Horse Clippers

From: Horse Care | Clippers And Clipping

Horse Clippers
Used for removing hair from the body, legs and mane of the horse.

Types Of Clippers

Battery Powered Clippers and Trimmers
- Battery powered clippers and Trimmers - These are small and often light in design they are also much quieter than traditional electric clippers and are therefore an ideal piece of equipment for horses who are young and new to clipping or for those who are sensitive to the sound of noisy clippers. They can be used all over the horse and are especially useful for sensitive and challenging areas like head, ears, underbelly, inner thigh around the tail.
- They are either powered by batteries which are inserted into the back of the clippers or powered by a battery pack which the person clipping wears around their waist. This ensures that there are no clipper cables on the floor which is a very safe option for horses prone to fidgeting.
Traditional Electric Clippers
- Traditional electric clippers - These all vary in size, noise, weight and watt power, the main thing is to ensure that they feel comfortable to hold and manoeuvre. They are electrically powered and you will need to have an extension cable and circuit breaker in which to plug them, so that you have a good length of cable at your disposal. With traditional clippers you have to always be aware of where the clippers cable is, so that the horse does not tread on it and you don't trip over it.

Care Of Your Clippers

Send off yearly to be serviced by professionals, this will ensure that you have safe and efficient equipment.
Send the blades off yearly to be re sharpened, to help you to get a smooth end result.
During clipping, stop regularly to check the heat of the blades and clippers. Brush out the vent to assist the motor to stay cool. Brush out any hair that gets clogged up in the blades or in the motorized part.
Oil the blades before, during and after clipping as this will help them keep their condition and keeps them ready for use.

Clippers Construction

Handle - On the handle you will find the On and Off switch. Each manufacturer will have slight differences in the size and shape of the handle so you just need to find one that suits you. If the clippers are battery powered then on the underside of the handle you will find a compartment in which to fit your batteries, if they are powered by a battery pack then there will be a hole in which to fit your cable to attach to the battery pack itself.
Vent - This enables the clippers to have cold air run through them in order to keep them from heating up too rapidly. This vent can be found on the handle and should be kept clear from being clogged up with loose hair.
Blades - With traditional clippers you will have two blades which are inserted into the clipper engine, these blades are placed one on top of the other with the smaller blade underneath and the larger blade on top with the flat surface which will travel across the horses coat uppermost, they are held together by the motorized part of the clipper and the tightness is controlled by a pin which goes through both blades and secures to a coiled spring. The blades work when the clippers are activated and the blades cut the hair with a scissor action. The blades should be kept regularly sharpened by sending them off each year or as necessary to a specialist by doing this you will end up with a sleek and smooth finish.
Safety - During clipping always check the blades for heat, if they are too hot to comfortably hold in your hand then they are definitely too hot to put on the horse, wait until they have completely cooled before starting again. Blades come in different widths to suit different types of horse the fine blades are for thoroughbreds and the wider blades are for the more hairy varieties.
Battery operated clippers or trimmers usually come with one blade which clips into the device, these blades will require brushing through to prevent clogging and again always check for over heating.