Ashf
Well-Known Member
Hi all
I thought as a few here are using my stencils now, I'd post up some tips we have learn't which you might find useful
Ta Ash
Q) My stencil doesn't stick - I had a lady contact me recently saying that the stencil she chose didn't stick to her horses coat very well, why not, and what could she (I) do to improve it ?
A) Like our own hair, a horses coat is protected by the natural oils produced at the root. The clipping stencils are made from very sticky self adhesive vinyl, but dust & dandruff as well as the natural oils will affect their adhesion qualities quite dramatically. If you left your own hair for 6 weeks without washing it with a just a brush 3 times a week, you would expect it to be fairly greasy from these natural oils, so it is only fair to expect your horses coat to be in a similar condition regardless of how clean it looks. This is obviously good for your horse as it provides a waterproof barrier, but it could cause a problem when applying a clipping stencil. It is very important to have a grease and dust free coat for the stencil to stick to, and we get around this by shampooing and drying the area where the stencil is to be applied for best adhesion (tip) - if you don't want to shampoo your horse, we have to good effect used a dab of surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) on a cloth and used this to degrease the area where the design is going on our own horses without any detremental effect (please observe the instructions with it if you do this). Get this degreasing bit right, and they can be fairly resistant to removal after you finish clipping (make sure you peel off in the direction of the coat to save a waxing effect )
Q) When is the best time to clip a design on for longevity of appearance.
A) Your horses coat grows with the seasons and the growing cycles are affected by the amount of daylight hours - The winter coat stops growing a few weeks after the winter Solstice (Jan), and the summer coat about the same after the Summer Solstice (July). Many owners choose to clip three times in a winter season, In the UK, the first is the end of September, the middle of November, and finally early in January. Obviously many people put designs on at the point of the first clip in September/October, but as the coat grows quickly then will need to go back around it every few weeks to maintain its appearance. (Tip) Clip a design on your horse Just after Christmas, and it will last without any need for adjustment until the winter coat sheds which could be as late as the end of May. Likewise for those who don't show, We have found out with experimentation that a Stencil design can be clipped on in June and it will stay very clear on the coat until August time. It also has the added bonus that as the summer coat is very fine, we can clip more challenging designs with finer detail
Q) How long do they take to do ?
A) How long is a piece of string ?, If you would like a design on your horse but haven't the patience to clip an intricate one on, pick a simple one to start with so you learn how the system works, and make sure you don't do it on a pony which has cushings with a full winter coat, as it will take an age to do. If you were to sit down in the hairdressers and they took 2 minutes to cut your hair, you would rightly feel like you weren't getting your moneys worth, and have a good suspicion that they haven't done the best job they could for you. The same applies to the stencils. The devil is in the detail as the saying goes, so if you want a complicated design (and it to look good) be patient and expect it to take upwards of half an hour to put it on, so acquire a set of trimmers for the job in hand, keep them well oiled every couple of minutes and don't rush it. Ash
I thought as a few here are using my stencils now, I'd post up some tips we have learn't which you might find useful
Ta Ash
Q) My stencil doesn't stick - I had a lady contact me recently saying that the stencil she chose didn't stick to her horses coat very well, why not, and what could she (I) do to improve it ?
A) Like our own hair, a horses coat is protected by the natural oils produced at the root. The clipping stencils are made from very sticky self adhesive vinyl, but dust & dandruff as well as the natural oils will affect their adhesion qualities quite dramatically. If you left your own hair for 6 weeks without washing it with a just a brush 3 times a week, you would expect it to be fairly greasy from these natural oils, so it is only fair to expect your horses coat to be in a similar condition regardless of how clean it looks. This is obviously good for your horse as it provides a waterproof barrier, but it could cause a problem when applying a clipping stencil. It is very important to have a grease and dust free coat for the stencil to stick to, and we get around this by shampooing and drying the area where the stencil is to be applied for best adhesion (tip) - if you don't want to shampoo your horse, we have to good effect used a dab of surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) on a cloth and used this to degrease the area where the design is going on our own horses without any detremental effect (please observe the instructions with it if you do this). Get this degreasing bit right, and they can be fairly resistant to removal after you finish clipping (make sure you peel off in the direction of the coat to save a waxing effect )
Q) When is the best time to clip a design on for longevity of appearance.
A) Your horses coat grows with the seasons and the growing cycles are affected by the amount of daylight hours - The winter coat stops growing a few weeks after the winter Solstice (Jan), and the summer coat about the same after the Summer Solstice (July). Many owners choose to clip three times in a winter season, In the UK, the first is the end of September, the middle of November, and finally early in January. Obviously many people put designs on at the point of the first clip in September/October, but as the coat grows quickly then will need to go back around it every few weeks to maintain its appearance. (Tip) Clip a design on your horse Just after Christmas, and it will last without any need for adjustment until the winter coat sheds which could be as late as the end of May. Likewise for those who don't show, We have found out with experimentation that a Stencil design can be clipped on in June and it will stay very clear on the coat until August time. It also has the added bonus that as the summer coat is very fine, we can clip more challenging designs with finer detail
Q) How long do they take to do ?
A) How long is a piece of string ?, If you would like a design on your horse but haven't the patience to clip an intricate one on, pick a simple one to start with so you learn how the system works, and make sure you don't do it on a pony which has cushings with a full winter coat, as it will take an age to do. If you were to sit down in the hairdressers and they took 2 minutes to cut your hair, you would rightly feel like you weren't getting your moneys worth, and have a good suspicion that they haven't done the best job they could for you. The same applies to the stencils. The devil is in the detail as the saying goes, so if you want a complicated design (and it to look good) be patient and expect it to take upwards of half an hour to put it on, so acquire a set of trimmers for the job in hand, keep them well oiled every couple of minutes and don't rush it. Ash
