bribbing him with food to twitching and it doesnt work he wont give in.
today it took 5 of us an hour to get it done it should take 2 sec to clip a forlock its getting ridiculous i dont think hes scared just stubborn.
has anybody else got a horse like this and what can i do to help him i dread having to clip him and with lots of shows coming up i have to do it, i really dont want to go down the road of sedation...ive battled with him for 3 yrs now.....help pls i'd be really grateful for any tips !!! x
 
Do you only bring the clippers out when you want to clip him or have you tried just bringing the clippers to him everyday and run them around his forlock area. He may find it easier to accept if it is an every day action which obviously isn't hurting him rather than just something that happens every so often.
 
Can you not get a sharp pair of hairdressing sissors and chip it down with those, if its just the forlock with a bit of pratice it wouldn't look too bad.
 
scissors!!! takes yonks!!

Mine is the same near his poll so I do half neck as quick as I can before he goes up! then finish with scissors!
 
thanks guys will try scissors but he moves away so bloody quick i ll be scared of cutting him!!!
i do bring clippers out every now and then even when not clipping to try and get him used to it but he jumps sideways lol
 
Quick question for you xshowcobx.. if you were scared of something (or perhaps just really didn't like it) and someone tied you up and tried to inflict it on you- and then got cross every time you moved, fed you treats but kept trying to repeat the thing you didn't like, tied up your lip and tried again etc, would you be a happy soldier???
It's perhaps a weird point to make but so many people don't think rationally about the way they treat their horses (I don't know you so don't take it personally, I'm simply putting out the suggestion) that perhaps your ongoing anticipation and increasing frustration at the problem is causing as many problems as his original fear/dislike??
The only sure fire way of improving this experience is to desensitize him to it, start with neck rubs and face rubs that gradually get closer to his poll, play with his ears when you groom him (always being very friendly and sensitive to his worries) and let him get used to it a bit at a time. I promise a bit of patience and perseverence will work much more effectively than gadgets or drugs
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Are you trying to run the clippers up the front and over the top of the poll?

I find going at it from the back, up the neck and through between the ears is easier if they are poll shy. It means if they chuck up their heads nine times out of ten the clippers still manage to get most of the forelock and you can finish off with scissors once they calm down again!
 
Ah, ditto Spaniel - up the neck and between the ears.

I'm sure you've also tried using a pair of battery operated trimmers as well (which are so much quieter, and no leads), but if not - give it a go.........
 
i asked for some advice as i have been patient and perserverd with him for the past 3 yrs trying to desensitze him and some friendly people have given it to me, i will try scissors..... i didnt ask for a lecture and i do think rationally about the way i treat my horse like you say you dont know me or my horse for that matter!!!
 
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i asked for some advice as i have been patient and perserverd with him for the past 3 yrs trying to desensitze him and some friendly people have given it to me, i will try scissors..... i didnt ask for a lecture and i do think rationally about the way i treat my horse like you say you dont know me or my horse for that matter!!!

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No need to get aggi! Didn't mean to offend, you didn't give all that info at the top of the page so I offered the advice- sorry if it upset you and I hope the scissors do the trick
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have tired trimmers to but doesnt work
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he does his giraffe act and i just cant reach !!!!

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You never heard of a chair????
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Dont faff around him, be firm but kind and TWITCH him! It is much safer for you and the horse, and will calm him naturally.

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Not necessarily DC. Some horses you most definately twitch at your peril.....
 
no chairs at yard im afraid! but i have tried with a yard stool mounting block thingy and i end up reaching and streaching across so much that i end up havin to jump off stool before he knocks me off lol !!!
i cant tie him up cos he doesnt like it so some1 holds him for me and he doesnt stand still its hopeless i might as well give in and show him au natural
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alot of people at my yard have said try twitching but no one can hold him so have given up on that one!!!!
hes not dangerous when i try to clip his head just shakes it around he doesnt try to kick or anything he just says no ur not doing that!!!!
think scissors would be my best bet worth a try anyway he prob wont like it but ho hum.....
i hope i havent made him sound like a nasty monster cos hes really a lovely horse i think he may of had a bad start to life before i got him hes always been head shy and i think he always will be other than that he my perfect horse
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ahhh thanks worcs is a bit far lol
think i might need to be a bit firmer with him im such a light weight and he knows it !
its a good job hes not strong when ridden or i d have no hope lol x
 
Will he stand still if you stick a haynet/feed in front of him? Maybe put his tea in a skip and feed him on the floor. If he's like most cobs, he'll like his food and will be distracted enough to get the job done.
 
Roaching shears - big scissors on which the ends curl up and away. Think rideaway sell them. We had to use these on my old cob cos he got so stressy about the clippers we had to dope him, and didn't like to do that just to hog him. Tackling him from behind his ears worked best - in fact to do his mane, one of the kids used to sit on him in his stable and snip away from his back!
You need to keep them sharp - so find a good hardware store to do this regularly.
Try to find someone who can hold onto him - it makes a huge difference when they know they can't pull away or fidget. Maybe you could persuade your OH/Dad/Brother to make friends with him - the person doesn't need to be horsey, just kind, firm and quiet. My Quarter Horse mare was a complete madam to start with and my OH was too nervous to hold her, but if my instructor had got hold of her I could do anything with her. Now my OH can anchor her on most occasions.
I sympathise with you for some of the stick you've have from other posters - until you've had a cob with a bee in his bonnet about something, you've got no idea what it's like.
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yes ive tried food and hes not interested when the clippers come out hes not hungry at the mo because of the grass.
thank u ironhorse glad im not the only one, sounds like u understand where im coming from
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im off out today to buy some curly scissors lol
 
we always use to twitch Thomas tho it was all clipping he hated. Tough as he was a hairy hunting cob who needed doing about 6 times a season. He used to go into an absolute trance as soon as the twitch went on, it wasnt a bit cruel.
 
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