So, who trims/plaits/clips their own horses?

[redcascade]

Just thought I'd ask
I started trimming my own pony at the age of 12(when I eventually got one ) I can pull manes, trim fetlocks and even cut tails straight I started doing tails when my mum cut my pony's about 4inches shorter than I wanted it, she hasn't touched one since
I have been trimming for 4years now and started plaiting in February- which I'm not bad at, can't do running plaits though- the one thing that frightens me is clipping, have done a friends pony but daren't do Red.
The thing that gets me is I'm the only one at the yard who can pull my horse's mane! Shocking to say the least, one gets someone else to come and do it and I seem to end up doing the rest as the only one who can
I just wondered how many people have the 'skills' to do it!
So what can you do, trim/plait/clip or all of them?

 

[*hic*]

All of them - but I have been practising for a bit longer than you.

 

[abbieandfiona]

I can clip and do plaits not very well but then again i have all m&m so never have needed to plait.

 

[supercowpony]

I can plait, did my first clip this summer!
can trim tails, and I can pull manes, but not my own cob's as he's a pain in the behind, needs twitching.

 

[TinselRider]

I regularly trim & plait and I clip my own Gees

 

[Cop-Pop]

I do all of it - I only thought about getting someone in to clip because I didn't own clippers but I bought my own in the end With people round here asking for £20 a time for plaiting and £40 per clip its much cheaper to learn to DIY lol.

 

[_MizElz_]

I pull Ellie's mane and tail myself, and I can plait her up (albeit only with bands!) Mum clips her, simply because Mum has ALWAYS clipped her and has never taught me how! She does such a lovely job that somehow there has never really been a need for me to attempt it!

 

[only_me]

Yep, I clip, trim and plait my horse - I had no one to do it for me so I had to learn by doing!

 

[bigboyrocky]

meeee mane's, tails, plait, clip, trim etc.. im 15, but have been doing everything but clipping since i started riding (when i was about 8) - mum wont touch my horses in that sense Started clipping about the age of 12 ish

 

[BarmyC]

i do all of mine and most of the yard too!

 

[Lolo]

Started when I was 10, can now plait 2 horses properly, and they look very neat, in under 25 mins... I'm now 18- its taken a fair while! But yes, I can clip, trim, plait (all types of plait, including tail and running plaits), pull tails, neaten up feathers, etc. As can my 16yo sister (albeit slower on the plaiting, as I always do it so she's had less practise!).

 

[Nathan-And-Hayke]

I'm a grandmother. I've wasted hours (maybe even weeks or months!) plaiting not only my own horses (running plaits only, it's the only way we plait the friesians) but my childrens horses, and then the grandchildrens ponies.

 

[monkeybum13]

I trim and plait etc
I don't have clippers so my instructor does it (she's a friend and on the same yard) however last winter she had to answer a phone call so I was left in charge and clipped some of my pony's neck out - daren't do any tricky bits, my lines would be terrible

 

[Honey08]

It seems like too many people clip their own horses round here. Most of them shouldn't! I didn't learn to clip until I was doing my stage 3, and when I do it has to be perfect! I can't stand seeing the tram lines people leave behind. I had a DIY who clipped her own horse - always a full clip "because I can't do lines" then wondered why she couldn't get weight on the horse all winter despite it hardy working throughout the winter. Once she asked me to look at her clippers as the tram lines were so bad, and she had forgotten to put the spring back in! I'd pay someone else if I was making such a bad job of it, but she just wanted to be able to say "I clip my own"!

 

[Katie__Connie]

I plait, trim and pull... and I'm learning to clip

 

[V1NN]

Having worked for a fair while in a busy dealing/livery yard i am a bloody expert at clipping trimming and plaiting, could probably do it in my sleep x

 

[Halfstep]

Can't imagine not doing such things, or at least not being able to do so! But it would be great to be able to afford to PAY someone else to clip, and to turn up on the day of a show to find the horse plaited up and gleaming - oh bliss! but in the meantime, I guess I have to do it myself

 

[NicoleS_007]

yep everything although i cant plait tails ... I wont let anyone else touch a lill hilbilly wisker on mine lol tbh i dont think anyone would want to touch a wisker anyway as he likes to impersonate JAWS

 

[ElphabaFae]

I've recently been taught how to trim at my RS & hopefully I will learn how to clip this winter

I can do 'normal', running & lattice plaits, but I can't plait a tail

 

[guido16]

yup, do it all myself and clip some of my friends horses for them.

 

[CrazyMare]

I do EVERYTHING. Dad is capeable of doing it all, but I don't let him, nor anyone else do it.

Most of the people on my yard who claim to be able to plait do not even come close to my standards and I couldn't let anyone else loose with the trimmers, because I am a perfectionist.

 

[Cedars]

Cant clip, can't plait, will trim ears/bridletrack!

But tbf never had my own horse til about 5 months ago! My running plait was pretty good though...However, shes a big hairy cob so she shouldnt need plaiting anyway!

A friend of ours clips our big boy as he's a complete *****er to do so my OH (his daddy!) has to twitch him and try to restrain him from squishing us.

 

[Fairynuff]

can do all, plus! As a child in the 60's, that was the norm. I can plait a mane in 10 mins, trim heels and whatever in nano seconds. Todays generation are seriously lacking in everything! Its frightening! I believe that its the lack of 'want'.

 

[Three]

I do.

I have to hog and trim Dom (the cob) every few weeks to prevent the mohican/legwarmers look.

I used to plait my mare for showing and dressage. Fortunately I showed the arab natural.

All three get clipped at appropriate times; usually a full clip though I leave fronts of faces on in the winter and the oldies keeps his legs on too, the mare might keep hers on for the second or third clip or if the weather is really awful.

 

[spottybotty]

I do it all. Pull mane and tail. Clip, trim ears ,face,heels etc and plait using needle and thread.

 

[samzy_82]

I do all of mine, however i clipped the shetland for the firat time this winter, blummin heck!! What a coat! I blunted 2 sets of blades. She thoroughly appreciated it though as the weather turned warm quickly

 

[Fairynuff]

but should'nt all horse owners be capable of clipping and trimmimg? From where I come from, that is the norm!

 

[nemo_]

I do! I'm 15 and been doing it myself for a few years. Was taught by my RS to do most of it when I had my old pony liveried there. Now keep my pony at home with un-horsey parents so HAVE to do it myself, although my mum will come out and hold his head still I can plait and sew them in (which takes a long time with my connie's unruly mane ), pull manes, trim and did my first full clip in feb, having previously got my YO to do the lines.

 

[yeeharider]

I have a mobile clipping/trimming/plaiting service your place or mine YEEHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[catkin]

yep - I clip, trim and plait all of mine. Had a fair few years of practice mind (I'm pretty old). Can do most types of clips and can trim natives and hunter/TBs, also can plait with needle and thread, running plaits and tail plaits. Have never had a show cob so haven't hogged though!