Please can you help me clip my pony??

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MLP_Freddie

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Fred (aka The Furry Beast) is a 14.1 hh irish cob gelding who currently looks like Manny the Mammoth from the ice age films. I want to get him fully clipped...as in feathers off, mane hogged...the whole kit and caboodle. The only problem is finding somebody to do it for me as I have never clipped a horse before in my entire life.

The other problem is Fred!!! In order to get near him with clippers I have to have the vet out to get my little pony stoned out of his tree!!!! Whoever clips Fred really needs to be experienced as they won't have much time to get the job done.

I have scissored off Fred's feathers before to treat mud fever but it took so long it made my hands hurt. I bought a cheap human hair clipper from Tesco to try and de-sensitize Fred but, despite nearly daily training, he still freaks out when the clippers start buzzing.

If somebody could help me out I will be very grateful. Fred and I live near Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire. Would be willing to pay, within reason.

Ta muchly

Fred's mum
 
Its probably not a good idea to clip him this time of year, as you will ruin his summer coat. You could hog him and get his feathers off though.

I do clipping (but nowhere near you, sorry!) and I would charge £50 for a full clip + £10 to hog.
To just hog and do feathers, around £30 depending on distance/amount of hair.

If he was very bad with the clippers I'd insist he was properly sedated, as there's too much risk of injury to me, him, the handler, and the clippers (which aren't cheap!) if he's plunging about.

Hope that helps :)
 
I'd try asking in your local feed merchants/tack room as they should know somebody who does clipping professionally.

I'd also be very wary of hogging him though, it will need re doing at regular intervals if it isn't going to look like a mohican and could cause issues if he needs sedating every time, it could work out very expensive!
 
You will not ruin his summer coat. Ours are clipped all year round and look amazing. If only you were closer!! I charge 28 pounds for a trace/blanket clip. 35 for a full with legs left on and 40 for legs off too. Have you tried a twitch?
 
I really wouldn't hog a clipper 'phobic' horse - my cob is hogged and to keep it neat re do it every 4 weeks.

Though of course if you do sort out his fear of clippers, it won't be a problem, so could turn a negative into a positive!!!

Good luck and hope you find somone to help x
 
It really is worth puttin in the time to get him used to the clippers, my chap was terrified the first time I put them on (and they were no where near him ) I bought some cordless ones and it only took me 5 days to get him used to them. I put them on morning and nighht at feed time and graduly moved closer to him, he now stands like an angel to be clipped. Friends have found their mare a struggle but tried cotton wool in ears while getting her used to the clippers and this has worked. If u can't get clippers to practice with an old electric razor will do to simulate the noise and vibration. I'd you learn to clip yourself you can take your time and even do a bit at a time. Good luck
 
Do Michael Peace and Max and people like that do clipper training? It might help you to sort the problem once and for all so that you can keep him hogged as you wish OP, without the hassle, expense and risks of having to sedate him every four weeks.
 
teamsarazara said:
You will not ruin his summer coat. Ours are clipped all year round and look amazing. If only you were closer!! I charge 28 pounds for a trace/blanket clip. 35 for a full with legs left on and 40 for legs off too. Have you tried a twitch?
Click to expand...

Agree with this, have you tried twitching?
I have one who will turn himself inside out when you have clippers. Rearing, striking out with his front legs etc. Put a twitch on him and he sleeps right through :-)
 
It took me a few months (not daily!!) to desensitise my completely psycho warmblood to clippers. At first I would sit in the paddock with the clippers buzzing away, munching on carrots (me) until she came to investigate. From there we moved this activity to stable/cross ties/etc ... She learnt to "switch them off" by putting her nose on them. This control gave her the confidence to start ignoring them.
Now I can clip her and she stands there eyes wide but like a rock, and when she can't cope any more (usually 10-15 minutes per bout at the moment) she turns her head to turn them off and we give it a little break and then start again. It's now her decision to stand to be clipped and we both feel a lot safer for it!
I think someone must have lost their temper with her as she would get violently aggressive and very dangerous :(.
 
Just a few things per comments from people:

Summer coat - he hasn't got one yet!!! It's still buried under his winter coat. It's one of the reasons I want to clip him.

Twitching - tried it. With and without sedation. Didn't work. He still flipped out when we went near him with the clippers. And it gave him a nose bleed.

Sedolin - fed it to him. He said "Thanks mum, what's for afters?". Half a tube and 45 minutes later he's still wide awake, pirouetting in his stable. Approached him with clippers.....he flipped out.

De-sensitization - been working on this since before Xmas.....I wouldn't say it's going slow but we've just been overtaken by a snail!!!!!

Hogging - could do with scissors but I think it looks better with clippers. Also, his mane interferes with steering.

Will try my feed supplier later this week to try and find somebody local. I did not want to go down the drugs route with Fred, hence the de-sensitization training, but feel I am now left with no option.

I will still be carrying on with de-sensitization training because I would rather he trusted me to clip him, rather than have shove medication down his throat.
 
MissTyc said:
It took me a few months (not daily!!) to desensitise my completely psycho warmblood to clippers. At first I would sit in the paddock with the clippers buzzing away, munching on carrots (me) until she came to investigate. From there we moved this activity to stable/cross ties/etc ... She learnt to "switch them off" by putting her nose on them. This control gave her the confidence to start ignoring them.
Now I can clip her and she stands there eyes wide but like a rock, and when she can't cope any more (usually 10-15 minutes per bout at the moment) she turns her head to turn them off and we give it a little break and then start again. It's now her decision to stand to be clipped and we both feel a lot safer for it!
I think someone must have lost their temper with her as she would get violently aggressive and very dangerous :(.
Click to expand...

Genius :)
 
The trouble with clipping or hogging NOW is that you will have to do it every 4 weeks at least to keep your horse comfortable and smart, and then it becomes a year round job. I would suggest that you carry on as you are doing with the baby steps, which will pay dividends in the long run - maybe next year I would get the vet out to sedate and clip him with an ultra fine blade in march, which should keep him comfortable most of the year. Definitely avoid hogging as I suspect you would shatter his trust by going anywhere near his ears/poll, and as others have said once its off you have about 3 weeks before it starts to look scaggy, its a full time job!

PM me if you like, I'm in Ashby and do clip professionally although I am going to advise that I don't think this is the route you should be taking, from what you say?
 
Update......******! Got him a bag of some really nice spearmint treats he adores. Plonked him, me and the clippers in the ménage so he had room to run away. After forty minutes got to the stage where I had my arm resting on his neck with the nicely-buzzing clippers resting on my arm (to get him used to the vibration too). All was going swimmingly. I decided to call it day as he had been very good. Switched off the clippers and walked away. He meandered off across the ménage and had a roll. I packed everything up and took away then went back into the ménage to collect my little pony. At which point he bit me. So he got a slap. So he tried to bite me again. So he got another slap. Then he stood there and little me put his head collar and lead rein on. And followed me out of the ménage like an angel. Got to his stable and he stood as good as gold and waited for the command to enter. Backed up in his stable when I put his tea in. Waited for permission to eat.

.........so why do I feel so frustrated with everything!!!!???@@
 
After yesterday's frustrations really didn't know if wanted to give today another go with the clippers but decided was best to. Not only did he stand there but let me run them up and down his body for twenty seconds whilst they were working. Managed to get from his bum to his withers. Then got teeth and ears. Can only assume that at some point somebody got very rough with him with clippers. Hopefully we will continue the progress tomorrow.
 
well done for the progress and determination - how about a grazing muzzle - I have been bitten a few times (nothing to do with clipping) and believe me you dont want to go there !

Also may be worth the cotton wool in ears to take the edge off !

Keep up the good work
 
Somebody else on the yard suggested a grazing muzzle for him but again it came back to getting Fred to trust me enough to clip him. Even if I get to the stage where only I can clip him it will be a HUGE step forward. If I can get him to let me clip him it's still something I would do to him in stages i.e. 10 - 15 minutes of clipping then give him a break and some treats; then repeat.

On a side note, managed to scissor off the feathers on his front legs today (under twitch) as wanted to make it easier to treat his feather mites. Found quite bad mud fever too. Tomorrow will do his back legs 'cos suspect mud fever there too (and poss feather mites). If can keep up the clipper training it will make things easier on his legs when want to next clip off his feathers to treat his legs, either for feather mites or mud fever or just anything in general
 
I cannot believe the difference a week makes. Fred will now tolerate the clippers for three minutes before the attitude kicks in. I still cannot get any closer to his head than his withers or base of his mane but I am sure it will eventually come. We spent today's sessions running the clippers over his ribcage, down his flanks and onto his belly and also down his back legs to his hocks. Neck is still a huge no no. Daren't try the chest or front legs yet as they are too close to the teeth and feel it might be rushing things a little too much.

The cost of the treats and carrots etc is eye-watering high but compared to the cost of the vet call out plus enough drugs to drop an elephant I feel I am on a winner.

I will get there; I will get there; I will get there.
 
MissTyc said:
It took me a few months (not daily!!) to desensitise my completely psycho warmblood to clippers. At first I would sit in the paddock with the clippers buzzing away, munching on carrots (me) until she came to investigate. From there we moved this activity to stable/cross ties/etc ... She learnt to "switch them off" by putting her nose on them. This control gave her the confidence to start ignoring them.
Now I can clip her and she stands there eyes wide but like a rock, and when she can't cope any more (usually 10-15 minutes per bout at the moment) she turns her head to turn them off and we give it a little break and then start again. It's now her decision to stand to be clipped and we both feel a lot safer for it!
I think someone must have lost their temper with her as she would get violently aggressive and very dangerous :(.
Click to expand...

What a lovely way of doing things :)
 
Quick update then.

Sessions are now up to ten minutes then I give him a break and some treats for being good. Can now get halfway up his neck and round his chest. Managed to clip a few hairs off his throat. Still a little funny around his front legs but think that might be related to his (current) mud fever. Once it's gone I hope I can start getting the clippers down the front legs. Got them round his hooves and coronet bands on the back legs. Managed to tidy them up a bit.
 
************* I CAN CLIP MY PONY!!!!!! ***********

I cannot believe the difference between now and barely two months-ish ago. There's still a little work to do with him (chin being one) but, OMG, I cannot believe how far he has come. Yesterday we spent one hour with the clippers, tidying up his mane all the way up to his poll. Went round his rib cage and along his chest. Managed all his back legs and left his with lovely neat pasterns. Wasn't quite so successful with the front legs, especially around his armpits, but the lower leg and pasterns were ok.

The cheapo clippers I bought from Tesco to desensitize Fredster are now no longer up to the job. Think I need to invest in some proper clippers to progress any further.
 
Well done you for persevering. I'm a firm believer in desensitization rather than shortcuts. You are aiming to be able to clip your horse yourself, without sedation or twitching. It might take longer to put in the groundwork at the beginning...but you save that time in spades later, when you can just whip out the clippers while your horse munches a haynet.

I was going to suggest you watched how Monty does it, with an electric toothbrush on a stick initially...but you've cracked it, by the sounds of it.:D
 
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