Tips for Clipping Correctly

How do I clip my horse correctly?

Want to clip your horse but not quite sure how? We have some valuable tips and tricks for you so that everything goes smoothly when you clip.

Before clipping

There’s plenty to bear in mind even when you’re preparing:

If you want to use cordless clippers, check that the battery is well charged. With corded clippers, remember to bring an extension lead. It’s also very important to check the clipper blades thoroughly: are all the blades sharpened and sharp enough? Are all the teeth on the blades still intact, or have individual teeth broken off? If teeth are missing from the blade or the blades aren’t sharp enough, the clip can end up with ugly lines, or, with blunt blades, the clippers may not cut at all.

Please switch the clippers on and listen to whether they “rattle” or make any other strange noises. If they do, please check your clippers’ instruction manual to see what to do. Once everything is ready and in order, you should oil the blades thoroughly before clipping.

Now let’s turn to your horse: here, too, there are important things to consider. Does your horse already know clipping and is it used to it, or has it never had any experience with clippers?

Let’s get started

The horse should be completely dry and clean. Otherwise the blades will go blunt very quickly or the clippers won’t cut at all. Please clip your horse in a quiet place that it knows well and where it stands calmly and relaxed. Switch the clippers on and stand next to your horse so it can get used to the noise. It’s best to start clipping very slowly at the shoulder. This will already give you a good idea of how your horse behaves while being clipped. Always clip against the lie of the coat and in long strokes where possible – that gives the neatest result.

You should brush the clippers off thoroughly and oil them every 10 minutes so they don’t overheat. Always carefully smooth out folds of skin when clipping so that you don’t accidentally cut your horse. Should it happen anyway, clean the wound immediately and treat it with iodine ointment or a special wound spray so that no dirt or hair can get into the wound. Once you’ve finished one side, please put a rug on your horse so it doesn’t get cold. And always leave the hair on the saddle area so that the saddle and saddle pad don’t rub. Please never clip out the ears or clip off the whiskers. This is prohibited under animal welfare law and torture for horses!

You should work with great concentration and precision whenever you are using the clippers on your horse.

Once clipping is done, you should rug up your horse so that it doesn’t get chilled.

Clip patterns – creative or traditional?

When clipping, you can either get creative and clip great patterns, or stick to the classic clip styles. When choosing your clip, always consider how often and how hard your horse works up a sweat and how it is kept. If you’d like to clip a great pattern on your horse’s hindquarters, it’s best to use a stencil. This is where you can really let loose – whether stars, shamrocks, unicorns or the Batman symbol, anything goes.

Have fun clipping!

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

Best wishes

Your EQM Team