lottiepony
Well-Known Member
Just wondering who had clipped already and how much have you taken off? Reckon the girl will have her first clip in a couple of weeks as yet haven't decided how much I'll take off! 
I get slightly bemused by people who gradually introduce their horse to clipping. Whether it be just starting off with running them over, then turning them on, running them over on, then clipping off bits and peices.
Maybe I am just incredibly impatient but then I also don't have the luxury of desensitising with the racehorses. It's all off first time around. If they don't like the noise then they get ear plugs in, if they really hate it they get sedated - unless they are racing within 8 days in which case I do the best job I can until they can be sedated.
Saying that I have clipped dozens and dozens of first clips and I can only think of 2 - brother and sister funnily enough - that have been dope jobs. The rest have all stood like lambs after 5mins when they realise it isn't going to hurt them.
Mine has had a previous bad experience (not with me) - it's not a question of starting from a blank canvas; he already associates it with something nasty. I'd rather get him used to it for life than just do a short term fix with sedation when I don't need to.
But then I practise all sorts of things. If I take him away from home I like to be sure he'll get back in the box to come home. If I want him to behave on the ground when I lead him, I make sure he understands what my instructions mean. Amazingly all the things I practise always seem to go well when I need them to.![]()