clipping minis leggs

[lucinda]

I have a 7 year old mare that doesn't like her legs clipped. I've tried a twitch, hobbles, calming supplement, and hold up a leg. She still kickes out when the clippers touch her legs. We can do her body and face but she wants no parts to the legs. What can we do to clip her legs with out getting kicked or her getting hurt. Thanks

Cindy

 

[Minimor]

Will she let you handle her legs otherwise--can you brush them, run your hand down them, rub her pasterns with your fingers, things like that?

I've got a gelding that is very twitchy about the clippers. Last year I scissor clipped his legs (I didn't body clip him--he was shown full coated so I didn't have to shave his legs, I just clipped the long hair off the backs of his legs/fetlocks/pasterns. It was a struggle to even do that with his front legs but the hind legs weren't too bad--further from the ears I think, & he couldn't hear the snips so well. It's the sound more than anything that bothers him.

For the second show last year I used the clippers on his hind legs--but I turned a radio on loud right beside him & it hid the sound of the clippers. Front legs still had to be scissor clipped.

This year I clipped his hind legs with clippers, no problem, no radio required--front legs still had to be scissor clipped but it was a lot easier to do that than it was last year. I'm hoping that next year I can use clippers on him!

Have you tried stuffing her ears with cotton? I've meant to try this on my guy but never remember to buy the cotton until I actually need it. I'm thinking that if I could plug his ears he wouldn't mind the clipper sound so much. (Please note--running the clippers around this fellow does no good. I can clip his head and bridle path no problem--the sound of the clippers bothers him only when the clippers are down in the vicinity of his legs. Goofy.

 

[lucinda]

Thanks I'll try a radio. Maybe music woud work. She will let us brush and touch her legs. The farrier had no problems. I think she doesn't like the vibration on her legs.

Will she let you handle her legs otherwise--can you brush them, run your hand down them, rub her pasterns with your fingers, things like that?

I've got a gelding that is very twitchy about the clippers. Last year I scissor clipped his legs (I didn't body clip him--he was shown full coated so I didn't have to shave his legs, I just clipped the long hair off the backs of his legs/fetlocks/pasterns. It was a struggle to even do that with his front legs but the hind legs weren't too bad--further from the ears I think, & he couldn't hear the snips so well. It's the sound more than anything that bothers him.

For the second show last year I used the clippers on his hind legs--but I turned a radio on loud right beside him & it hid the sound of the clippers. Front legs still had to be scissor clipped.

This year I clipped his hind legs with clippers, no problem, no radio required--front legs still had to be scissor clipped but it was a lot easier to do that than it was last year. I'm hoping that next year I can use clippers on him!

Have you tried stuffing her ears with cotton? I've meant to try this on my guy but never remember to buy the cotton until I actually need it. I'm thinking that if I could plug his ears he wouldn't mind the clipper sound so much. (Please note--running the clippers around this fellow does no good. I can clip his head and bridle path no problem--the sound of the clippers bothers him only when the clippers are down in the vicinity of his legs. Goofy.