Spring Cleaning Mickey: Waffle....

[mickey]

Mickey has some dressage outings coming up soon so I have been tidying him up the last few days. Trying to get those legs white!! Also have pulled tail and am pulling very thick mane.
I decided to clip his legs/feathers now the weather is drier. Because using scissors finishes my back off!! But I am not sure it has been entirely successful. I started at the bottom of his legs but took quite a lot of hair off so in the end I had to clip the whole leg......

I am not good at clipping, I have only done it a few times......Any tips??

Also Mick is objecting to having his mane pulled. Shall I persist, or sedate him with some sedalin? I s'pose I could use a solo comb but I don't like them v.much.

 

[Ecila]

Can't really help you im afraid as im useless with clippers!

I persist with my manes, one of mine enjoys it and the other one tosses her head around!! i just ignore her and she gets over it. Depends how much he dislikes it i suppose!

 

[Mooch]

I know where you are coming from scissor cutting legs! It does my back in too!

I did my girls front legs last week and will do the backs tomorrow. (just couldn't do all 4 in one go)

Out of interest do you pull his mane when he is cold (not literally) ie) when he has come out of the stable or field?

Have you tried doing it after exercise, when he is hot and the pours are open?

I need to make a start on my girls too, I've not pulled hers before as she is still new to me. Yet another job on the list tomorrow!

 

[mickey]

Hiya....
I broke my back 18 mths ago (fully recovered now) and this is one of the tasks I just find too hard....makes me stiffen up afterwards....

Having said that the amount of time I have spent faffing with the clippers it probably was just as bad.

Yes I try to pull mane when the pores are open and he has been worked but he seems to be tolerating it less and less.....

 

[Mooch]

Spooky! I broke my back 4 years ago now!

Fully recovered, but there are still things that I find difficult, or things that agrivate my back even now.

Hope your boy is just going through a grumpy stage and maybe doing a little bit at a time helps?

 

[mickey]

I guess you did it in a riding incident???! I did mine jumping.....Rider error though I have to say.

I just feel stiff/sore most of the time (I have metal in it). But this weather is helping.
I think I will probably give him some sedalin and finish the tricky clipping bits (where he is ticklish) and do the mane at the same time. He's stubborn like me, and I can't see him backing down anytime soon...!

 

[VictoriaEDT]

My boy is the same and needs his legs clipping. I go up to the knee then turn the clippers over so the back surface of the big blade is facing up (move the clippers down) and then kind of murge the longer above knee hair into the clipped bit. As you have turned the clippers over you kind of get a trimmed effect and it works really well for show horses.

I also do the same up to the hocks and when finshed you can hardly tell he has been clipped!