How to Clip a Horse for a Show

Getting your horse prepared for a show takes a lot of time. From riding, training and exercising to grooming, feeding and cleaning, it often takes days or weeks to fully prepare for a show. To get your horse looking his best, clip him to define his shape and lines. Here's how to do it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clippers
• Grooming halter

1. Wash your horse, and allow him to dry before clipping. Dirty or wet hair is harder to cut and can dull the clipper blades quickly. Clean your horse with horse shampoo, and use a water scraper to remove excess water from his coat. You can use a towel to dry him faster.
2. Put a grooming halter on your horse. A grooming halter allows you better access to his face and under the chin than a regular halter. Tie him securely so you can work around him without having to hold him still.
3. Comb and brush your horse's mane and tail. Remove all tangles and knots. A detangling product can make this much easier. Brush your clean, dry horse with a soft body brush to put the hair back in place from the bath.
4. Start at the nose of your horse and work back with the clippers. Clip all of the whiskers on his nose, chin and throat. Clip the whiskers around his eyes, being careful to leave his eyelashes.
5. Squeeze the tips of your horse's ears together gently until the ear is closed. Clip or trim the hair that sticks out from the ears. Once you let go of the ear you can see that the ear is more defined, but still has plenty of hair inside to protect the horse's ear.
6. Trim the hair on the backside of your horse's legs. The feather hair on the backs of his ankles can get long and trimming this hair defines the legs. Use scissors pointing toward the ground and cut along the leg, or use clippers on a longer setting. Cutting too closely to the skin can make the trimmed area stand out.