How to Clip Your Horse's Ears Naturally

The hair inside your horse's ears are important for its health.

The hair inside your horse's ears serves an important function: Keeping out insects, dirt, debris and water and lessening irritation from blowing wind. However, the hairs can grow too long and protrude outside the ear. Clipping those hairs can give your horse a neater appearance.

Things You'll Need

• Soft cloth
• Clippers
• Step Stool
• Petroleum jelly or baby oil

Instructions

1. Wipe out your horse's ears with a soft cloth. Gently wipe the inside of the ear from the bottom upward, so any debris that is in there is swept out. This will also brush the longer hairs out of the ear so you can access them with the clippers.

2. Stand on a sturdy stool with your clippers so you are level with your horse's head. Let the horse be comfortable with you at that level. Turn on the clippers.

3. Squeeze your horse's ear together like a taco. The hairs that need to be clipped will now protrude along the outer edges of the two sides of the ear. Run your clippers softly against the two edges until you have removed all of the hairs. Repeat on the other ear.

4. Rub a light layer of petroleum jelly or baby oil on the hairs inside the ear. This will trap any gnats or mites that try to enter the ear, and groom the ears for showing.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with a clean and well oiled blade on your clipper. A small, pocket-sized clipper will do the job well.

• If your horse is new to ear clipping, work with it before trying this. If you compete in events that require thorough clipping of the inside hairs, protect your horse's ears with an ear net or fly mask with ear pockets at all times.

References

• Horse Wellness: Natural Horse Grooming Guidelines

Resources

• Cherry Hill's Horsekeeping: Horse Training and Grooming -- Clipping Ears