What You Need to Know When Clipping Your Horse

3 min read

Clipping horses that are ridden through winter is extremely beneficial because it allows the horses body heat to escape which can reduce the amount of sweat a horse produces. If not clipped, it can also be really hard to make sure your horse is properly cooled down after a ride and not wet from sweat. Leaving a damp horse in cold conditions can increase the chance of them catching colds and other serious health conditions.

Pre-clipping you should ensure your horse is clean with as little dirt as possible in their coat. By doing this you’re not only going to be reducing the amount of dirt that will get stuck in the clippers (which makes them go blunt a lot faster), but it helps leave a smooth finish and reduce clipping lines. We recommend you give your horse a bath the day before with shampoo and conditioner and allow plenty of time for them to dry, as clippers need dry hair for the best results! The shampoo and conditioner we prefer for this task is Equiwash Botanicals. Its formula provides additional benefits to the coat by replenishing the oils removed during washing, leaving it conditioned and radiant.

Next you want to make sure you have suitable rugs to keep your horse comfortable post clipping. Consider it this way, you’re taking off a layer of hair, so you should replace that with another layer. This may be in the form of a warmer turnout rug or liner. Our WeatherBeeta Liners are perfect for this if you have a liner-compatible rug. There’s no need to buy a whole new turnout rug, you can simply attach a 200g liner or 100g liner which will keep your horse snuggly and warm. This way you can also easily remove the liner on mild days so that your horse doesn’t overheat.

If your horse hasn’t been clipped before, or you know they don’t love the experience, it’s important to have someone there that can help you. Having a calming handler holding your horse will make it a pleasant experience for you and your horse. Try not to rush the experience and remember that one good experience is likely to become 10 better ones in the future. 

Next, make sure you have a suitable power source and the right equipment. An extension cord often comes in handy if you have corded clippers or need to charge your battery-operated clippers. Our current favourites for clipping your horse are the Wahl Pro Series Km-2 Clipper, Heiniger Bravura Lithium Clipper With Adjustable 5 In 1 Blade, Heiniger Saphirstyle Cordless Battery Clipper, Heiniger Xplorer Cordless Large Animal Clipper and Heiniger Opal A5 2 Speed Clipper. Having the right clippers can make the experience so much quicker, and the reason we like the highlighted models is that you can change the blades to suit your needs. Having bigger blades can speed up the process as you can take more hair off at once. You can view the range of clipper blades here. You’ll also need some clipper oil and clipper spray (coolant) to help get the best-looking clip possible. Clipper oil helps the clipper glide through the hair smoothly and it’s a good idea to stop every now and then and brush the hair out of the clipping blades. Coolant keeps your blades cool, clean and comfortable whilst reducing friction and also provides an easy glide allowing for ultimate precision and a comfortable cut.

After you’ve finished clipping, it’s a good idea to give your horse a bath to remove any spikey bits of hair, oil and spray residue. You can use the same Equiwash Botanical shampoo and conditioner mentioned earlier for this, and we also recommend using the Kincade Quick Wash Hose Attachment. You can not only add shampoo to this attachment which then dispenses it evenly over the coat, but this attachment has multiple settings and using one of the stronger settings will help remove the pesky little hairs which can be itchy if they’re rubbing against the skin.

Remember, now you’ve removed the layer of hair that your horse shouldn’t be left standing around without rugs on in cold conditions. Getting a fleece cooler to keep them warm pre and post-riding will keep them comfortable and reduce the chance of them catching a chill. 

When it comes to rugging every horse is different so you should check your horse regularly and make sure they’re not sweating or too cold.

At Horseland we’re here to help care for your horse’s wellbeing. We offer all the essentials to keep your horse healthy and happy, from shampoo and conditioners, to brushes and combs and all your favourite clippers and accessories. Head into your local Horseland store or browse our range of grooming products online.