Clipping A Young Horse For The First Time
Case Study : Rio – Warmblood
Tips for clipping a young horse for the first time
In this blog I am going to share with you some key points when clipping a horse for the first time. We are also going to look at a good clip choice for sensitive horses that is both practical, but not over bearing for their first time.
In the photo above we have the wonderful ‘Rio’ a warmblood mare who was booked in for her first clip recently. Rio’s owner was hoping for an irish clip and we were able to achieve this, however we had some things to consider along the way.
Establishing a connection before starting to clip your horse
The first key thing to do when clipping a young horse for the first time and indeed any horse, is to take time to establish a connection with the horse and give them time to get ‘comfortable’ and show signs of being ready, before we reach for the clippers. You can learn more about introducing yourself to the horse before starting to clip here.
When it comes to the young horse and his or her first clip, a key thing is to remain open minded and work at the horses pace to avoid pushing the horse to far and potentially creating long term issues when it comes to clipping. It doesnt take much to unsettle a horse when clipping and some breeds are more sensitive than others.
Adapting the clip to suit the horses needs
If you look at the image, above you can see that Rio is wearing an ‘Irish clip’ and that I have scooped the clip a few inches short of her stifle area – this was a very deliberate act. I was following Rio’s lead at the time and listening to her subtle cues. Rio was happy for me to clip, but at points along the way when she was unsure and not happy about it, her tail would swish (first warning sign) and her weight shift off her near side hind leg in anticipation of having to use it to fend me off! For this reason I listened to her concerns and brought the point of clip forward as not to antagonise her by going any closer to her sensitive stifle area.
Keeping safe whilst clipping the young or nervous horse
It is our job as a clipper to offer the horse a chance to meet us in the middle so to speak, and offer a safe space for the clip to take place. Making the decision to adapt the clip is critical. If I proceeded to push her past her comfort and confidence, I am setting myself up for potentially getting hurt by her kicking out in self defence but also I am risking breaking her trust and confidence by ignoring her warning signs. The horse is always communicating with us about how they feel and it our job to listen and learn how to spot the signs.
Building trust for future successful horse clipping
A good experience builds trust and it’s more than likely that the next clip we will be able to achieve a larger clip or potentially even a full clip. Rushing to take all the body off at once is a recipe for disaster and unfair on the young horse. Finishing a clip on a positive note leaves a great impression with the horse and sets us up for success when it is time for their next clip.
Above is a short video of Rio happily chomping on her hay after I have finished clipping her (but before her post clip warm sponge down). As you can see she is happy to eat and possilbly curious as to why I have stopped paying her attention , which is a wonderful outcome for her first clip.
As always, take great care with clipping horses and take care to listen to the horse at all times – more often than not they will always communicate their needs to you.
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