Classic clippings Q's

[Leeana]

I asked about shetland clipping a while back maybe last winter (?), but now i have a couple other questions. When you do full body clips on your classics/foundations ..do you do the V at the tailset? Do you do the V's any different then the miniatures. Last year i got through all season with not doing full body clips on the shetland on my show string, congress is right around the corner and im trying to get plans in order.

Now, i cannot tell you how much i would HATE to clip this horse. But i know at the same time he is hairy and there is no way i can blend, his color is so rich and bright (he was named Salsa for a reason), any area's i clip (last year i clipped his head/legs and blended, spent hours ..prob 2x longer then any full body clip just blending and it still looked soooo silly, just such a HUGE difference between the clipped area and the non clipped area. Is anyone not doing a FULL BODY clip in their shetlands? I know in the back of my head that i am going to have to full body clip him though.

From what i have seen here in Area II the amount of people who body clip and the amount of people who just detail clip are about 50/50. I'm guessing most people full body clip for congress though. When are you guys clipping for congress?

Here is a picture the horse i am talking about Royal Salsa

 

[txminipinto]

Leeana,

I body clip before any MAJOR show, Congress included. I just think they present better clipped. I do the body in a 10 and then sculpt the face with a 10, 15, 30, and 40. Sorry, I know not what you wanted to hear but if you want to put your best foot forward....CLIP. I'm catching handling 2 horses that I'm hauling up to Congress and I've asked their owners to clip 2 weeks before the show so their color comes back in.

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As far as the V, I do make a V but a very small one just above the tail head.

 

[Jill]

Leeana --

I think some people have shown shetlands at that level, without a clip. Maybe the person I'm thinking of will see this and confirm / share pictures. The horse I'm thinking of is a very shiny black one.

However, realizing I'm a mini person not a shetland person, I still would advice to clip Royal. Those sabino roan hairs in his body will make his "natural" coat look a little rough, in my opinion (not saying a bad look, but not show ring sleak). Due to his color if nothing else, I think clipping is a must-do.

Plus, if you're like me and in the back of your mind, you think you should be just don't want to because it's a PITA (and I can relate, trust me), you do not want to spend a year wondering if you'd have clipped him, would you have done better at such a big show. Just not worth all those potential "Oh, I wish I had" thoughts.

Good luck,

Jill

 

[Leeana]

See, thats my problem. I know i am going to do a full clip on him at this point, and i was hoping to do it about 2wks before congress but those little hairs come in by then that make it look like a cloud around the horse. One option that has been on my mind is body clipping about 12 days before and then going back and detailing.

I guess i am just curious what everyone is doing as far as clipping for Congress bc i want some idea's. I know i will body clip him, just not sure when.

Jill i know this 'shiny black' horse you are talking about, i believe Jesse James will be their this year too

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[txminipinto]

If those "pig" hairs come in that fast, clip him a week before and keep him blanketed. I have several BLACK horses on the show string, and I clip them 2 weeks out as well. Good nutrition and a great color shampoo keep them shiney!

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I should mention that I bathe all of my horses in their respective color shampoos immediately after clipping and at the shows. I love the Quick brand of color shampoos (Silver, Color, and Black).

 

[Jill]

Again, I don't know how different shetlands are, but I body clip NO MORE than one week prior to a show. Grey (white) coats, like 3 days before... silver dapple ONE day before. So, the good news may be you could procrastinate more (that is if you're like me and have taken procrastination to an art form).

And, yeah, that would be the shiny black beauty I had in mind and yeah, I think he will be present and accounted for at the Congress.

 

[kaykay]

all depends on the horse. patches was never body clipped and did great. jet is being clipped as he is still getting a thicker coat in. But he will be clipped in advance of the show especially since hes showing foundation

if hes getting pig hairs its probably because he hasnt been clipped very often. usually by the 3rd clipping the pig hair stops. I would clip now and clip again before congress and you should be without pig hair (if hes been clipped this year) Then at congress i just clean up the head and legs if needed. But you definiately want him to get that beautiful color back.

Is he showing foundation? keep in mind that this is what the rule book says about showing a foundation pony:

The Foundation should be shown in as natural a state as possible but clean and neatly turned out

 

[Leeana]

See kay, that line from the rulebook is what actually got me thinking about this. There are just so many ways i can go about clipping and possabilitys.

I think i will clip about 12 days before congress and then go back and detail legs/head before we leave for congress. I will just keep him blanketed and will pick up some Quicksilver Red shampoo. Okay, thats the plan and im sticking to it!

Kay, that is something new. Thanks for sharing that little fact with me about the pig hairs, next year that is something i will keep in mind. Thanks everyone

 

[alphahorses]

That may be what the rulebook says, but when you get to Congress I can guarantee your top ponies at least will all be body clipped, even in Foundation. Take a look at the photos in the Journal (e.g. the back cover of the latest journal) and on people's websites.

I would follow the advise above and body clip him now, then again no more than a week before his last halter class at Congress, then redo bridle path, head, ears, lower legs, and any white markings again a day or so before your class.

I do the "V" but don't leave it hairy like I've seen on some horses. After you clip around the V against the "grain", clip over the "V" with the hair and it will give it a nicer and cleaner look. The idea is not to see a "V" - it is to make the tail look like it is set on higher - so you don't want it to stand out.

Good luck - and have a lot of fun!!!!

 

[Karen S]

Good Morning All,

I wanted to comment on the "V".....

First, pony people don't put a "V" on the Shetlands. I just want you all to stop a think a bit....Why do you see the "V" on the Miniature horses?.....It was started to "Hide" bad tail sets. Shetlands don't have bad tail or low tail sets. The "V" gives an illusion of a higher tail when in reality the horse's tail doesn't come straight out of it's back. To the pony people this is a dead give away to those that are crossing over from Miniatures. Same goes with balding or shaving of the ponies. You don't do it. Traditions are steep in the pony world, so if this is your first year attending Congress, stop and visit the old farms that are there and watch and learn.

Clipping is up to the individual and horses. I show in summer coats all season at the shows we attend. Since I live in Texas all of my show horses have beautiful slick coats. Have a bad time running a clipper blade through them due to the shortness of their coats. I will clip the one I'm taking as she is a silver dapple. Right now she looks chocolate, but I want her true color to show. If you live in the northern part of the country, your horses will start growing their winter coats by the time Congress gets here. If you really want to compete and do well you need to body clip. I do know of some that don't only because they compete in the performance division and not halter. If you do both halter and performance I would suggest you body clip. Depending on your horse's color as to how far out you body clip. If you clip in a 10 or 15 you will clip off most of the horse's color, so for those of you that like color you need to clip at least ten days out and then blanket to keep the hair laying down. Like Carin said wash them in a shampoo that is for their coat color.

Remember the Pot Luck Luncheon on Thursday. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Karen Shaw

Fiddlestix Miniatures & Shetlands

Burleson Texas

 

[kaykay]

cant wait to see you at the potluck karen!

I never ever put a V on my ponies and im so happy NOT to lol.

My comment about the rule book I didnt mean never clip but I would not razor a pony and especially a foundation pony. I really hated at the last show i attended there were foundation ponies there razored and I for one just dont want to see it infiltrate the ponies. I keep hoping the pony breeders will keep this out of the pony circuit.

I know the pony breeders i have talked to that have done this literally for decades say they just wont have it in the ponies and im so hoping it sticks.

 

[Belinda]

Good Morning All,

I wanted to comment on the "V".....

First, pony people don't put a "V" on the Shetlands. I just want you all to stop a think a bit....Why do you see the "V" on the Miniature horses?.....It was started to "Hide" bad tail sets. Shetlands don't have bad tail or low tail sets. The "V" gives an illusion of a higher tail when in reality the horse's tail doesn't come straight out of it's back. To the pony people this is a dead give away to those that are crossing over from Miniatures. Karen Shaw

Fiddlestix Miniatures & Shetlands

Burleson Texas

Karen,

It does not always mean that !!

: As I started with Shetlands, and I always put a V as I can not stand it when someone clips the horse and goes straight across the tail,, Talk about looking like PIN the TAIL on the ??..

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I think it is personal thing, if you like it do it if not don't ,, I always put a V and guess it has been ok as the horses seem to hold their own in the show ring..

Next we do have a lot of people as you call it crossing over, and that is a GOOD THING !! So they don't need to worry about it putting a label on them , it is ok to show both Minis and Shetlands.. I am so glad to see so many people enjoying the ponies and wanting to add them to their herd..

In answer to the question , I always clip for Congress about 7 -10 days out even my Foundations !!

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I just now have a foundation stallion and wont be showing him as a pony until next year... so I am not talking from much knowledge but even on my minis while there is a SMALL v to blend the tail head I clip my minis and will do my pony like I did my big horses (hunter/jumpers) I cant stand a big hairy patch that goes to the middle of the back that is just silly but do like a small (like1-2 in) V to blend

 

[Leeana]

This is what i was worried about, i knew i would get mixed answers lol. So it looks like we are about 50/50 on the "v" topic lol. I will go ahead and do a small one and then run the clippers back over it in the opposite direction with a larger blade. Thats actually sounds like a good idea. I will do a tiny small V. My first body clip that i did with a yearling i had last year, i didnt do the V and it looked horrible, i dont think i can do that to another horse lol.

Before i got and screw it up though, would anyone be able to snap a picture of one of their shetlands butts to show me what their V looks like and how noticable it is?

Karen, since you dont do a V ...how do you clip around the top of the tail then? Straight across or ..?

You guys are great, so many different perspective

 

[Karen S]

Hi Leeana,

No I don't cut straight across the top of my horses tail. It's a nice blended cut. Does't look like the tail was pinned on. I have seen some of those too! It takes lots of practice body clipping and a steady hand.

Karen

 

[JeanH]

Leeana,

My family has shown Shetland's and Hackney's since the late 1960's - even traveled from Oregon to show at the Congress when it was held at the Ohio State Fair. And yes, we always did a full body clip before a show, and we ALWAYS "v'd" the tail. Not halfway up the back that you see on some of the miniatures, but just enough that the tail head blends in with the body and lays down nicely. Probably, safe to say, no more than an inch.

As Belinda said, my family also showed shetlands many years before getting into miniatures , and we haven't done too bad either clippinmg this way. . .

Jean

 

[Erica]

Sorry, I've been extermely busy and not much if any computer time......

here is the horse Jill mentioned. Pictured last year as a two year old and was NOT clipped (other than just details) all year at all......

details were ears, under jaw, fetlocks and few scragglers around his parts with a 10, muzzle area with 30.

He had a great year last year, with 10+ Grands in just 4 shows and ending with 2 Congress Champions, a Congress Jr. Grand Champion and Congress Overall Reserve Champion.

WallStreet Jesse James (ASPC)

now also (AMHR) Erica's Jesse James of WallStreet