# Clipping minis?



## Carly Rae (Aug 21, 2015)

Hi,

So, Last year for my birthday I got a good set of 'WAHL' horse clippers and stencils. I was just wondering when is the best time to clip them? and how much fur should you leave on them? If anyone has any tips for me and when I should clip them I would really appreciate it. Also if anyone has found any helpful youtube videos on clipping minis that would be great!

Thanks


----------



## Lepeppylass (Aug 22, 2015)

I'm no expert, but I have body shaved big horses plenty, I just reviewed videos of body clipping online and adapted those tips/techniques to shaving down my mini. I don't show yet so I leave mine in full winter woolies until the overnight lows stay above 45 degrees in the spring. Then I shave them down with a 10 blade against the grain in long smooth strokes. If I don't have any big plans for showing I leave their legs fluffy to help keep their little joints/legs warm. I have never used a stencil, not sure how those would go! My best advice is that hair will grow back, and we all get better the more we practice!


----------



## Carly Rae (Aug 22, 2015)

I have used stencils may times on my minis but I have only done a few full body clippings before so I just wanted to know




Thanks


----------



## Rocklone Miniature Horses (Aug 22, 2015)

Unless you are showing you don't need to clip them at all. I wouldn't do it just for fun.


----------



## Carly Rae (Aug 22, 2015)

At my place we are getting 13 degree Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) nights and 20 degree Celsius days (68 degrees Fahrenheit) Do you think I should wait a while longer or should it be fine? Toby and Kevin wwaer light coats everyday and I have 2 winter rugs for Willow and Snickas too.


----------



## Carly Rae (Aug 22, 2015)

And I am not planning on showing and I am not planning on clipping them soon (maybe 4 weeks or more) My mare Willow takes forever to lose her coat and she has been sweating during the day in the paddocks, and it doesn't seem comfortable. And as long as its not cold (we are nearly in spring) I cant see the harm in clipping them, I have done it last year with no issues at all.


----------



## paintponylvr (Aug 22, 2015)

Does Willow always sweat at just 68*F? That' a low temp, not too warm or hot at all - usually. I think you might want to be concerned about her health? Or maybe minis are truly different in AU?

That's a temp we are just thinking about hosing off a horse. I have body clipped at that temp - when we were showing. And then yes, they were blanketed when outside and a light sheet while stalled.

I wait until much warmer before doing any others and have done quite a number over the years - especially the first 3 years our MT/MN ponies were in NC. They were were close to suffering heatstroke just 2 weeks after we arrived here in April... But we went from being caught in a blizzard with a windchill of -70* F to 110*F (heat index I think, not sure what the actual temp was) in 12 days when we moved from MT to NC. I didn't have clippers that first year and had to have 6 head professionally clipped (along with our dog!).

What you might consider is "trace clipping". That removes hair over the large muscle areas but leaves it on the legs, head and over the top of the body. There are different "levels" of trace clipping.




Wow - there are some new photos posted of different clip jobs in google - this one is FABULOUS!




And here are some of the clip jobs we've done while working ponies thru the winter months here in NC. Except in the worst weather, this allowed them to be outside w/ little to no blanketing and then we'd body clip the following spring (or groom them to remove hair).











In February, after doing initial clip in October the year before.






Hadn't finished his trace clip yet - not sure we ever did - no further photos of AJ that winter... (black tobi). Bit, next to him, has been fully trace clipped. Think we trace clipped 5 ponies on my place plus girl friends' 2...


----------



## paintponylvr (Aug 22, 2015)

We trace clipped MANY of our riding horses and ponies when we were doing a lot of riding (long before I had this many purebred shetlands) and had limited time/daylight hours due to school.

If you need to see more pics - we were far from perfect at this!! LOL


----------



## Carly Rae (Aug 23, 2015)

Thanks!

The photos helped a lot, I think I might do that clip in a few weeks, maybe sooner on my Mare. The reason she sweats is she gets a REALLY thick coat in winter and just walking around must make her sweaty and she LOVES to be hosed down around mid day when its really hot, normally when I try to bath her she will try to do anything to get away, but when shes hot you can just hose her for ages.

We took her on a 2 and a half hour walk with Toby yesterday and it was really nice, got heaps of pats and cuddles from little kids and we got hot chips for my friend and I for lunch and the ponies just wanted to eat them on us! We were looking at something and then Willow had her nose right in our chip box trying to get a chip, so we got out their treats so they could have something too (including the grass).

But It was so nice we went up on a really high hill and looked out over all the crop fields and got some photos, great fun, then we decided we should go home and we were all tired, Willow got a hose down (Toby was not going to stand for me at all so I didn't wet him and he wasn't sweaty just a bit warm) and I hosed her for 10 minutes straight and she was nearly asleep! Must have felt nice with the water and a light 'massage'. Then we dried her off and put her away for the night.

But yeah, I think I might leave it a bit longer and then give her a 'Trace Clip'. Willow means the world to me and last time we got the dentist out for her (she had sharp teeth digging into her cheek and it was swelling up) we were told that because of her teeth she has about 5 years taken off her life. He said its because her teeth are not very good and they will start reducing her grass/food intake, That made me really upset but she is only 15(Like me) so hopefully we have a lot more years ahead of us together.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Aug 23, 2015)

I always like to clip my horses in the spring. Getting rid of that mat of hair helps me monitor their weight and also is beneficial for controlling any skin fungus or insects. Waiting for them to shed naturally is okay, but I do prefer to clip mine when the nights are at least 50 degrees. I have clipped earlier, as our prairie springs are unpredictable, but have a blanket for any cool nights.

I keep beards trimmed all year around, but do not shave off whiskers.

Clipping is good way to work with your horse. If you can't get it all done at one time, take a few days to do it. I think you need about three blades for a spring clip. When the blade gets hot, you can drop it in a jar of blade wash or mineral oil. Switch out the blades and their edge will last longer. I use #10 blade for general clipping.

So glad you got the dentist out for her!! I believe tooth care for horses is very important.


----------



## Rocklone Miniature Horses (Aug 23, 2015)

I keep forgetting you are in opposite land!

I always clip coming into spring too.


----------



## Carly Rae (Aug 23, 2015)

Marsha Cassada said:


> I always like to clip my horses in the spring. Getting rid of that mat of hair helps me monitor their weight and also is beneficial for controlling any skin fungus or insects. Waiting for them to shed naturally is okay, but I do prefer to clip mine when the nights are at least 50 degrees. I have clipped earlier, as our prairie springs are unpredictable, but have a blanket for any cool nights.
> 
> I keep beards trimmed all year around, but do not shave off whiskers.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I will wait a few weeks until I clip them, I don't want them getting cold or anything at night. For my colts I have a light rug for them and I don't think it keeps them warm, it also protects Toby's back in summer because he has pink skin on his back and it sunburns sometimes. Snickas' has a Really long beard, Ill trim that up when I clip them.

I only have 1 blade with my clippers so should I just give the clippers a break to cool down? How long should I leave them for?

Yeah me too! I noticed the side of her cheeks swelling and she didn't like me touching it, so we just waited to see if the swelling went down but it didn't so we called the dentist and he came and filed her teeth down because he said her teeth aren't straight and they were sharp and were digging into her cheeks causing swelling. Great thing was, the dentist went nice and steady and Willow was nice and calm, the swelling went down with in a few days and the dentist had a fair price and all was good



I keep a good eye on her teeth now just in case it ever happens again.


----------

