How do I trim my horse?

[Vlad Lipa]

Horses need to be sheared first and foremost to keep the animal healthy. A horse covered with a thick winter coat will sweat much more than in summer. Hence the risk of getting sick will also be higher with intense exertion. In addition, shearing makes it easier to clean the animal. Horses fatten quickly, and the animal must be sheared several times over the winter. Of course, you can always call a specialist, but taking care of your beloved animal yourself is much more pleasant.

The haircut of a horse is made with the help of a machine, which can be bought at almost any store specializing in products for horses. The best clipper for horse are those that run on batteries, not mains power. If the horse is nervous, a machine with a lower noise level is more suitable for it.

What is the right way to shear a horse?

Never tie the horse while shearing. This frightens the animal much more than coming into contact with the machine or scissors. It is best to hold the horse by the chamber and walk around it, gradually removing the hair.

It is best to shear the horse in a manege with plenty of room.

The most popular horse shearing is full shearing, that is, shearing the entire body. Before you start working with a machine, it is necessary to bandage the tail - its treatment is separate. The mane is also handled after the main haircut, and while the horse is dealt with with the machine, it is flipped to the other side of the neck. Two centimeters should be set aside from the hair growth line in the mane.

The haircut begins at the shoulder of the horse. The machine is carried out from the bottom upwards, each time capturing a longer and longer section. To avoid uneven hair cutting, it is recommended to take a part of the hair from the neighboring "strip" with each new movement of the machine. The clippings should be constantly removed from the hair clipper"s blades and from the horse"s body. Lubricate the blades every ten to fifteen minutes.


I am cutting the mane.
The horse is cut with scissors. It is most convenient to use scissors that are used to cut sheep - the cutting line of the strand will not be as coarse as with ordinary stationery scissors.

There are many options for shearing horses (stringing, "gunter, " "under the horse blanket, " etc.), depending on the type of work to be done in winter. If a horse needs a shaped haircut, its contours are marked with chalk on the animal"s coat before starting the job.

The haircut is obligatory if the length of the cut strands is more than 10-12 cm. Hair may be cut to any size, but it is recommended to leave hair up to the middle of the width of the neck.

The ponytail is traditionally cut just above the bounce joint, pre-drawn.

After shearing, it is necessary to cover the horse with a blanket to prevent it from catching a cold.