How to Clip a Horse with H & H Tips
Wear proper attire when clipping horses., Select the proper location., Restrain the horse using a halter and lead rope held in your hand., Groom your horse to prepare him for clipping., Prepare the clipper and gather other essential materials needed...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wear proper attire when clipping horses.
It is important to wear sensible footwear like boots, or some other footwear that will protect you from sudden steps by the horses.
In terms of clothing, avoid wearing fleecy clothing because cut hairs tend to stick to it, and can irritate you while clipping the horse.
In addition, wear a cap to prevent your hair from blocking your face, or worse, getting tangled in the clipper. -
Step 2: Select the proper location.
Select a proper location, preferably one with good lighting.
If the weather permits, clipping should be done outside the stable, to ensure that there is enough light for you to have a clear view of what you are clipping.
If you are indoors, make sure there is sufficient light available. , During clipping, ensure your and the horse's safety by restraining the horse.
Drape the lead rope over the horse’s neck and hold its end to temporarily restrain the animal while you attach the halter.
Place the nose band part of the halter over the horse’s nose.
Place the head piece over the animal’s ears.
Draw the head piece strap underneath the jaw, and attach the snap closure to the ring on the left jaw of the horse.
Attach the lead rope on the ring in the chin part of the halter.
Then, lead the horse to the area where you will perform clipping by holding the lead rope or halter and pulling it while walking alongside the horse.
To restrain the horse, have your assistant tie the lead rope to a post, and have him hold the halter so that when the horse moves, a slight pull of the halter will restrain the horse.
If you are working alone, you can restrain the horse by using cross ties that can be attached on each side of the halter, and fixing it to two opposite posts. , The horse must be clean and free from caked dirt and dust prior to clipping.
A clean coat will ensure that the clipper will not get tangled while clipping, and become dull and painful for the horse.
However, a full bath is probably not necessary. , Make sure that you have all the necessary accoutrements ready at hand.
Gather heavy duty extension cords with circuit breakers.
You will need at least one set of shearing clippers for clipping wide areas of hair, and a small clipper for clipping around the face and ears. , Before clipping, ensure that the clippers's tension is proper and sufficient.
This can be done by reading the manual of your selected clippers for proper tension settings.
Additionally, get a wet sponge with warm water that will be used after clipping, as well as good blankets and drapes to cover the horses, especially if the weather is cold.
This will help prevent chilling, because newly clipped horses need additional insulation to ensure much needed warmth. , For this type of clip, a line using a chalk is drawn around and above the elbow and knee of the horse.
All of the parts of the horse above the line are then clipped, including the belly, face, head and chest.
The withers, forelock and tail are not clipped. , There are two types of trace clip, the Low Trace Clip, and the High Trace Clip.
Low trace clip.
For this clip, a line is drawn starting from the throat latch of the horse, passing through the high point of the shoulder, and ending at the flank.
Everything that falls below the line is then clipped, including the underside of the neck, the belly and the chest, but not including from the elbow and knee downwards, and the face.
High trace clip.
This clip is similar to the low trace clip, but the line drawn starts from the high point of the back of the base of ear, passing above the highest point of the shoulder, and ending at the flank.
Everything that falls below the line is clipped, including the underside of the neck, the belly and chest, but not including the elbow and knee downwards, and the face. , There are other clip types that are more specialized, depending on the specific circumstances of the horse's use.
Use a belly clip for ponies that are ridden out on weekends.
Clip hairs from the underside of the neck and the belly.Use a full clip for show horses that are mainly engaged in competition.
Use this clip to clip the entire coat, leaving a sleek coat where sweat can evaporate easily.
This clip is only used for horses that are not turned out during the winter or at night.Use an Irish clip for light work horses and horses turned out during the day.
For this clip, draw a line from the poll to the belly to make a triangle, and clip all of the coat that falls under the line.
The legs are not clipped, but sometimes the lower half of the head can be clipped.Use a blanket clip for heavy work horses.
Using this clip, the neck is fully clipped and the head is half or fully clipped.
Only the legs are left unclipped, letting hair be removed in areas where they sweat a lot, but leaving enough hair to give them warmth. -
Step 3: Restrain the horse using a halter and lead rope held in your hand.
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Step 4: Groom your horse to prepare him for clipping.
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Step 5: Prepare the clipper and gather other essential materials needed for clipping.
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Step 6: Set the clippers's tension properly.
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Step 7: Select a hunter clip for heavy work horses.
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Step 8: Choose a tracer clip for light to medium work horses.
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Step 9: Use other clip types to suit your needs.
Detailed Guide
It is important to wear sensible footwear like boots, or some other footwear that will protect you from sudden steps by the horses.
In terms of clothing, avoid wearing fleecy clothing because cut hairs tend to stick to it, and can irritate you while clipping the horse.
In addition, wear a cap to prevent your hair from blocking your face, or worse, getting tangled in the clipper.
Select a proper location, preferably one with good lighting.
If the weather permits, clipping should be done outside the stable, to ensure that there is enough light for you to have a clear view of what you are clipping.
If you are indoors, make sure there is sufficient light available. , During clipping, ensure your and the horse's safety by restraining the horse.
Drape the lead rope over the horse’s neck and hold its end to temporarily restrain the animal while you attach the halter.
Place the nose band part of the halter over the horse’s nose.
Place the head piece over the animal’s ears.
Draw the head piece strap underneath the jaw, and attach the snap closure to the ring on the left jaw of the horse.
Attach the lead rope on the ring in the chin part of the halter.
Then, lead the horse to the area where you will perform clipping by holding the lead rope or halter and pulling it while walking alongside the horse.
To restrain the horse, have your assistant tie the lead rope to a post, and have him hold the halter so that when the horse moves, a slight pull of the halter will restrain the horse.
If you are working alone, you can restrain the horse by using cross ties that can be attached on each side of the halter, and fixing it to two opposite posts. , The horse must be clean and free from caked dirt and dust prior to clipping.
A clean coat will ensure that the clipper will not get tangled while clipping, and become dull and painful for the horse.
However, a full bath is probably not necessary. , Make sure that you have all the necessary accoutrements ready at hand.
Gather heavy duty extension cords with circuit breakers.
You will need at least one set of shearing clippers for clipping wide areas of hair, and a small clipper for clipping around the face and ears. , Before clipping, ensure that the clippers's tension is proper and sufficient.
This can be done by reading the manual of your selected clippers for proper tension settings.
Additionally, get a wet sponge with warm water that will be used after clipping, as well as good blankets and drapes to cover the horses, especially if the weather is cold.
This will help prevent chilling, because newly clipped horses need additional insulation to ensure much needed warmth. , For this type of clip, a line using a chalk is drawn around and above the elbow and knee of the horse.
All of the parts of the horse above the line are then clipped, including the belly, face, head and chest.
The withers, forelock and tail are not clipped. , There are two types of trace clip, the Low Trace Clip, and the High Trace Clip.
Low trace clip.
For this clip, a line is drawn starting from the throat latch of the horse, passing through the high point of the shoulder, and ending at the flank.
Everything that falls below the line is then clipped, including the underside of the neck, the belly and the chest, but not including from the elbow and knee downwards, and the face.
High trace clip.
This clip is similar to the low trace clip, but the line drawn starts from the high point of the back of the base of ear, passing above the highest point of the shoulder, and ending at the flank.
Everything that falls below the line is clipped, including the underside of the neck, the belly and chest, but not including the elbow and knee downwards, and the face. , There are other clip types that are more specialized, depending on the specific circumstances of the horse's use.
Use a belly clip for ponies that are ridden out on weekends.
Clip hairs from the underside of the neck and the belly.Use a full clip for show horses that are mainly engaged in competition.
Use this clip to clip the entire coat, leaving a sleek coat where sweat can evaporate easily.
This clip is only used for horses that are not turned out during the winter or at night.Use an Irish clip for light work horses and horses turned out during the day.
For this clip, draw a line from the poll to the belly to make a triangle, and clip all of the coat that falls under the line.
The legs are not clipped, but sometimes the lower half of the head can be clipped.Use a blanket clip for heavy work horses.
Using this clip, the neck is fully clipped and the head is half or fully clipped.
Only the legs are left unclipped, letting hair be removed in areas where they sweat a lot, but leaving enough hair to give them warmth.
About the Author
Nicole Rodriguez
Nicole Rodriguez has dedicated 1 years to mastering humanresources. As a content creator, Nicole focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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