Using a Clipper Guard or Clipper Combs on Your Horse

Clipper accessories – using a clipper guard or clipper combs!

Using clipper combs on your horse is a great way to reduce the bulk of your horse’s hair, without clipping so closely. There are no official rules about body clipping your horse, just help him stay comfortable and healthy.

Find the happy middle between clipped and unclipped

The often heated discussion of clipping a horse vs. letting it be a wooly mammoth has a huge range of in-between clipping possibilities. Many horses’ winter coats are not suited to their climate, which can create thermoregulation problems and skin issues.

You can opt for a partial clip, a custom air conditioning creation, or even using guards to leave the hair a bit longer. You can trim up the out-of-control areas, you can only clip the chrome on your horse’s legs for ease of cleaning. There is no right or wrong – except to keep your horse comfortable through all of the seasons in his own coat.

Clipper guards come in many sizes, leaving different lengths of hair on your horse.

Add clipper combs to your body clipping skills

While you are on the way to designing the best clip pattern for your horse, you might find that having some tools around will help you execute your plan better.

Clipper guards or clipper combs – these handy snap-on attachments let you leave your horse’s hair a bit longer. Clipper blades can leave anywhere from .8 mm to 2.8 mm of hair, but perhaps this isn’t long enough. Adding a guard lets you leave even more. The higher the number on the guard, the more hair is left.

Some sort of pen – it’s perfectly fine to mark your horse’s boundaries when you clip. It’s crazy difficult to clip a pattern freehand, so drawing on the pattern is just fine. This doesn’t always work with super long hair, but you can at least have some sort of guide. And you will clip away the pen marks, so no worries there.

Remember the prep – clipping prep is like painting a room. You spend the most time on getting set up. Start with a clean horse and sharp blades, use clipper oil, and don’t forget to clean your clippers when you are done!

Why use clipper guards or clipper combs?

Clipper combs are great when you want an even finish while keeping hair longer. For example, down the back of your horse’s legs. This area can be out of control furry, the guards keep hair for protection and eliminate the strays.

For blending. In the summer, it’s not unusual for the show horse to have his lower legs clipped for ease of cleaning and presentation. Use guards to help you blend the lower leg into the upper leg. You can also blend a little where the mane meets your horse’s neck.

For over-the-top fuzzy horses. For horses that have an inappropriately long winter coat, you can use guards to remove some of the coat and still leave enough hair for a winter coat. I have seen this several times with Cushing’s horses, the coats are just too much, even in cold winter.

Clipper guards are also helpful around cheeks and jawlines. These areas are prone to “goat hairs” which can be easily chopped with clippers and a guard. This tidies up your horse’s profile and stops those wacky long hairs from being caught in bridles and halters.

Pick up some handy clippers or guards/combs here! You can use these links to my affiliate program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, and there is ZERO extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!