tricks of the mini clipping trade!?

[minihorsecwgrl]

Hehe guys!!!

I've been going to local shows for three years now and this year I am starting amha amhr shows!! Super excited but I want my clipping job to be close to top notch since I will b showing with top notch people!! Anybody have any tips!!?? Please don't be shy!! Secrets of legs and face? Special way to clip around eyes! Before show horse makeup? Please please please!!!

Thank you bunches!!!!!

 

[Danielleee]

Give a bath the day before it'll make it easy on the clippers. if you search brooke the clipper girl on facebook she has two dvds! one just for the face.

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

Make sure the horse is super clean. Two baths if it is the first clip of the season. Use lots of show sheen. Make sure blades are sharp.

 

[LindaL]

www.theclippergirl.com

 

[minimomNC]

I agree with Linda,

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

There are also lots of free clipping tutorial videos on YouTube.

 

[wingnut]

Despite these enablers making me order those DVDs, I'll share with you what I've learned so far. I am NOT an expert though.

• Buy the best clippers you can afford.
• Start with as clean a horse as possible. This will save your blades!
• Have multiple blades available. Swapping out blades as they get hot is sometimes necessary depending on the clippers you use. Depending on how many horses you're clipping, your blades will go dull. Nothing worse than trying to clip with dull blades.
• Unless your blades are brand new, have them sharpened at least two weeks ahead of when you hope to clip that first time. If you're sending them out, make sure you leave enough turn around time (i.e., don't procrastinate like I always do!)
• I do my first "big" clip two weeks before my first show. This allows me time to get the bulk of the hair off, take a break for a few days and then go back and refine as needed. This is especially needed with my silver bay. She clips out silver dapple but that's really not her color and she doesn't show as well. This allows her sorrel coat to come back in.
• I reclip the legs / head / bridle path one or two days before a show.
• Leave yourself PLENTY OF TIME to do the clipping. Learning how to clip takes time and patience, both for you and the horse. I've learned to bath in the morning or the day before, put them away in a clean stall for a few hours or overnight, and the go back to clip. It can be exhausting work. You start making mistakes when you're that tired. You start having little patience with the horse. The horse will pick right up on that.
• I cross tie my mares when I'm clipping.

That's all I can think of right now. My hubby just bought a sharpening stone and is going to sharpen mine going forward. I'm tickled pink about that! Otherwise, I usually have a 7 day turn around and that's if I get them to the shop on the right day when the man who does the sharpening picks up. If I miss that day, it's 2 weeks (he only comes once a week to pick up blades).

 

[Sandee]

If you are clipping more than one, which have to do, I like to clip bodies one day, then come back and do legs, another day, and if it's the first clip I might even wait and do the heads another day. That way I don't kill myself trying to do it all still once or run out of patience with a horse or the last horse. It also gives the horses a break from not having to Stand Still such a long time.

Rushing and lack of patience are the fastest way to get bad clips!