How to hog & clip legs?

Magicmillbrook

Magicmillbrook

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Hi folks, we have decided thta its time for our cob to loose her locks - so how do you go about it.

Is this the right time of year to be doing it? She still hasnt grown her winter clip out yet. With the mane do I scissor it off first, do you go parallel down the middle or do you go along the sides too?

Do I need specific blades?

Legs - start at the bottom or top, where do you stop? Hers are still quite fluffy.

Are ther any websirtes or books you recomend. My ancient PC manual doesnt tell me much.

Any tips very greatfully received, wont be able to reply to anyone until this evening as I am having a crafy trawl during my work lunch break
 
I have just done Ed's legs today.

Down the leg, I start just below the knee. With a bit of help from my YO we did the lot and he has quite heavy feather. Some parts you will need to go upwards, but that will become apparent as you do it.
 
With the mane... kinds depends how thick it is. If it's mega thick then yes, you might as well scissor most of it off. Start with clippers by going up the middle of her crest. (Make sure you get as close to the skin as possible to save doing it again next week!) Then you'll see you have 2 ridges (one either side of the crest) run these off then go up the middle again. Be careful around her ears, you may need to hold one gently as you get close to it with the clippers, as they don't always like the noise.

With the feathers, it depends on how long the hair is IMO. I clipped Ron's off last week, but only did the back of the legs and then tidied up carefully round his coronet band. I went up the way, starting at his fetlocks, and then just tilted the blades away from his legs slightly as I got toward his knees so that the hair was kinda graduated and not a straight line where I'd stopped.

Doesn't give you a good veiw, but lets you see the final result.
CIMG9576.jpg
 
I spent the best part of a couple of hours on my hands and knees yesterday scissoring Joe's front feathers off. Started behind his knee, hacking at will and, when the majoritority of the length was off I then blended it all in.

Looks much better :)

....and now for the back legs, oh such fun to be had :)
 
legs i always go down the leg with a trimmer.
hogging - i like a little crest so i do both sides with trimmer (with guard on so its like a grade 4) then up the middle but i do the middle slightly longer (just the way i like it) most ppl do it real close i like it to be about 1/2" long.
 
Witchy said:
I spent the best part of a couple of hours on my hands and knees yesterday scissoring Joe's front feathers off. Started behind his knee, hacking at will and, when the majoritority of the length was off I then blended it all in.

Looks much better :)

....and now for the back legs, oh such fun to be had :)
Click to expand...

I lop Cleo's off with fetlock shears - often wonder if I shouldn't just invest in some battery trimmers as it'd probably be a lot quicker...
 
To hog mine i go up one side at about a 45 degree angle, the same the other side. then straight up the middle.

Cant help with the legs, last time I did my cobs they turned out awful, now they have grown back and really do need doing..... hoping for some clippers for my birthday so that i can attack em!
 
Never done the mane, but I regularly do legs.

Run the blades down the legs for the thick parts, then I come back up to neaten it.

I use normal A2 blades, but did wonder whether it would be better with coarser ones. It looks awful for a few days, then it looks fab for about 6wks.
 
I tend to go straight up the middle from withers to ears, if the mane is about an inch or so long it will look square, so I then go down each side, pointing the clippers downwards into the mane, a bit at a time this gives a nice neat edge into his neck hair, although horse has to stand very still or you get a wobbly line, get someone to hold his head. For the forelock if you are taking it off, go from the front back through the ears.

Legs I tend to go downwards with the direction of the hair or he looks too scalped, then do it in lots of directions all over his heels/fetlock area so it looks neat. He doesn't grow feathers at the front but a good tip I got was to trim upwards from the hoof into the coronet area to get a nice neat line around the top of the hoof. Hope all that makes sense?? It may take a couple of times before you get a good finish it sort of takes practice!

Trimmed a friends horse last year with fairly long feathery bits and we cut them off with curved safety scissors as close as poss before using the clippers. I invested in battery clippers makes the job so much easier. My clippers have snap on blades and I find that actually fine blades give a good finish to the hog! Make sure that the blades are sharp and clean and oiled, and the feathers are as clean as possible as it will make the job easier, if poss wash them the day before, spraying on a coat shine product also helps trim them off easier!

Look at this site they have lots of good information or at the clipper sharp website!
www.peasridge.co.uk
 
I know what you mean, I invested in a very very cheap trimmer just to 'make the noise' near him but he ran off despite my persistence! I decided I was happy to spend half a day with him doing it with scissors, least I got to spend some time with him :)
 
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