body clipping a horse?

If your horse does not shed the hair well you should check if he has cushings syndrome. A symptom of that is a long furry coat that does not shed. It is a metabolic disease.

I would also check if the diet is balanced. Copper deficiencies for example can cause coat changes.

You can also look here for info on clipping horses: http://www.holistic-hoof-and-horsecare.com/clippin...

A #10 is actually a very short blade. In dog grooming, it is actually rarely used because it is so short you can cut the skin of the dogs if you aren't careful (horses have tighter skin, so it is less of a risk). During the summer time, you want to use a longer blade (like a #7) so the horse has more protection against the sun, and if you completely body clip you will need to use a fly sheet on your horse to keep her from sunburning. Most clippers come standard with a #10, and you would need to order a #7 blade if you went with the longer trim. A #10 and #15 work well to clip the horse's face for shows (#15 on muzzle, #10 to blend).

When you body clip, the key to everything turning out well is patience, a very clean horse, and good blades. If your horse is used to getting clipped, then that helps too. Don't work any faster than your clippers, but let them float and you will use them against the grain of the hair. You will also learn really quickly that the elbow area is awful to do, but it helps to use a helper to pick the leg up and stretch it forward, or if you have smaller clippers to do the area by stretching the skin yourself.

People are willing to pay someone else to body clip because it saves them a lot of time and stress, and the professional clipper has a great deal of experience and time and good clippers for the job. I'm not surprised that a mini would be $150, seeing as a show horse starts at $350 for a partial clip.

Funny that this question has come up, because I'm body clipping my mare this weekend because we have a show in January. Obviously the first answerer doesn't understand the "show world" or just the fact that for avid riders who want to be able to ride throughout the winter, it is beyond stupid not to clip because you ride, have a sweaty horse and either have to put them away sweaty or hose them and then wait three hours while they dry to put on a blanket anyway. Anyway... Okay, first you want to make sure that your equiptment is in good working condition, sharp blades, oiled, etc. Having some "cool lube" around is good as well, though not as necessary if you're just clipping whiskers and bridle path. Next, pick a day at your barn where it isn't "busy"...the less commotion going on the better. Choose a nice, clean area that is in full sunlight, this will help you see the track marks better. Make sure you start with a very clean, groomed horse (I usually bath the day before and blanket that night so that she is clean when I start, because dirt will dull blades terribly). Keep your hands steady and straight and use long strokes against the grain of the hair instead of short ones to keep the track marks down. Start from the back of the horse and move to the front. I usually do one side and then give the horse a little break back in her stall to get a drink, pee, and just rest from the stress, and then i finish the other side. I use the big clippers for the body (Andis Progress) and then smaller clippers for the legs and face (Oster A-5's). Now, my mare is perfect about her body being clipped, but when it comes to her ears, forget it (and she's a show horse that has been clipped all her life). So, i talked with my vet and we both agreed that rather than fight with her, use a twitch, etc., it's best to use a little Dormosadan to tranquilize her a little bit. They sell it in a tube now that you can get from your vet, and it works VERY well and is a nice light tranquilizer that just makes things a lot more simple and safe for the top of the head and the ears. Make sure to check your blades for heat periodically and stop to let them cool down if necessary. Don't worry too much about track marks...they will grow out! Remember, if you want a body clip to look perfect "wait two weeks after doing it, or stand 20 feet away"--a groom told me that once! Good luck. :)

I have seen people use blades from twenty to forty depending on what you want to do with the horse. I recomend going with the twenty and spot clipping her if she is a pleasure horse. I have seen some disasters and some masterpeices so, be careful and take your time. Also, if you begin to feel unconfortable using a twenty blade you can always switch back to a ten and go over the spots that need shaving multiple times.

Shaving is easy the bigger blades gets it done faster and easier, the smaller blades will take longer and harder. You can use a curry comb to help get most of the hair out, my horse is still shedding a lot.

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-health/horse-sho...