Deaming of Minis
Well-Known Member
How do you introduce the clippers? Do you stop when they start to get frightened? I don't want to push it. Any advice?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Introducing Clippers
- Thread starter Deaming of Minis
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MiLo Minis
Well-Known Member
Clipping is not something that comes naturally to your horse. In fact, it is quite a scary experience for the average horse’s first time. With gentle and patient handling there is no reason your horse can’t learn to stand quietly for clipping. For your horse’s first clip, or any clip for that matter, choose a time when you are not in a hurry. Leaving the first clip until it has to be done is not a good idea. With the clippers off and your horse cross tied, allow him to nuzzle them with his nose and check them out thoroughly. With the clippers still off, move to his side and place the clippers on his shoulder. Gradually work them around over his body while talking quietly to him. If at any point he shows concern, keep the clippers on him but back away to a more acceptable spot and work your way gradually back until he stands quietly no matter where you place the clippers. Standing some distance from your horse, turn the clippers on and allow them to run, without touching him, until he stands quietly. Move gradually closer until you can stand beside him with the clippers running. Place them against his shoulder and hold them there until he stands quietly. Without attempting to clip, run them over his body until he stands quietly. Again, if at any point he shows concern, keep the clippers on him but back away to a more acceptable spot and work your way gradually back until he stands quietly no matter where you place the clippers. This process could take anywhere from a few minutes, with an easy going horse, up to several hours, spread over several days or even, possibly, weeks, with a more nervous sort. Keep the sessions short, 15 to 20 minutes, and always end your sessions on a good note, with your horse relaxed and quiet.
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Leeana
Well-Known Member
This is how i have done ours so far.
I always let them sniff the clippers when the clippers on and off for a second or two. I then turn them on and rub the handle part over their hip (not clipping) because i've found they accept it more on there hip. Then rub it back and forth on their back and up the neck to the halter line and then go from the throatlatch to the tail and rub back and forth back and forth back and forth. Then do that on the other side in the same spot. Then i rub them under the horses neck back in between the infront of there legs. Then i go back to rubbing from the throatlatch to the tail back and forth back and forth. Then clippers go off and they get a treat/pat. Then clippers go back on, let them smell the clippers and i start desentizing under the belly. After that is over, clippers go off and another patt and treat for being good. I then do legs, turn the clippers on and let them smell them and start in the back first and rub on the hip in circles and go down toward the foot, go up and down up and down the outside of the leg and then go back to the hip and go down and start rubbing in circles inside the leg. I do this for all 4 legs and then go back over the whole body.
Of course, dont forget the head. Rub the clippers under the muzzle, over the face and above the eyes, between the eyes and around the forelock. If you want take off the whiskers on the muzzle at this time so they can get a small taist of what is happening. Then the ears, prob the hardest spot for most horses. Make sure you can rub the ears with your fingers with little fight from the horse, or beter NO fight from the horse. Rub the base of the ear, then the outside and then the tip and move inside the ears. After you can do this, rub the ear with your fingers with the clippers NEAR the ear, not touching. Then do so with the clippers.
If the horse fights or moves away move the clippers with the horse dont pull them away because what your teaching the horse is, when he/she moves and acts badly they are going to get rewarded by the clippers being removed and eventually the horse starts to link it in their head 'If i move away, the clippers go by by'. If the horse moves continue with the clippers, when the horse stops let the clippers run 2-3 seconds longer and then reward the horse for stopping and standing. Just how i do it ...may work for you to
Good luck
I always let them sniff the clippers when the clippers on and off for a second or two. I then turn them on and rub the handle part over their hip (not clipping) because i've found they accept it more on there hip. Then rub it back and forth on their back and up the neck to the halter line and then go from the throatlatch to the tail and rub back and forth back and forth back and forth. Then do that on the other side in the same spot. Then i rub them under the horses neck back in between the infront of there legs. Then i go back to rubbing from the throatlatch to the tail back and forth back and forth. Then clippers go off and they get a treat/pat. Then clippers go back on, let them smell the clippers and i start desentizing under the belly. After that is over, clippers go off and another patt and treat for being good. I then do legs, turn the clippers on and let them smell them and start in the back first and rub on the hip in circles and go down toward the foot, go up and down up and down the outside of the leg and then go back to the hip and go down and start rubbing in circles inside the leg. I do this for all 4 legs and then go back over the whole body.
Of course, dont forget the head. Rub the clippers under the muzzle, over the face and above the eyes, between the eyes and around the forelock. If you want take off the whiskers on the muzzle at this time so they can get a small taist of what is happening. Then the ears, prob the hardest spot for most horses. Make sure you can rub the ears with your fingers with little fight from the horse, or beter NO fight from the horse. Rub the base of the ear, then the outside and then the tip and move inside the ears. After you can do this, rub the ear with your fingers with the clippers NEAR the ear, not touching. Then do so with the clippers.
If the horse fights or moves away move the clippers with the horse dont pull them away because what your teaching the horse is, when he/she moves and acts badly they are going to get rewarded by the clippers being removed and eventually the horse starts to link it in their head 'If i move away, the clippers go by by'. If the horse moves continue with the clippers, when the horse stops let the clippers run 2-3 seconds longer and then reward the horse for stopping and standing. Just how i do it ...may work for you to
Good luck
T
Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too
Guest
In order for your horse to have the best first experience, make sure you start with the right equipment. Nothing creates a hard-to-clip horse faster than hot blades or clippers not strong enough to do the job. Use clippers made for a horse's coat and preferably one that has detachable blades so you can change them out as they become hot. I usually use my big clipmasters to get the majority of coat off quickly and finish up with the Double Ks.
I learned a very neat trick right on this forum for quickly cooling hot blades and that it to get a piece of steel at least as big as the blades to put them on between changes. It dissapates the heat in a fraction of the time and makes the job a lot quicker. Use lots of cool lube or the like made for clippers frequently. You can tell when you have used enough as the blades sound in pitch will change because they are running freer again. I don't like WD40 as I find it gums things up on the blades while you are clipping.
A clean coat makes the job much easier so if you can, bathe first. At the least you could throughly groom and use some showsheen if the weather doesn't permit that day. It enables the blades to cut much easier and keep the heat factor way down. I have clipped dirty on many occasions but the dirt dulls the blades quickly and I only use the blades that are on their last sharpening anyway.
I don't tie any horse the very first time I introduce them to the noise. I just hold the lead and stand as far back as possible. I introduce and retreat slowly, eventually making large circles on both sides of the horse. I start with the right side because that is the side that is usually ignored It is especially important to have the clippers as high over their heads as you can. That is when many will get anxious and needs to be addressed until calm and licking their lips again. This takes in all maybe 5 minutes or until the horse thinks it's not a big deal. Most I've found lose interest in it within a minute or so.
Then with the clippers in hand I hold them them with my hand buffering it and place them on the neck and shoulder so they can get used to the sensation without being directly touched. Then down the leg and back up over the back, under the barrel, to the hip and down the back legs. I do the other side as well and then come back to the whatever side I began.
I prefer to start clipping at the shoulder, it's all a matter of personal preference and there is no wrong place to start but I have found that with new horses they seem to accept the shoulder area and neck the best. I clip up the neck to the jowels and save the area by the mane until they are very comfortable with the process. I save all the touchy areas like tummy, face and legs for later, concentrate on the body and check my blades constantly. If they are the least bit hot I pop them off and put them on the steel to cool and change to another set. It helps to have a second person who can pull the front leg forward so you can get the hairy armpits. :bgrin Mine are so well versed to the routine I just put a mounting block in front of them an tell them to get up. They happily will stand there for as long as I want them but Blue has a tendency to want to climb to the top if I leave him alone on it.
You don't have to clip the entire horse in on fell swoop and can do it in increments. When I clip for others I don't have time to do this but I do give them breaks whether they need it or not. Clipping is one of my favorite things and there is nothing quite like the instant gratification of seeing your wooly mammoth turn into a gazelle.
I learned a very neat trick right on this forum for quickly cooling hot blades and that it to get a piece of steel at least as big as the blades to put them on between changes. It dissapates the heat in a fraction of the time and makes the job a lot quicker. Use lots of cool lube or the like made for clippers frequently. You can tell when you have used enough as the blades sound in pitch will change because they are running freer again. I don't like WD40 as I find it gums things up on the blades while you are clipping.
A clean coat makes the job much easier so if you can, bathe first. At the least you could throughly groom and use some showsheen if the weather doesn't permit that day. It enables the blades to cut much easier and keep the heat factor way down. I have clipped dirty on many occasions but the dirt dulls the blades quickly and I only use the blades that are on their last sharpening anyway.
I don't tie any horse the very first time I introduce them to the noise. I just hold the lead and stand as far back as possible. I introduce and retreat slowly, eventually making large circles on both sides of the horse. I start with the right side because that is the side that is usually ignored It is especially important to have the clippers as high over their heads as you can. That is when many will get anxious and needs to be addressed until calm and licking their lips again. This takes in all maybe 5 minutes or until the horse thinks it's not a big deal. Most I've found lose interest in it within a minute or so.
Then with the clippers in hand I hold them them with my hand buffering it and place them on the neck and shoulder so they can get used to the sensation without being directly touched. Then down the leg and back up over the back, under the barrel, to the hip and down the back legs. I do the other side as well and then come back to the whatever side I began.
I prefer to start clipping at the shoulder, it's all a matter of personal preference and there is no wrong place to start but I have found that with new horses they seem to accept the shoulder area and neck the best. I clip up the neck to the jowels and save the area by the mane until they are very comfortable with the process. I save all the touchy areas like tummy, face and legs for later, concentrate on the body and check my blades constantly. If they are the least bit hot I pop them off and put them on the steel to cool and change to another set. It helps to have a second person who can pull the front leg forward so you can get the hairy armpits. :bgrin Mine are so well versed to the routine I just put a mounting block in front of them an tell them to get up. They happily will stand there for as long as I want them but Blue has a tendency to want to climb to the top if I leave him alone on it.
You don't have to clip the entire horse in on fell swoop and can do it in increments. When I clip for others I don't have time to do this but I do give them breaks whether they need it or not. Clipping is one of my favorite things and there is nothing quite like the instant gratification of seeing your wooly mammoth turn into a gazelle.
Deaming of Minis
Well-Known Member
Thanks Everyone!
: :bgrin
