help on clipping a nervous horse

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sarahwilkes

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just wondering what tips you can give me on clipping a nervous horse.
i have owned my cob for 2 years and clipped him both winters with a big fight and a strong husband. he has been hogged for a year now too but as soon as the clippers get close to his poll and ears he freaks and goes up.
Tried ACP's and calming paste but they don't make a difference.
any tips and advice are welcomed, as we are planning to clip him on saturday.
 
Electric toothbrush in a feed bucket and put another feedbucket with his dinner on top, it gets them used to the noise and vibration and once they can deal with that try running the clippers near him and letting him watch other neds being clipped. Gradually lead up to touching him all over with the clippers off and then on and once he can deal with them cold and then hot on his body you can try to clip. This needs to be done regularly over a few weeks, don't try and rush. Other tip is to put a couple of drops of lavender oil/essence in the clipper oil and it is a lovely scent that helps them relax. Hope that helps, it worked for me when I taught my boy to be clipped.
 
That all sounds good Beth, I saw Michael Peace once, training a horse to accept clippers and he did similar.

Also, hold the clippers in your hand so that the back of your hand is touching the horse (or nearish) but don't back off when the horse moves, keep same distance or on the horse and when the horse keeps still and accepts, THEN come away, do that repeatedly if you back off and stop touching when the horse objects, it learns the wrong messaage. That was a great learning curve for me... good luck
 
thanks for that.
we did try putting his tea by the clippers when running and he grabbed a mouthful of food and tantrumed at the back of his stable.

going to take my husband's toothbrush on a trip!!!

i am not usuing my own!!!
 
he has been getting gradually better. it is mainly around his head and ear area that is the big problem.

but being ID x he has a woolly head and jaw that looks horrific against a nicely clipped body.
 
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Electric toothbrush in a feed bucket and put another feedbucket with his dinner on top, it gets them used to the noise and vibration and once they can deal with that try running the clippers near him and letting him watch other neds being clipped.

Wonderful idea about the touth brush. Will def try that!
 
It's just about taking your time to desensitise him. I'm also a fan of the MP method - being sure to 'keep the pressure on' when the horse reacts negatively, but rewarding with the clippers stopping when the horse makes the effort to cope with it.

I've never known a horse permanently recject clipping IF you build it up slowly - however I know plenty of phobic horses caused by people basically FORCING them into being clipped.
 
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