Before you Clip

It’s that time of year again when our happy ponies become woolly mammoths. If you compete or only are able to ride late at night or early morning then you have very little option but to clip your horse. A clipped horse will dry quickly, will be able to be kept clean more easily and will reduce the chance of fungal infections of the skin. All in all it is a lot easier to keep a clipped horse than it is to look after your woolly mammoth!
Before clipping your horse there are a few essential things to do. The first is washing your horse, and I mean WASHING it, so it is clean to the skin. No easy task when you’re looking at 2 inches of fur that essentially is semi-waterproof! I like to use a curry comb to really scrub the shampoo through, and as I try to remove all the suds I’ve found a sweat scrapper very useful as I have the hose running, it really gets rid of it all. The next thing to do is a bit of a trade secret – Alpha Keri Oil. Once you’ve washed your horse you’ve also stripped all the natural oils from the coat and skin, it needs to be replaced. The oil will also protect the skin and hair from being heated up or singed should the blades run too hot. I use about 100ml to 10L of water (yes that’s WAY more than the instructions say, but it’s a horse, not a human) and sponge it through the coat. There’s no need to wash it off. Using Alpha Keri Oil straight after clipping and once a week as a rinse while the horse is clipped will also help keep the coat smooth and shiny, and the skin nourished.
If you do these two things before clipping it will make the job quick and easy for whoever the poor sod is who is doing it! Both your horse and the clipper will be happier for it.