Clipping Basics: What Direction Do You Clip a Horse?

 

 

With or Against the Hair Growth Direction?

 

The standard “rule” is to clip the opposite of the hair growth direction, but sometimes you can toss that rule out the window. Be a rebel if you need to.

 

Aim Your Clipper Opposite the Hair Growth Direction

 

• The primary reason to go under the hair, against the direction of growth, is to have a smooth finish, letting the blades cut evenly. It’s also really satisfying!  The excess hair will slide off, revealing a smooth finish with some practice. This technique is also fast!

 

• The hair remaining will be as close to the skin as the blades allow. For example, if you use a #10 blade that leaves 1.8 mm of hair on your horse, that is the result.

 

 

Clip Against the Hair Growth on the Flank, Rump, and Other Large Areas

 

• Body clipping trims the entire coat, including legs and faces. It’s sometimes the easiest to do, as there are no boundaries you need to create or patterns to follow. Trace clips and the variations, like the blanket or hunter clip, require you to make straight or curved lines as transitions between clipped and unclipped areas of your horse.  

 

• Whatever pattern you decide, the large areas of your horse’s coat, like the flanks, rump, neck, and shoulder, do best when you clip against the growth.   

 

• When you get to the flank where the hair does a U-turn, letting your clippers go with the flow and clip against the new direction is easy.

 

 

What Direction Do You Clip a Horse – When to Clip With the Hair

 

• However, you could choose to go with the hair growth direction. This technique of clipping with the grain of the coat removes less hair and may create wavy, uneven cutting when shortening shaggy coats. This method becomes a more significant issue when the hair is longer, as the risk of unevenness increases. But it will still even out over time and still benefit many horses.

 

• You can also clip with the direction of hair growth in tricky areas, like elbows and whorls, and get close to the skin to match surrounding areas.

 

• Clipping would be a breeze if horses were perfectly smooth and round everywhere! But they’re not. Get creative when you work on these areas:  

 

Rake with the hair direction to take some “off the top” and tidy things. 

 

Knees

 

• Clipper blades, especially dull blades, get jammed up across the thick covering of the knees and hocks. One option is to use the outer 1/4 of your blade to work in narrow strips.

 

• Another option is to move your blades with the coat growth direction to remove the top layers, then work opposite the hair growth direction.

 

• You can also work diagonally across the area.

 

Whorls

 

• As the hair over a whorl changes direction all over the place, all rules go out the window.

 

• First, use one hand to press the skin and slide it over to make the skin taut. Then, use your trimmers or body clippers to go over the whorl from all angles.

 

• Trimmers are sometimes the better option here, as whorls are common around the head and neck and are quieter, smaller, and have less vibration than standard body clippers.

 

 

Tight spots like elbows

 

• Elbows and girth areas, jaws, and throat latches love to challenge the blades. Use that squish-and-slide method to make the skin taut and clip from all directions. You’ll also be squishing and sliding from all directions.

 

• When working around the elbows and girth area, grab a friend to lift the front leg out of the way. It’s much easier to squish, slide, and clip when the wrinkles are unfolded.

 

Blending

 

• It’s time to blend your horse’s legs when you want the upper legs clipped but flowing feathers intact. Point your clippers down and rake with the coat direction to face the area. This artistic skill takes practice, so give yourself some grace.

 

• When you try blending, notice that raking the hair with your clippers at different angles does change how much hair you chop off.

 

• The pressure you apply also impacts how much hair is removed.

 

• The blades you choose also affect how much hair is raked off. It’s best to use a #7F or #10. Blades that remove more hair can be unforgiving when blending.

 

• Clipper combs are a great way to blend; you can rest them on your horse, and the comb keeps the blade further away.

 

Clipper combs are fantastic for tidying up wayward hair.

 

Tidying areas

 

 

• Random stray hair around chestnuts, ears, tail tops, or legs is easily zipped off with a quick raking of the blades. You can even hover the blades over the wayward hair to chop it off.  

 

• Brush the stray hairs up and away before chopping the hair for best results.

 

 

Eliminating clipper marks and lines

 

• If it appears that a toddler clipped your horse and there are lines everywhere, never fear. Use your clippers in every direction of the lines to make them disappear.

 

• You can also wait a few days until it all smooths out.

 

Coronary bands

 

• Tidying up the coronary bands by pressing the blade, while facing down, into the coronary band hair the hoof. This gives the hoof a nice straight edge and may give “bowl cut” vibes, which is great in some cases!

 

• If this is too extreme, swipe upwards and out to tidy up the longer hair while keeping the pastern hair unbothered.

 

Roached manes aren’t for all horses but great for others. 

 

Roaching the Mane

 

• Roaching the mane works for many breeds like Fjords and can help with mites, lice, sweet itch, and other skin conditions that need topical medications. You can roach the mane from all angles to remove the bulk of hair and tidy it up once most of it is removed.

 

• Manes often insist on falling one way or another; treating them like a whorl and working from all angles is your best bet.

 

 

General Clipping Tips

 

When does your horse need a full body clip or trace clip?

 

Clip your horse when their coat doesn’t match the weather and they need help moderating sweat during cold weather. You can also clip because of medical conditions like PPID (Cushing’s disease) that create a wildly thick coat all year long. Horses with anhidrosis that don’t sweat benefit from clipping in the summer.

 

Choosing the best clipper for your horse

 

The best clipper matches their coat and clipping needs. Use shears for long, thick coats. Body clippers are fantastic for the average coat and trimming. Trimmers are perfect for tiny areas, wispy hairs, and touch-ups. Then, consider the blade you use. Shears, body clippers, and trimmers all have options that remove varying amounts of hair.

 

 

Groom and bathe before you clip

 

A squeaky clean horse is the easiest way to get a gorgeous clip. A thorough bath or hot toweling session is best; then clip the dry coat. Wet coats muck up the blades, tug the skin, and create an uneven finish.

 

After clipping, groom again to remove loose hair and dust. A stiff dandy brush after a good curry comb session reduces itchiness, too. Another option is to rinse your horse after clipping, which may not help with any itchiness.

 

Use coolant and clipper oil frequently

 

When you have the suitable blades for the amount of hair you want to remain on your horse, keep them sharp by brushing out the hair, using coolant, and adding clipper oil every five minutes as you clip. Wipe away any excess oil with a cloth if necessary.

Coolant is terrific at helping the blades stay clean as you clip, but it evaporates quickly. Clipper oil is a must after coolant to reduce friction as the blades work. The cooling spray reduces heat and helps protect the blades from dulling.

 

Use blade wash and sanitizing spray between horses before you pack up your clippers and blades for subsequent use.

 

There’s more than one way to clip. 

 

Doing what’s best for your horse

 

Not all horses need clipping, and many do. Others might need it seasonally; some benefit all year. The time of year, warmer climates, your horse’s genetics, and how much they sweat all influence the decision to clip in the winter months or any time of year.

 

What are some common mistakes to avoid when body clipping?

 

Avoid using clippers with lagging motors and dull or rusty blades. Also, ensure the clippers and blades match the coat and have enough power to clip. Don’t let the blades heat up. Clip a clean and dry horse, and stop every five minutes to cool and oil the blades to avoid this. Also, avoid the mistake of forgetting to give yourself and your horse some breaks.

 

 

 

Clipping your horse can improve your horse’s skin health and comfort, and becoming an expert clipper may take time. When clipping, don’t worry about “what direction do you clip a horse.” Do what works for that area; know it will all smooth out.  Eventually.

 

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