Always thoroughly bathe and dry a horse before body clipping, otherwise the clipper blades will pull and snag the hair, the cut will come out poorly with blade tracks and clipping a dirty horse makes the skin more prone to irritation. Get the blades sharpened between clips (if they're not brand new) be sure to use the oil they came with and keep the blades and clipper head oiled. You may want a can of spray coolant and lubricant. While clipping, check the blades to ensure they're not heating up and burning the horse's skin. Always clip in the direction of the hair growth. If clipping for show, it all must come off (face, legs and ears) but if you are just clipping for comfort, I would leave the face, just trim chin hairs and leave the hair inside the ears to prevent bug bites and sarcoids. I clip the feet feathers to keep scratches at bay during muddy season, but you will need to fly spray the legs well if you clip them close as the hair is the best defense against fly bites. Also remember sunscreen on any pink skin after clipping so the skin does not sun burn. If the pony has never been clipped before, start slow and maybe just do the feathers and bridle path to acclimate her to the clippers. If she stands well and tolerates it, go ahead and clip it all off. Be sure to use a set of clippers powerful enough to body clip. I use oster 210's on the body and A5's on the face and legs #10 blade. If I could afford a nicer set of clippers I would buy Andis or Laubes because they do not run as hot as Osters, but those are what I have to work with. Please share before and after pics of her. Good luck.
