Tips on clipping legs

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PnO

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My horse is due his 2nd clip soon and I'm going to give him a full clip as his work load will be increasing and I'm going to take his legs off as once all this snow has melted our fields will be flooded and he'll end up with mud fever like last year, and I have to wash his legs off every night when he comes in and with fluffy legs they take sooo long to dry, and as I bandage him as his back legs swell I end up waiting around for ages for them to dry and going through hundreds of towels attempting to speed up the drying process. So anyway anyone got any tips for clipping legs or any pics you can post? I hope I don't get bored and end up with a horse with just one leg clipped becuase I can't be bothered to do the rest
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(I obviously wouldn't do this to him as he would look stupid!) xx
 
I dont think its that disimiliar to clipping heads - ie full of bumps and being careful! Only thing i do do is to put a bandage on the tail so it doesnt get in the way and remind myself to be careful when clipping the back legs...!Mine isn't overly keen on clippers on his inside thigh (but then neither would I!)
 
I don't think i'd like my thigh being clipped either...thank goodness I'm not a hairy horse!

You could always opt for the thermatex leg wraps if you chicken out of clipping them- they are GREAT for drying off legs and your horse can sleep in them making him nice and cosy.
 
no can do on mine. Evil blighter has endless patience and will remove any wraps left on his legs overnight - OK for drying off but has ruined a number of my thermatex wraps when I thought he was relenting.

this was the horse that carefully (and god knows how long it took him) removed his exercise wraps, which were drying, taped around the grating on his box and took them to bed.....
 
Luci, your horse sounds very clever! Luckily my horse is not as clever and is more interested in food and sleeping that destroying things I buy for him. Perhaps yours is too spoilt and knows you will always buy more? Mine knows I spend all my money on him already and have non left to buy him anymore wraps, so he either looks after them or goes cold!
 
One thing I was always taught....when clipping the backs of the legs, go downwards (towards the floor). If horse lifts his leg up quickly or bends the leg and you are going upwards, you can risk damage to the tendons/flesh/back of knee etc with the clipper head/blades if you can't move the clippers quickly enough.
 
I second that Royal_Lass - have seen large amounts of blood spurting from the back of a fetlock from clipping the heels and horse snatched his leg up, he was a bit evil anyway - but they can get tickly down there.
My only advice for fully clipping legs out is that if its the first time they've had it done they can find it a bit irritating and may not be quite as good as normal. Just be patient with him and you'll soon whip through the 4. If he'll let you - hold the leg as your doing it so you can move it round as you're going round tricky bits- and you also know when he's likely to pull it away from you so you can hold it steadier to prevent either cutting him or having your clippers knocked out of your hand (=broken clippers = stooopid looking horse with 2 wooly legs and 2 shaven legs!)

ooo can we have before and after photos??!
 
I'll definately try and get some before and after pictures
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A friend of mine won't clip legs as she's scared she'll catch a tendon, so i'll be extra careful and remember to clip towards the floor, and i'll try not to break the clippers (there my friends so I'm always extra careful) x
 
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