Horse Clipping

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CuddlyCob

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Hey guys ok too cut a long story short i have only just bought a pony from a riding school i used too help out at.she has a medium too thick coat and i was wondering if anyone can recommend any cheap heavy duty clippers. Also can any one give me any tips in clipping never done it before so i don't have a clue about maintaining the clippers or if their are any safety requirements.
Ps. The clippers don't need to be quiet she has been clipped loads of times and stands great
 
I you have not clipped before I would advise praps ask someone at the yard to help you or pay someone to do it for you and effectivly give you a lesson.

I dont know about clippers I have a very old pair that I have used forever but I think you can buy some good ones for about £200. and I get the blades sharppened every two times i use them.

Hope that helps if you can read through my waffle, what area are you in as know people that would be able to come help.
 
I have a pair of heavy duty clippers from 'Master Clip' - they were very reasonable priced and 3 seasons on have had no problems. I think I got them from their Ebay shop. The downside is that they are quite heavy and noisy, but my boys are very easy to clip, so not an issue.

In terms of maintenance there are several companies that service clippers and will also sharpen your blades - I use Clipper sharp. I tend to get mine serviced every couple of years, unless there are any obvious issues. Blades usually last me 3 clips, and always have a spare set handy.

Re the clipping always make sure the horses coat is spotlessly clean so as not too blunt the blades. If you are doing a clip with lines eg a blanket clip, use chalk to draw the lines on as a guide. Finally always clip against the hair.

Good luck! The worst that can happen is that the lines go wrong - then just clip out fully and your mistake will never be seen!
 
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My advice is pay someone else. It's not just buying the clippers that costs. You then have to pay for sharpening blades, new blades, servicing and repairing them. I worked out it would take about 14 clips to get my money's worth out of a set of clippers and as I only clip my boy once a year it's not worth it. I'm also so bad at it that he ends up looking like a patchwork quilt so it's best to pay someone! It's the sort of thing you need to do a lot to be any good at it.
 
agree it may be worthwhile to just pay someone. even if in the future you decide to buy, you can this year watch them do it. i bought clippers as i have 2 horses and usually clip them twice in the winter, and wanted to buy rechargeable without a long lead as my girl can get impatient. it did cost about £200 and about £20 to get all three blades sharpened every year. i had watched plenty of other people clip and asked advice before i clipped myself, and i'm still not very good at it! get bored!
it worked out ok cost wise- as at my old yard a full clip was £60, so £120 if both done, and twice= £240!
 
Sidney said:
The worst that can happen is that the lines go wrong - then just clip out fully and your mistake will never be seen!
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to be difficult, but this is *not* the worst that can happen. Clipping is well known (particularly to insurers) as a particularly risky activity for humans - even a well-behaved horse can act unpredictably and when you have your head underneath them and the clippers running it is easy to miss warning signs of impending trouble. And it is possible to seriously injure (even electrocute) horses with clippers. Usually, as with all things, it all goes fine and people wonder what all the fuss is about, but don't take it too lightly and please wear a hat if you do it yourself.

I don't do as much clipping as I used to but I reckon that, with servicing (electrical testing needed yearly), blade sharpening and buying oil, I easily spend £50-100 a year just in running costs. That's on top of £150-200 for a basic set of clippers then extra sets of blades (£30 ea), the right oil at £5-7 for half a litre, an extension cord and circuit breaker (another £30 or so) if you have mains clippers, plus don't forget to wear your worst clothes (or buy overalls) as you can never get all the hair out and have a friend handy to hold up front legs etc.

To be honest, you would probably be as well off paying someone else to do it, but definitely get some form of help from an experienced person if you go ahead yourself. There are also books on the subject which should help - Amazon is your friend ;-)
 
Hey thanx for your advice guys. Many people have said that i should get someone else too clip my horse and basically get them to give me a tutorial. I have already done this and i know how too clip its just the maintenance and safety hazards i am not sure about
 
Maintenance: yearly servicing to include electrical testing. Blades: sharpen as necessary - if you keep one set sharpen before they go blunt, if you have two you can run a set till they blunt and swop over, if you want. I prefer to keep on top of sharpening and never let a set get to the point where their performance is compromised. Clean with alcohol after use, then oil and store wrapped in oiled cloth. Oil: use the right grade (i.e., clipper oil, not WD40 or 3in1; dripping oil better than spray), apply frequently and liberally, wipe off excess. Tension: follow manufacturer's guidelines, don't over-tension to get one more clip out of a blunt set of blades. If the blades overheat take them off the clippers and let them and the clipper head cool down before continuing. Keep the air filter clear of hair as you clip (keep checking it).

Safety hazards: for people: Electricity - use a circuit breaker. Trip hazards from wires - keep them away from you and horse. Kicks/crush injuries from horse. Clippers shoved in your face by horse. Hair in your eyes, hair/dust particles inhaled.
For horse: Electrocution (horses more susceptible to effects of electricity than people). Cuts and nicks from blades (inc one famous incident in which a well-known horse nearly had a tendon severed). Burns from overheated blades. Trauma resulting from insensitive/thoughtless approach on part of person clipping.

HTH
 
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