Clipping question(s)...Why/how did it ever start with body clipping?

[kaykay]

I have never and will never be a fan of extreme clipping or razoring. But then I have never been a follower. My motto is first do no harm. There are certain things I refuse to do for a ribbon. We seem to do well and have wins against stiff competition.

I so remember at a show seeing a horse with its entire head razored to the throat latch. Looked horrible. Thankfully almost everyone at the show also commented it looked horrible so hopefully that is not a fad that is going to start.

I remember standing out once because my mares beautiful white eyelashes were left on. The judge loved them and said he wished more would leave them on. Now thats just one judge but it gives me hope.

I do body clip but never closer than a 15 for solid horses and 10 for a pinto.

I am hoping to get my judges card this year and I can tell you that I would never deduct points because a horse wasnt razored or clipped. I would deduct points for a horse not well groomed.

I totally agree that it is way more work to show a horse in natural coat.

Hey Charles are you going to the BMHC May show?? I think I am going to bring a couple young ones down

 

[nnadams]

I have been known to make personal statements at shows, one of the reasons I stopped showing Paint horses(among many others). Just because the big name does it(or everybody)doesn't make it right. I believe in any breed a horse should be judged by the horses quality not by how the mane is cut or by the halter it wears. That owner worked just as hard as the others in the ring. A good judge will see a quality horse although that same judge may or may not place accordingly to save grace. The rule book states how horses are to be judged by confirmation and quality representing the breed. OK I'll get off my soapbox

now.

 

[Minimor]

The Victor halters are very nice, and they hold their value well, so if you ever decide to sell one you are likely to get your money back on it. If you buy the yearling size this year it's very likely your horse will outgrow it, but then you buy the adult size for next year and that's it--you'll surely not have to buy one after that. The Victor halters run about $125 each.

The halters with the interchangeable nosebands are nice too; the Showtimes run about the same price as a Victor. You could buy one with a yearling noseband and then next year buy an adult noseband for it, but the noseband alone is about $60 so you don't save a whole lot. I find it a bit of a pain to take the time to change the nosebands over--my first halter was a Showtime with a "Mini adult" headstall and a "yearling" noseband. I used it on my yearlings that year then ordered an adult size noseband for it. I changed the noseband on it and now prefer to leave it as an adult halter, without putting the yearling noseband back on it for anyone. Just easier that way.

You can get cheaper halters--they run about $50 complete--they look nice when they're new but some of them fade with use and I don't trust them to be as strong as the Showtimes or Victors.

As for clipping--it is definitely more work to show a horse full coated because you have to groom--a lot--beforehand. I know a number of people who don't bother with any grooming at all prior to a show, they will say outright they don't have time for that, they just clip in the week prior to the show, and that's that. If you're showing full coated, you have to put in the grooming time to have the horse slicked out and shiny. Some Minis just never have a coat that is tight enough to show full coated--some will shed out very tight, others never do. Definitely, though, you can clip with a blade that will leave some hair on.

As for doing a good enough job of clipping to show--don't underestimate yourself. The first time I clipped horses to show I thought I had done a poor job because I had some clipper marks here and there. When I got to the show & looked around, my clip job looked pretty good! There were horses--clipped by people who have clipped for years--with major clipper marks. Some had crooked V's above their tails (my V's were short, neat & STRAIGHT!)

 

[little lady]

The Victor halters are very nice, and they hold their value well, so if you ever decide to sell one you are likely to get your money back on it. If you buy the yearling size this year it's very likely your horse will outgrow it, but then you buy the adult size for next year and that's it--you'll surely not have to buy one after that. The Victor halters run about $125 each.

The halters with the interchangeable nosebands are nice too; the Showtimes run about the same price as a Victor. You could buy one with a yearling noseband and then next year buy an adult noseband for it, but the noseband alone is about $60 so you don't save a whole lot. I find it a bit of a pain to take the time to change the nosebands over--my first halter was a Showtime with a "Mini adult" headstall and a "yearling" noseband. I used it on my yearlings that year then ordered an adult size noseband for it. I changed the noseband on it and now prefer to leave it as an adult halter, without putting the yearling noseband back on it for anyone. Just easier that way.

You can get cheaper halters--they run about $50 complete--they look nice when they're new but some of them fade with use and I don't trust them to be as strong as the Showtimes or Victors.

As for clipping--it is definitely more work to show a horse full coated because you have to groom--a lot--beforehand. I know a number of people who don't bother with any grooming at all prior to a show, they will say outright they don't have time for that, they just clip in the week prior to the show, and that's that. If you're showing full coated, you have to put in the grooming time to have the horse slicked out and shiny. Some Minis just never have a coat that is tight enough to show full coated--some will shed out very tight, others never do. Definitely, though, you can clip with a blade that will leave some hair on.

As for doing a good enough job of clipping to show--don't underestimate yourself. The first time I clipped horses to show I thought I had done a poor job because I had some clipper marks here and there. When I got to the show & looked around, my clip job looked pretty good! There were horses--clipped by people who have clipped for years--with major clipper marks. Some had crooked V's above their tails (my V's were short, neat & STRAIGHT!)

Thanks for the info.

I found some Victory halters but still looking for the "one". Does silver or gold tone matter? Use what looks best for the color of horse or just personal preference?

 

[CharlesFamily]

Hey Charles are you going to the BMHC May show?? I think I am going to bring a couple young ones down

Hi Kay!

Yes, we are planning on the BMHC May show being our first "outing." The girls are really excited as the BMHC August show was their first show ever - so they are really looking forward to it! They are also showing the boys in 4-H this year and we are going to try and get to a couple of the AMHR shows - Urbana and Greenville. I can't wait for warm weather!

Barbara

 

[Minimor]

Thanks for the info.

I found some Victory halters but still looking for the "one". Does silver or gold tone matter? Use what looks best for the color of horse or just personal preference?

I find that the black w/silver ones look good on nearly every horse. Some colors are better suited by black w/gold. Most of my patent halters are black w/silver but I bought a black w/gold for my chestnut sabino (lots of white on his face)pony and it really suits him. I have a white faced chestnut mare that looks good in either silver or gold. My buckskin I thought would look best in the gold but I actually like the silver just as well on her. My bar noseband halters are either silver or silver & gold & I find the silvers look great on the blacks while the silver/gold ones look good on the palominos--chestnuts generally look good in either one. Sort of depends on the horse, his particular head, and personal preference.

 

[LindaL]

I showed my 2 horses last year in natural coat at the Area national show. It happened to fall right after we got back from vacation and I did not have time to get them totally body clipped. It was summer, so they had nice smooth hair, but not tight like a body clipped horse would have. I did trim up their ears, around eyes, muzzles, etc. and of course they were bathed and groomed well. BUT, at the show, looking at all the body clipped horses I felt really "novice" (I'm not) and DO feel like it affected our placings. I would not have even bothered to go to this show at all, except I was hoping to show these two at Nationals and needed to qualify them there.

I personally do like a shiny natural summer coat that shows a horse's true color, but that just doesn't usually happen at shows. If I let my dark bay grow out even a little to show his rich natural color, he gets "pig hair", so he has to be freshly clipped.

A MUST for clipping: CLEAN, freshly bathed horse, sharpened blades, decent clippers and extra blades to switch them out when one set gets warm. If your horse is dirty (near the skin), your blades will dull quickly and/or leave clipper marks. vacuuming your horse helps, but a bath is best and highly recommended for a "cleaner" and quicker clip. PRACTICE, but never right before a show!

If you are showing your horses at open shows, I would not be so worried about body clipping.

Good luck!

 

[kaykay]

I hope to see you there Barbara! Would be nice to get to meet.

I use gold on bays and silver on blacks and silver dapple horses.

My clipping tip is to always spray the horse liberally with showsheen while they are still wet from the bath. really brush them so it works in. Clip while the horse is a little damp to prevent over heating and hair sticking to you.

I always clip horses that have just ate and have a full belly. I have many fall asleep while I am clipping

I also usually divide it into two parts. Clip the body and neck then let the horse rest a few hours then finish the legs and head.

 

[little lady]

I showed my 2 horses last year in natural coat at the Area national show. It happened to fall right after we got back from vacation and I did not have time to get them totally body clipped. It was summer, so they had nice smooth hair, but not tight like a body clipped horse would have. I did trim up their ears, around eyes, muzzles, etc. and of course they were bathed and groomed well. BUT, at the show, looking at all the body clipped horses I felt really "novice" (I'm not) and DO feel like it affected our placings. I would not have even bothered to go to this show at all, except I was hoping to show these two at Nationals and needed to qualify them there.

I personally do like a shiny natural summer coat that shows a horse's true color, but that just doesn't usually happen at shows. If I let my dark bay grow out even a little to show his rich natural color, he gets "pig hair", so he has to be freshly clipped.

A MUST for clipping: CLEAN, freshly bathed horse, sharpened blades, decent clippers and extra blades to switch them out when one set gets warm. If your horse is dirty (near the skin), your blades will dull quickly and/or leave clipper marks. vacuuming your horse helps, but a bath is best and highly recommended for a "cleaner" and quicker clip. PRACTICE, but never right before a show!

If you are showing your horses at open shows, I would not be so worried about body clipping.

Good luck!

Thanks Linda! Great tips. I just got my lil man as a weanling last year and he was already wearing his winter woolies so not sure of what is underneath yet. There are a couple AMHR shows I would like to try to take him to so he would need to be at the top of his game so I want to do what is best for him.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

Another tip on halter color for your horse. Pull out the World or Journal and look at the professionally photo'd horses. It's also good to learn where the halter should sit on your horse's head and how to accentuate the good. Concho use or not or placement, noseband size, etc., depending on your horses head.

As for Victor Halters, they do hold their value. The just don't seem to wear out, we have some that are 10 years old and look great.

 

[little lady]

I hope to see you there Barbara! Would be nice to get to meet.

I use gold on bays and silver on blacks and silver dapple horses.

My clipping tip is to always spray the horse liberally with showsheen while they are still wet from the bath. really brush them so it works in. Clip while the horse is a little damp to prevent over heating and hair sticking to you.

I always clip horses that have just ate and have a full belly. I have many fall asleep while I am clipping

I also usually divide it into two parts. Clip the body and neck then let the horse rest a few hours then finish the legs and head.

Thanks KayKay for the showsheen tip!! Never thought of that.

 

[RhineStone]

The argument that you should do it cause everyone else is -and you don't want to stand out. LOL. I can tell you as a judge that often standing out is a GOOD thing.

If all "fads" were meant to stick around and no one had the guts to stand up to them - the stock breed world would be worse off than it really is. Peanut-rolling tropers are "technically" illegal in the WP ring... but it was the "norm" for 20 years, and if you rode a natural mover you "stood out".

I see body clipping as a practical necessity that went to the extreme and turned into "over clipping", just like WP QHs didn't want to be seen as English horses, so they decided that the slower and lower the head, the better. No true cowboy is going to ride their horse like that! It went to the extreme, just like mini clipping. Some mini horses needed to be clipped because they don't shed out or have "pig hair" as Linda mentions below, but some minis that have really good coats are being clipped rediculously tight because of fad. Now it needs to go back to "reality".

I personally do like a shiny natural summer coat that shows a horse's true color, but that just doesn't usually happen at shows. If I let my dark bay grow out even a little to show his rich natural color, he gets "pig hair", so he has to be freshly clipped.

We have a couple of horses that won't shed out early enough, and when they do, their coats are still "bristly". These horses need to be clipped for every show. Their hair is course and never lays flat. It almost stands on end like a military crew cut!

HOWEVER, we have others with more "normal" hair coats that we may clip for the first show because they haven't shed out yet, but then leave their coat for the rest of the year...maybe unless they start growing winter hair early. People need to do what is best for each individual animal and ignore the fads. Granted, we don't show mini breed shows (over clipping would be ANOTHER reason why

), but we have gone to the largest carriage shows in the country and have never had a judge tell us our horses were "unkept", and have won lots of Turnout classes where best appearances matter. If we over-clipped, like with more than a 10 blade, we would be the freaks ("So why is your horse bald?"

). That's one thing I love about carriage shows. They are so practical.

Myrna

 

[Flying minis]

I hope to see you there Barbara! Would be nice to get to meet.

I use gold on bays and silver on blacks and silver dapple horses.

My clipping tip is to always spray the horse liberally with showsheen while they are still wet from the bath. really brush them so it works in. Clip while the horse is a little damp to prevent over heating and hair sticking to you.

I always clip horses that have just ate and have a full belly. I have many fall asleep while I am clipping

I also usually divide it into two parts. Clip the body and neck then let the horse rest a few hours then finish the legs and head.

I will vouch for those clipping tips - you gave them to me at some point last year when I had first started with my minis - now I've shown and clipped horses for 20 years, but I've never gotten as nice a clip as when I did the show sheen/clip damp thing like you said! Incredible - and I think the dampness kept my blades from getting hot so fast too!