Horse hates getting his legs clipped - any ideas?

[Jingleballs]

My hairy cob is a bit of a nightmare to clip.

He used to hate any part of him being clipped but through time he's gotten much better and I can safely do a full clip on my own. He's not scared of the clippers but just dislikes the sensation of them so tends to twitch, jump about or kick out with both front and back legs but as I say he's gotten better.

Last year due to a combination of factors we decided to clip his legs. He get's bad mud fever and it just makes it much easier to treat it if he's clipped.

I managed to do the first clip myself last year with my moser avalon clippers - he hated it and it was difficult but we managed.

I then got a new set of large master clip clippers which made it much easier in terms of clipping the hair but more difficult to manouver and clip the more akward areas.

I've not clipped his legs since September last year - to be honest I was putting it off because I was dreading it. I don't feel safe doing it and just feel like it's an accident waiting to happen and I'm amazed I've not been hurt already (last year I tried to be smart by holding up one front leg while I clipped the other and the little sod calmly picked up the leg I was clipping and collapsed his weight right down on top of me - luckily I wasn't hurt but it show's how much he'll fight to avoid it!

Yesterday, armed with a tube of sedalin I attempted to clip them again. The sedalin didn't touch him and he was just as awake as he would normally be. Me and Y/O worked with him - we used my big clippers, my avalons (unfortunately blade needs sharpened so they weren't cutting well) and even tried Y/O's mini dog clippers to see if that helped but he just stamped and kicked and generally made it difficult and dangerous to clip.

Eventually we twitched him and managed to get most of one front leg done but he only stays under for a short while when twitched and by this time after fighting for over 4 hours trying to do it we decided to call it a day.

Attempted it again today but due to him already being a tad annoyed from yesterday's attempt he fought the twitch and I barely got any done before I got kicked in the hand and the clippers got sent flying.

So we've hacked off the worst of it with a pair of scissors and are going to leave it until next weekend and then try and catch him unawares and twitch him again and get the remaining 3 legs done with either the big clippers or the newly sharpened handheld ones.

He's so unpredictable when having his legs clipped that I don't actually feel safe anymore doing it but I don't want to go down the route of full sedation as it's extremely costly and also I'm not sure that he wouldn't still try and kick out and would end up hurting himself in the process.

As I mentioned - he's not remotely scared of the clippers but just hates it and I can understand because his legs are sensitive due to the mud fever but he's now got to the point that he knows if he wave's his legs about enough we'll back off and he'll get what he wants.

Is there anything I can do from a de sensitization pov to help make this process easier - his legs do really need clipped to manage the mud fever so leaving them long isn't the best option but if it comes to it I may just have to!

 

[rockysmum]

I can and do clip my cobs loose in the stable they are so good to do, legs included.

However if they have any sore bits from mud fever, cracked heels or anything similar, they become a nightmare and behave in a similar manner to your boy.

I dont believe its just bad behaviour, its pain, and if so you cant expect him to be good.

You have probably made it worse by using clippers which aren't up to the job and worse still with blunt blades. The poor lad could have been in agony.

If he was mine I would take as much hair off as possible using sharp scissors. Then treat the mud fever or whatever.

When it has completely cleared up, then clip his legs and keep up to them. To keep mine at a reasonable length they would need re-doing at least once a month. Use a pair of good clippers which are well up to the job with some good sharp blades in.

If he still misbehaves then think again.

 

[Yertis]

I had the same problem with my cob that has CPL so legs very sensitive, I use this, http://www.clippersharp.com/equine/grooming_stuff/smart_coats/smart_coats_coarse
you can take as much or little as you like, have been using mine every 3 weeks for 2 years and is just starting to get a little less effective so think might need a new blade, but very good value IMHO. She stands loose for this so must be a lot more comfortable than clipping and is quite happy to have body clipped now rather than having a fit when the clippers switched on.

 

[hunteress]

I had a cob just like this he never never let me clip his legs after so much trying he eventually double barreled me in the stomach and I thouht this is getting dangerous he even went to a person who tried to do them over a long time of gently doing them and he kicked out and broke her arm. I sold him to a lovely lady who didn't want to clip and did le trec with him and kept him natural !! All I can say is be very carefull if you wan't clean legs I would think of selling ,you will never change this chap I now have a lovely cob who is not too heary but lets me clip him all over including legs with out a head collar,when we went to buy my sister asked for some clippers and we tested him out ! anyway good luk you will need it let us know how the story go's .

 

[Django Pony]

Jasper isn't good to do his legs, but he's fine for his head/body and actually enjoys those bits! Like your boy, his legs were once very sore (are are a bit again now too ) so I think it's remembered pain he's reacting to, he's not being "naughty". I need to keep them clipped to treat them, so he has Sedalin and a twitch, and I try to get them done as quickly as possible. Its not nice, but there is no alternative for now
If it's really bad, you could ask your vet to sedate him to clip them?

 

[sjmcc]

i have a cob who was scared of the noise of the trimmers let alone the feel of them so i had to just keep them running in the tack room and bit by bit bring them closer to him now i clip without a head collar on it took about 6 months . but in your case as i have a friend who had the same problem he,d trample you to get away from them he wouldnt even be hogged i havent a clue and with mud rash all the vet will say is take the feathers off so i can understand you have to . it may be a sedation job for the vet but that will cost in the long run

 

[Ali2]

Clicker train him - worked wonders on a horse I had with a similar problem. Only took a few sessions to get there and the desired behaviour stayed long term

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks for all the suggestions – some interesting things to consider.

Rockysmum – yes the mud fever will make clipping certain areas uncomfortable however he is actually worse to clip the front of his legs so I disagree that this behaviour is solely caused by pain or discomfort. My clippers are up to the job and we only tried the mosers for a few seconds before deeming them too blunt to clip – I sincerely doubt he was in agony as you are suggesting!

Anniearab- would those work on legs though – I really need to clip the legs short to manage the mud fever and I’m not sure these would do the job!

Hunteress – as much as this is a pain to deal with it’s by no means a deal breaker for me and I would never, ever sell this horse as he’s perfect in every other way.

JustJasper – the combination of sedalin and twitch did seem to work but I wouldn’t say any more so that just twitching on it’s own so I’m going to try this again and have a go with the smaller clippers and if that fails the vet will be coming out next week to sedate him to at least let me tidy up his legs but not sure I could afford this as a regular option.

Ali2 – he is actually clicker trained and I have used it to some extent while teaching him to stand nicely to have his body clipped but I’ve probably not used it to the extent that I should have – will definitely try this too!

 

[spaniel]

If its really necessary to clip your horses legs (is it honestly?) then do both of you a favour and get the vet out with a sedative. Someones going to get hurt and you wont win your horse round if he has pain or discomfort in fact your just reinforcing his view that its not nice and you arent doing it.

 

[Jingleballs]

If its really necessary to clip your horses legs (is it honestly?) then do both of you a favour and get the vet out with a sedative. Someones going to get hurt and you wont win your horse round if he has pain or discomfort in fact your just reinforcing his view that its not nice and you arent doing it.

It's not really essential spaniel (although at the moment he has 1 1/2 legs clipped so I'd like to get it tidied up at least). I do prefer him clipped out but he's spend the first 3 years with me fully feathered so I have not real issue going back to that but I would like to try and clip him out to see if I can fully clear up the mud fever (It never seems to clear when he has feathers but does when he's clipped) and then try and keep on top of it while the feathers grow back.

Phoned the vet today and they are about £70 - £80 + vat for sedation (that includes call out).

I'm going to attempt it again next weekend armed with freshly sharpened blades and smaller clippers and if that fails then the vet will be out next week to sedate him and he probably won't get his legs clipped again after this.

 

[indi4]

If he's objecting to the clippers that much i would just trim the feathers off with some sharp scissors. This will get rid of most of the hair and you can still trim the affected area's really close so they can easliy be treated. My friends horse use to be a nightmare to have his legs clipped, and it wasn't worth the risk of getting injuired, so we just used scissors instead.

 

[Inchy]

I clip a lot of hairy cob legs, and (as previously posted) if they're at all sore they can be a nightmare to clip.

I would never advise using dog clippers or small clippers for very hairy legs as it is too much for the blades to cope with and often tugs the hair.

I clip all very hairy legs with corse blades (wolesley A6) as these don't tug, then if I want a closer finish I use medium blades (w A2) to finish.

 

[Yertis]

consider.
Anniearab- would those work on legs though – I really need to clip the legs short to manage the mud fever and I’m not sure these would do the job!
QUOTE]

Yes, it's legs I use it on, very coarse hair and thick, you just keep combing through until you get the finish you require, at the moment the front of her legs are about 1cm and the back 2cm down to over the fetlocks, the pasterns I leave about 10cm so over the hooves but thinned out with the blade.

 

[Skippys Mum]

A lot of horses actually get more stressed with Sedalin. It doesnt knock them out so they are still completely aware but they feel a bit spaced out and unsure and they can get very upset. How much did you use? The recommended dosage is sometimes not enough and it does have a very high safety margin so you can give more if needed. I have found though that it either works or it doesnt and if it doesnt, there isnt really much point carrying on with it.

Personally, I would get the vet to sedate, do the job with good, sharp blades (the bigger clippers will be best, the small ones can pull the hair which is ouchy) then, get yourself an electric toothbrush and start a desensitising program with it. I would use a clicker and click for the toothbrush being in the area, then on him, then on for longer etc. Once he's got the hang of it with the toothbrush you can do the same with the clippers but you will know for definate that he isnt sore as you will have been able to completely treat the mud rash.

 

[flyingfeet]

The trouble is as above you need coarse blades on a robust (meaning expensive) set of clippers.

If it were me I would be hobble training rather than twitching, as having a £200 pair of clippers hit the floor will make you very unpopular, and twitching is not really suitable for more than 5 minutes

(Hobble training needs to be done in an area or lunge pen first on a soft surface)

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks for the additional suggestions!

Indi4 – we have cut most of the thick hair off with scissors but do really need to get the clippers to take the hair as short as possible as at the moment it looks a bit unsightly.

Inchy – we used the dog clippers just to see if the quieter clippers made a difference but they wouldn’t make a dent on the hair so were no use. The other smaller set are Moser Avalons – I can do a full clip on my boy with these so they are definitely up to the job (or will be once I get the blades sharpened). I have Masterclip Ranger clippers with medium heiniger blades – they cut through his course hair like a warm knife through butter but due to the size of them they aren’t great for those more awkward areas if that makes sense?

Anniearab – I’d be really interested in seeing pictures of the result of using that comb if you have them? A before picture would also be super just so I can understand exactly what they can cope with!

Skippy’s mum – he definitely wasn’t more stressed – he doesn’t get stressed and hasn’t been stressed through out this whole process – just unhappy getting it done.

As I mentioned above the big blades are great for taking off the bulk of the hair but I do need the smaller moser clippers just to tidy up the more difficult areas.

I’ll start clicker training him – I’ll probably start directly with the clickers though because he’s not scared of the clippers but just seems to hate the sensation particularly around his legs.

 

[rockysmum]

I wouldn't rate the Mozer Avalon as up to the job. Clipping feathers and hogging is a different ball game to a normal full clip, assuming your boys feather are more like wire as ours are.

I have tried several different clippers, I actually use Wolsey ones now, they are up to the job without being too big to do the awkward areas. My Heineger were also OK, Liveryman were not, I've forgotten the others I have tried.

I agree about using the course blades first. You can then use A2 or equivalent after, 2 goes can work better than trying to get it all in one.

Another way to start off is to run the clipper with the hair instead of against. It reduces the amount to clip and you get an idea which areas the horse is going to object to when you start doing it properly.

 

[only_me]

You could try domacedin which is avaliable over the counter from the vets which is far more effective than sedalin, you put it under their tongue

 

[BigRed]

Sedalin is a very mild sedative and if it's something they don't like it isn't going to have much effect. If you want a gel sedative, ask the vet for Dermosedan, which works as well as a jab. BUT it must be squited under the tongue, put it anywhere else, or like a wormer and you will waste your money.

You might want to buy the CD that Michael Peace sells that is supposed to be wonderful for teaching horses to calm down when they are clipped.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Why not try handhelds?? Or as others said play about with summat that vibrates.

K kicks out (he gets walloped for it) if I use bigger clippers but if I use my little wahl showmans which have literally no vibration he objects once or twice but not much at all.

Have you thought of hobbles?? Usually once they fugre out your not trying to kill them they chill out.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Proper sedation for your safety but deal with the mudfever first. If he's in pain, that will keep him reacting.

 

[Kiribati_uk]

Bit outside the box but a few of the showjumpers I clip will only stand to have legs done when on rubbber matting, I'm guessing it's the vibration they don't like and the rubber absorbs the vibration.

 

[Dexydoodle]

When I got my mare she had a chronic skin infection on the backs of her knees (nearly there in clearing it!) and her heels. Was a nightmare to clip on her legs - the rest of her you could clip pretty much without a headcollar, doesn't give a monkeys, but would pick her legs up constantly and shift around so you couldn't do anything. Ended up having to twitch her - couldn't treat the infection thanks to all the hair - and now can clip without a twitch, think she now trusts me, the legs hurt less and also using more expensive quieter therefore lower vibration clippers.

My friend has a horse who was awful with clippers - would strike out with his front legs and everything - she built up with him by using a running electric toothbrush, handheld massager (learnt the noise meant a nice feeling) and basically rewarded him so when he went near the noise etc he would get a rub and a scratch. Then worked on him having the clippers near him/ on him (but not actually clipping) and she has now managed to clip him with him not even really batting an eyelid. Took a while but definitely worth it!

A lot of it will be to do with the pain - but I know its difficult to clear skin problems with feathers - a proper catch 22. I'd probably go for getting the vet out, getting the mud fever cleared, and then work on desensitisation

 

[kirsty1]

Lots of patience is usually the answer. Had came on here for a look as my mare is awfull too! One thing i would say is be very carefull with sedation, i found with my mare that when she was sedated she still hated the feeling that she would stamp her feet and try to move away, which resulted in her nearly falling on me several times! i was actually advised by my vet to do her legs when she had come out the sedation to save her falling on me!

Hope you find an answer x

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Um, sorry if this seems a numpty question; but when you're clipping him, what do you do with him? i.e. where do you put him (inside or outside), plus (sorry, being numpty) do you give him a haynet or something to nibble?

Some horses don't react well to being inside; they feel trapped and unable to escape, and with mine, he's usually OK (ish!) if he's given a full haynet or some nice haylage to nibble at when he's being "done".

Sorry, like I say, probably an obvious question.

In our yard its noticeable that some horses, on some occasions, will be OK to clip and/or have legs done, and other times they quite definately wont!!! And there doesn't seem to be any apparent reason for it.

 

[amage]

Call vet out for a proper sedation combi that has the other drug that helps reduce the sensation (can't remember name right now sorry). I think you are being very unfair trying one more time....you could end up making him terrible to clip all over. its far easier for him to go for a wee nap and wake up naked. Sedalin is worse than useless in most horses....I won't use it to clip anything it is far too easy for them to fight out of. They either get proper iv sedation or no sedation....dom gel no good to us over here as by stupid Irish rules it has to be administered by a vet and if i'm paying a call out fee i'd rather have the good stuff that I know works!

 

[Ladydragon]

Yes, it's legs I use it on, very coarse hair and thick, you just keep combing through until you get the finish you require, at the moment the front of her legs are about 1cm and the back 2cm down to over the fetlocks, the pasterns I leave about 10cm so over the hooves but thinned out with the blade.

I'd be really interested too in any photos you may have of the results you can achieve with this gadget...

We've a lovely loan pony - hairy cob type... Even the snip sound of scissors is enough to have her scrambling up the closest wall - the sound of clippers sends her into a total meltdown and she is normally the sweetest of things...

Something like that comb might be an option if it'll 'trim' her in a regular grooming sort of way...

 

[Jingleballs]

We'll have had to conceed defeat and the vet will be coming out to sedate him next week so that I can finish his legs.

The front's are 90% done - just a few tricky area's on the inside to do.

Backs haven't been clipped but have had a fair bit of work done with the clippers to remove the bulk of the hair.

I've spend a fair bit of time desensitising him with both the large and small clippers - he's now happy to let me touch his legs with the, rub them up and down his legs but the second you try to clip he still kicks/paws/stamps.

I've ruled out the use of domacedin as he hates having his mouth touched and will also strike out if you attempt to do this - even when twitched today I tried to do a test to see if I could squirt a small syringe of water under his tongue to replicate giving him domacedin - he bit down on syringe, broke it, spooked himself then bronced - which means this is also a no go and full sedation and then more desensitisation is the answer.

I do think that the recent failed attempts have resulted in making him worse - he now knows that if he kicks out then we stop - we can't not stop as it's too dangerous to continue.

That said, after today's episode where we couldn't get near his legs he was made to stand while I tidied up the trace clip that I'd started last week so he did get rewarded for standing to get that done - hopefully lots more positive experiences will help improve things in future!

 

[kathantoinette]

I've got a HW, very feathery (if I grew them) cob. He gets a bit anxious with the clippers around his back legs. I tend to just lightly shave the hair off rather than do a close shave. Hes a bit of a nightmare hogging him especially up near his ears and forelock. He loves having his face rubbed so I get a rubber curry comb and get the person holding him to rub like mad on his face!!! Most of the time it seems to chill him out and take his mind off the job. If this doesn't work I'll twitch him for a few minutes while the job's done.