Previous bad experience has left horse terrified

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cobcentral

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I'd like some advice regarding best ways to overcome a fear of clipping. The horse in question was fully clipped on a dealers yard before he was bought but it turns out they had clipped off a load of rain scald scabs in the process. Now the horse is very scared of clippers.
He is the sort to panic (understandably so) in situations which he cant comprehend. I know in the ideal world he wouldn't be clipped but that just isn't so very ideal to us...
Managed to get a bib clip done but he gets absolutely furious if I persist which again isn't ideal with the tedious nature of clipping.

Any methods or ideas would be very gratefully accepted :)
 
I would sedate using Dormosedan gel.

My mare used to be an angel to clip and then one year the YO did her with blunt blades and left her with nicks all over. The following year she jumped clean out of her stable when she heard the clippers. For the next few years I always sedated her and bought the quietest clippers I could find. I would regularly run them near her so that she could hear them but not try to clip her nearly every day. I then progressed to standing next to her with them running and then placing my hand flat on her shoulder and holding the clippers against my hand so that she could just feel the vibration. After a few years I was able to clip her without sedation.
 
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I too would sedate. Mine is improving every year - last year he was only sedated for the last ten minutes - to do nether regions and the top of his neck - so we're hoping this year he won't need it doing at all. We struggled for a few years as he's ok with a twitch, but he was becoming increasingly more difficult and dangerous to get the twitch on so we chose to sedate instead. Since sedating it's like he can process what's happening to him more rationally so has improved every time. Luckily (for me!) there's another horse on the yard that needs IV sedation and lots of it so we start mine an hour before the vet is due, do as much as we can and then when the vet appears we can knock him out if necessary and finish him quickly before he moves on to the other one. This means we've always got the option of not sedating him if we don't need to.
 
We have one who is unclippable due to past experience when I let a YM clip him. He is the most laid back horse you could meet until he hears clippers. Then he becomes dangerous, there is no reasoning with him, he goes from angel to full on devil horse in the blink of an eye. We tried for many years using everything from very quiet clippers to electric toothbrushes!

We came to the eventual conclusion that there are just some horses it's best not to clip. OTOH his long term mate will saunter out of his stable and fall asleep, untied, whilst clipped and has had the same handling and treatment his whole life except for this one person clipping him.
 
I would clip with IV sedation from the vet .
I had one who we could not get into the stable with holding clippers until she was sedated .
It took three years of gradual improvement down to tube sedation half way through her second winter then to just a helper and no sedation then on my own but in the end I did not even need a headcollar .
I always put her in the stable next to anyone being clipped and gradually got her accept the turned off clippers by taking them in at feed time and just gradually chipped away at it .
 
I don't think it's worth the risk to try clipping a horse who is terrified without sedation. I've helped to clip a horse that was rather iffy about clippers and when it suddenly exploded I was lucky not to have been hurt. Bite the bullet and pay for proper sedation.
 
I would desensitise him and forget trying to clip him for the moment. Hold the clippers on him without clipping. Do not take them off unless he is standing quietly. If he is too bad for that, stand holding them beside him and don't switch off unless he is calm.

My Welsh D has gone from hitting the roof if the clippers went near her head to standing quietly while I clipped up to her ears and half her face tonight and that's within three sessions. The key is to never remove them when they are pratting about or you very very quickly train them to prat about.

Forget that he's had a bad experience and just crack on, making sure he had good experiences with you.
 
Get vet to sedate. Have a friend who is recovering from 5 days in hospital and now over a month not riding after being kicked on the head while clipping. It is not worth the risk.
 
Sedation and desensitization. We bought a 9yr old horse, 18 months ago, and were told he had to be sedated to be clipped. We sedated him the first two clips but also ran clippers near him often. OH clipped him this week on his own with no sedation, tied up in the yard. The previous clip I held him and constantly fed him treats. (I hugely believe in bribes if they work!)
 
Thank you everybody, given me lots to think about regarding sedation. Just been researching dormosadan gel (not sure on spelling) so again, of anybody has had any dealings with that then please share your experiences of it whether positive or negative
 
I'd use sedation, mine is terrified of clippers and I knock him out with iv sedation from the vet and get any other vet necessary work done at the same time- last year he had tetanus jab, cushings test and teeth done all while sedated for clipping!
I'd rather he was drunk and not with it than risk him flinging his head up and hitting it and potentially breaking the clippers at the same time, especially now he's late teens it's not worth stressing him and I don't think you could desensitise him especially as he's head shy.
This year I'm trying to get away with not clipping as I don't compete and only really ride at weekends over winter though I do have drom. ... gel from when I was going to try and sort out his beard and facial hair for a show in the summer that I never got round to using so may try and do a trace clip with that but won't push it. Not sure it'll work as he usually needs several doses of iv sedation last year he was leaning against the wall for support and cotton wool in ears and still nearly couldn't get some parts off.
 
cobcentral said:
Thank you everybody, given me lots to think about regarding sedation. Just been researching dormosadan gel (not sure on spelling) so again, of anybody has had any dealings with that then please share your experiences of it whether positive or negative
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Wonderful stuff in my experience! Pie hates being clipped - and with him it isn't a case of desensitising him as you can rub the clippers over him no problem - he utterly loathes the feeling of his hair being pushed the wrong way as the clippers cut his hair. Domogel was a real revolution as he sleeps through the whole clip, no shuddering, stamping, kicking or fighting. He actually snored he was so asleep the last time he was clipped!
 
I only seem to have tricky to clip ponies :)

My horse had a bad experience clipping - he is a sensitive soul and as I didn't own clippers I have always had a clipper lady out, the first time she was good with him but every time since she got more and more bullying resulting in him panicing and trying to get away (bargey but not nasty) as he was stuck in a stable with a woman who was giving the vibe she was about to beat him, she told me my horse had no manners and that I should get a chiffney and give him a good yanking next time. I said maybe, let her finish and never hired again. I wish I said more but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I bought my own clippers as I decided i'd rather have a happy horse with a messy clip. Tied him up in his headcollar with a net of haylage and clipped away, reassured him when he got nervous of the cable wiggling around but he was perfect. I'm not too bad at clipping now either :)

My sister has a new pony who is possibly difficult to clip, I knew him in another home and was told he'd be ok to clip - cue me getting hoofed before i'd even clipped a line, nobody else has tried since then.. I plan to tie him near my horse this weekend when I clip and let him get used to the sounds, then I will do some desensitisation with the clippers turned on and pretend to clip but use my hand or a brush to touch his coat to give him the "feel" alongside the noise. Repeat until he's happy and when I go to really clip I will bring out the haylage net :D I will most def. be wearing a helmet too! I think most horses can get used to things if you break it down into manageable chunks and earn their trust which can take a little time. Not just chuck a twitch or a chiffney on for a quick result.
 
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I sedate; my mare isn't scared of clippers but have very sensitive skin and hates the vibrations. I also use a professional clipper who is very fast to get it over with for her as quickly as possible.
 
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