Kate Duffy, Groom at Ballywalter Stables tells us how to clip your horse like a pro this winter.
Patience is key. Whether it’s first or fiftieth time you clip a certain horse, be patient and give them a nice experience as it will build trust for future clipping making yours and your horse’s life easier. Ensure they are in a relaxed environmental with minimal distractions.
CLEAN & EASY
Clean horses are easier to clip and put less wear and tear on your blades and clippers. Groom them well or wash before you start for the best results and to ensure the blades pass through the hair easily. Use a shampoo that will powerfully clean such as GALLOP Extra Strength by Carr & Day & Martin. This will thoroughly remove dirt and grease in the first wash. Make sure you allow sufficient time for the coat to fully dry after washing. We help the horses dry off post wash by using cooler blankets such as the Aloga Waffle Cooler that effectively wicks moisture away from their body.
RIGHT BLADES, RIGHT FINISH
Before you start clipping make sure your blades are sharp and well oiled. Dull blades don’t give as good a clip and make much more work for you and the machine. Once you begin clipping keep your blades oiled and take breaks though out the clip to respray them as this will help to prevent the blades and machine from overheating, which can cause discomfort to the horse.
I personally prefer to use 1.2mm and 1.5mm blades when clipping. Any shorter than 1.2 causes the clip to look streaky and the hair will be too short. For grey horses particularly I only use 1.5mm blades as it gives a much nicer finish to the light hair and doesn’t leave lines on their body. Grey horses or the white socks on darker colours often have more sensitive skin so it’s better to leave more of a hair covering to protect the skin.
Clip in long strokes to avoid missing patches and leaving streaks or lines in the hair. Whether it’s a trace clip, hunter or full clip, work with the natural curves of the horse’s body and muscles to get the most even lines that complement the horse’s shape.
HOT CLOTH FINISH
When you have finished clipping make sure to use a warm damp towel or wash your horse to remove any loose hair that is still on their coat. This avoids leaving your horse feeling itchy and uncomfortable. Be alert for any signs of irritation, and avoid turnout in very cold or wet weather until your horse is blanketed.
LINER LAYERS
To help the fresh clip look good and last as long as possible make sure your horse is well rugged. During the colder months I prefer to use an Aloga liner under stable and turnout blankets as it maintains more warmth without using multiple heavy rugs. Using a liner also gives you the option to easily adjust the weight of your horse’s blanket or to remove it when temperatures rise during the day or if weather becomes unpredictable. It can easily be added again when temperatures drop all while maintaining the same outer blanket on top.