Patches
Well-Known Member
OMG I'm so amazed and proud of Patches today. In case you didn't know, Patches is utterly clipper phobic and requires sedation as she generally rears when I approach her with a set of clippers, switched off!
However, armed with the "knowledge" from the DVD "Think Equus, Approach to clipping", I decided to give Patches a 10 minutes clipper "lesson" today. Firstly I had them in my hand switched off and she actually let me stroke her with them, on her body and her face. That was an improvement on last year already!
Took her into field on a lunge line. Biggest problem I had was to get her to stand still whilst I walked to the end of the line. Bless her, she kept following me!
So, we got over that problem and I stood about 15 feet from her and switched them on. She stood there, ears pricked and snorting but didn't make an attempt to run. Switched them off and approached her to praise her with a head rub. She was fine with that, even though I was holding them.
Progressed over 10 minutes or so to me walking closer with them on. Every time she ran (as if being lunged at a slow trot) I left them on and moved with her so the distance between us never increased. When she decided to stop running and stand still, I switched them off after a couple of seconds.
Kept on at this and was quite suprised how quickly she let me get to within arms length so I thought "go for it". I rubbed them all over her body (she did have a rug on though but would've felt the vibration as I pressed hard) She snorted a bit and was a bit twitchy but let me do it. I then proceeded to rub up her neck and pulled her neck rug back so it was actually touching her. She was fine. Ears back, but fine. So I took the bull by the horn and actually turned them over so the blades cut into her coat! She stood there!
I am utterly astounded! Not bad for a first lesson, no sedation and no cotton wool in her ears.
Here's a few pics Duncan took. Please excuse my attire, I had just been laying some new turf in the chook pen.
As I started my closer approach to her:
Closer still:
Contact, clippers on:
Ooooo mum, I don't think I like this, but I'm trying so hard to be good:
Just before I decided to actually take some hair off:
Now don't get me wrong, these are just an old set of cheapie hairdressing clippers that I didn't care if they got broken. Being rechargeable it gave me the option to try her anywhere. Idea being in the field she will run, whereas in a stable she'll stand and fight. She didn't rear once.
My battery clipper/trimmers are due tomorrow and if she is ok with them I think I'm going to sell my Liveryman Arena's and buy some equally powerful battery clippers.
Well done if you got this far!
However, armed with the "knowledge" from the DVD "Think Equus, Approach to clipping", I decided to give Patches a 10 minutes clipper "lesson" today. Firstly I had them in my hand switched off and she actually let me stroke her with them, on her body and her face. That was an improvement on last year already!
Took her into field on a lunge line. Biggest problem I had was to get her to stand still whilst I walked to the end of the line. Bless her, she kept following me!
So, we got over that problem and I stood about 15 feet from her and switched them on. She stood there, ears pricked and snorting but didn't make an attempt to run. Switched them off and approached her to praise her with a head rub. She was fine with that, even though I was holding them.
Progressed over 10 minutes or so to me walking closer with them on. Every time she ran (as if being lunged at a slow trot) I left them on and moved with her so the distance between us never increased. When she decided to stop running and stand still, I switched them off after a couple of seconds.
Kept on at this and was quite suprised how quickly she let me get to within arms length so I thought "go for it". I rubbed them all over her body (she did have a rug on though but would've felt the vibration as I pressed hard) She snorted a bit and was a bit twitchy but let me do it. I then proceeded to rub up her neck and pulled her neck rug back so it was actually touching her. She was fine. Ears back, but fine. So I took the bull by the horn and actually turned them over so the blades cut into her coat! She stood there!
I am utterly astounded! Not bad for a first lesson, no sedation and no cotton wool in her ears.
Here's a few pics Duncan took. Please excuse my attire, I had just been laying some new turf in the chook pen.
As I started my closer approach to her:
Closer still:
Contact, clippers on:
Ooooo mum, I don't think I like this, but I'm trying so hard to be good:
Just before I decided to actually take some hair off:
Now don't get me wrong, these are just an old set of cheapie hairdressing clippers that I didn't care if they got broken. Being rechargeable it gave me the option to try her anywhere. Idea being in the field she will run, whereas in a stable she'll stand and fight. She didn't rear once.
My battery clipper/trimmers are due tomorrow and if she is ok with them I think I'm going to sell my Liveryman Arena's and buy some equally powerful battery clippers.
Well done if you got this far!
