Help with clipping and sedating!!?

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horses17

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This year will be the first year i am clipping a sedated horse!
Is there anything i should be cautious about or anything i should know before hand? Would love some clipping advice too as I've never clipped before and it will be my first time. He needs sedated as he is getting a full clip and he won't be happy about me going near his face otherwise.

My questions ;
* what will the sedative make him like? e.g - will he be totally oblivious to the clippers etc
* how long will it last
* do i clip him in his stable so he doesn't need to move anywhere when he's coming round from the sedative?
* how much roughly would you expect to pay for your horse to be sedated for clipping?

Disclaimer - I will have someone experienced with me for my first clip and we will be monitored at all times. I also understand if i sound very inexperienced at clipping.. its because i am, i have just never done it before as i usually pay someone to do it but i have my own clippers now.

Thank you in advance x:)
 
If you have never clipped before I would not recommend your first clip is on a sedated horse, as you need to clip really quick as the sedation wears off, and to clip with speed you need ton have experience of clipping lots of horses, do you not have some friends horses you can practice on first?
 
What Pinkyboots says.

i can clip, but my lad needs vet to sedate. So i pay a pro clipper to come in, he can do a full clip with legs off too, all in 20/25 mins. Saves aggro all round and my horse is completely round in 40 mins.
If it were me clipping then i would need vet to top up sedation again and again...
 
Just don't take it for granted that a sedated horse won't kick you. Are you sedating yourself or is a vet doing IV for you. Remember to remove anything edible and make sure the horse does not crush his windpipe on top of the door. You will need to be quick, they don't stay comatose for long.

I hate clipping with a passion and always get a pro in to do mine. It is a skill and well worth having an expert do it, especially if the horse is a grey, my efforts always ended up with the horse refusing to leave the stable because he was so embarrassed at the mess I had made of him.
 
Pinkvboots said:
If you have never clipped before I would not recommend your first clip is on a sedated horse, as you need to clip really quick as the sedation wears off, and to clip with speed you need ton have experience of clipping lots of horses, do you not have some friends horses you can practice on first?
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yes , i have another horse that is a dope on a rope. I wouldnt be doing the full clip myself. Just small sections x
 
When my horse was bad to clip his head. I used to clip nearly all where I wanted except for the head. Teeth where always due about same time and he previously needed sedating for that to. So took opportunity to clip his head. He still fought with me and took 2 people for safety. Would definitely not have time to do all over! !!

Not sure why but is fine now with teeth and clipping head!!! As soon as we moved.

Please don't try it.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Just don't take it for granted that a sedated horse won't kick you. Are you sedating yourself or is a vet doing IV for you. Remember to remove anything edible and make sure the horse does not crush his windpipe on top of the door. You will need to be quick, they don't stay comatose for long.

I hate clipping with a passion and always get a pro in to do mine. It is a skill and well worth having an expert do it, especially if the horse is a grey, my efforts always ended up with the horse refusing to leave the stable because he was so embarrassed at the mess I had made of him.
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My vet will be sedating, I wouldnt be doing the full clip myself. Just small sections to learn. Thank you for your response x
 
Gentle_Warrior said:
Agree. Also depending how horse is sedated e.g. Vet. Horses fight sedation. It is instinct. So agree not ideal in any form for a first clip.
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I wouldnt be doing the full clip myself. Just small sections. I will leave clipping to my friend on the one that needs sedated but i will clip my other dope on a rope as my first time x
 
Gentle_Warrior said:
When my horse was bad to clip his head. I used to clip nearly all where I wanted except for the head. Teeth where always due about same time and he previously needed sedating for that to. So took opportunity to clip his head. He still fought with me and took 2 people for safety. Would definitely not have time to do all over! !!

Not sure why but is fine now with teeth and clipping head!!! As soon as we moved.

Please don't try it.
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Thanks for your response , after reading others i thin i will just stick to clipping a non sedated horse instead. Thank you x
 
horses17 said:
I wouldnt be doing the full clip myself. Just small sections. Thank you for your response. I think I'm going to reconsider clipping him sedated and may just clip my other dope on a rope x
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I would practice on the easy one first and see how you go some people find clipping easy and pick it up without a problem, but it is a learnt skill that can take some time to master especially leg lines, using chalk to mark your lines can help and having someone with you that can clip really well, good luck :)
 
Pinkvboots said:
I would practice on the easy one first and see how you go some people find clipping easy and pick it up without a problem, but it is a learnt skill that can take some time to master especially leg lines, using chalk to mark your lines can help and having someone with you that can clip really well, good luck :)
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Thank you, i will be leaving the lines to the other person clipping with me, i dont think id like to give my horse a wavy look :P, i will post a picture once I'm done and show you how i get on x
 
horses17 said:
Thank you, i will be leaving the lines to the other person clipping with me, i dont think id like to give my horse a wavy look :P, i will post a picture once I'm done and show you how i get on x
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It sounds like your being very sensible at least you have someone to do the lines, I helped my livery clip her horse and I did the lines for her everyone has to start somewhere, will look forward to seeing the end result.
 
I would avoid doing a sedated one for your first clip. They need speed clipped lol! Starting with the head, then into chest, elbows and flanks before they start sweating too much.
 
I did my first clip on a sedated horse. He used to have to be sedated every 5 weeks to be shod (shivers) so I was used to how he reacted under sedation though.

First time he was clipped was by a pro (unsedated) with heavy duty clippers which were quite noisy. I wasn't there but was told he didn't behave especially well. Not dangerous, just fidgety and not very co-operative.

I bought some smaller battery clippers and did some desensitization work with him, then when the time came combined it with sedating for the farrier. Did need a top up though to get both done.

My tip would be to get the horse completely ready first, I.e. mane and tail plaited out of the way and lines marked up. I used sticky tape instead of chalk as I found it much easier. Also wear a hat.

With the quieter clippers and a bit of work, he became very easy to clip, would fuss around with his head a bit but came to positively enjoy the rest of it, after the first time didn't need sedation. I never did a full clip though, just a chaser or trace clip, somehow never got the feeling legs would be all that easy, and he didn't need more than that anyway for the work we were doing.

I think you're very sensible to break your clipping duck on another horse first though. Good luck!
 
One of my instructors at college, many moons ago, had had a sedated horse come round mid clip and kick out. It shattered her jaw in several places. No warning, just bam.
 
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