Which Clip- to make a long horse look shorter!

McNally

McNally

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Question in title, Those who know the tricks of the trade what clip might make my very long backed horse look smaller?
He's in regular work at the moment, will be stabled in bad weather but turned out as much as possible during the day. He gets very sweaty just going for a walk and can be well rugged so not overly worried about the functionality of the clip in fact i'd take the whole lot off even if thats not "correct" as i hate hairiness!
 
Blanket clip and make sure the front hairy bit starts just at the saddle and can't be seen, it will make your horse look 2/5ths infront and 3/5ths behind, rather that 4/5ths!
 
A blanket clip will shorten a horse off and also some traces will, more of the neck will elongate (if that's how you spell it) the front of the horse, also when your going over certain areas that change direction keep a gentle curve rather than straight lines.
 
A hybrid chaser/blanket clip that starts at the stifle, goes up to where the front corner of saddle cloth/numnah sits, then straight up to the wither, is a good one for shortening the back and lengthening the front. You can also do a proper chaser, but take it up to about 6 inches behind the ears, rather than just behind them. Hairy bits shorten and add bulk, clipped bits elongate and streamline - that's the principle I work on when clipping.
 
Go with what is functional and makes you/horse comfy.

I ride a alightly odd-shaped horse atm and love it just as much as when riding something conventionally put together. When you're on top you can't see anyway! :-)
 
My mare is long all over (except her legs, lol!) and she either gets a irish clip but will all neck off (like the irish clip here, but the front bit being like a blanket by taking all neck off http://www.peasridge.co.uk/clipper-advice/clippers-clipping-advice-horses-types-of-horse-clips.shtml) or a hunter clip (half head, legs and saddle pad left on). With both of them the front is taken off until just before the saddle. If you do a hunter then be careful not to put on a v little short saddle pad as it will just give your horse the appearance of having acres of back! I tend to do a sort of squashed oval shape from the front of her saddle and going back as far as possible but stopping just short of having the unclipped bit peeping out from under the back of her saddle pad.
 
Auslander said:
A hybrid chaser/blanket clip that starts at the stifle, goes up to where the front corner of saddle cloth/numnah sits, then straight up to the wither, is a good one for shortening the back and lengthening the front.
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I did this with my long backed beastie one year and he just ended up looking like a cut 'n shut! :D Agree blanket looks good but I normally clip out completely :)
 
rhino said:
I did this with my long backed beastie one year and he just ended up looking like a cut 'n shut! :D Agree blanket looks good but I normally clip out completely :)
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Sorry - but I lol'd!! Worked on my mare - but I can see how it could go wrong!!

I prefer to take everything off too - life's too short to faff about with too many lines!!
 
Auslander said:
Sorry - but I lol'd!! Worked on my mare - but I can see how it could go wrong!!

I prefer to take everything off too - life's too short to faff about with too many lines!!
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Don't worry I laughed at him a lot too! It didn't help that he's quite a dark ginger colour but when he's clipped he's a pale, almost cream colour :)
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This was last year, normally take legs and head off too but tried something different.
 
rhino said:
Don't worry I laughed at him a lot too! It didn't help that he's quite a dark ginger colour but when he's clipped he's a pale, almost cream colour :)
This was last year, normally take legs and head off too but tried something different.
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Peachy! Reminds me of a horse I clipped for someone a few years ago. Did a cracking, line free high trace clip, only for the owner to accuse me three weeks later of having deliberately not clipped all the hair off to make sure he paid for another clip. Was rather confused, as he had asked for a trace clip, but investigations revealed that he thought that I had clipped half way down the hair shafts - I was quite chuffed that he thought so highly of my ability. Imagine being skilled enough to do that and not leave lines!
 
Auslander said:
Was rather confused, as he had asked for a trace clip, but investigations revealed that he thought that I had clipped half way down the hair shafts - I was quite chuffed that he thought so highly of my ability. Imagine being skilled enough to do that and not leave lines!
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I have done the opposite when the clipper blades were not cutting too well (brand new, first clip so not blunt); I used the surgical blades instead and ended up with a pink, rather 'scalped' looking pony. I really shouldn't be allowed near clippers :D
 
rhino said:
I have done the opposite when the clipper blades were not cutting too well (brand new, first clip so not blunt); I used the surgical blades instead and ended up with a pink, rather 'scalped' looking pony. I really shouldn't be allowed near clippers :D
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Sounds like a saint - your pone!! I once clipped an international event horse out - every last bit of hair banished, except for one ear, which he decided he wanted to keep. Had used very fine blades, so he was literally hairless - the fluffy ear stood out like a sore thumb well into the start of the season!!
 
Auslander said:
Sounds like a saint - your pone!! I once clipped an international event horse out - every last bit of hair banished, except for one ear, which he decided he wanted to keep. Had used very fine blades, so he was literally hairless - the fluffy ear stood out like a sore thumb well into the start of the season!!
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Brilliant! :D

A saint - yes, for everything except clipping, which is why I won't risk letting anyone else clip him. I hate clipping and refuse to do any other horses - though I will happily lend my clippers out :)
 
Any horse that is long in the body you do not want any lines that continue up the neck, whether a trace or any form of chaser clip.
A blanket clip that ends slightly behind the front of the saddle patch will deceive the eye and make the back look shorter. A Hunter clip will also be fine.
 
rhino said:
I have done the opposite when the clipper blades were not cutting too well (brand new, first clip so not blunt); I used the surgical blades instead and ended up with a pink, rather 'scalped' looking pony. I really shouldn't be allowed near clippers :D
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At college the instructor did this to her horse apart from she only did it with trimmers on his face and clippers on the body, he had a very pink face!
 
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