Clippers for hairy mud monsters

[janwilky]

I used to pay a friend to clip Lucas but I now have two hairy beasties that both need clipping. Lucas has a monstrous winter coat, it gets up to 4 or even 6 inches long in places and last year I didn't clip him and he ended up with horrible clay 'sausages' hanging off his belly. He gets so warm that I can give him a trace clip and leave him unrugged unless it's exceptionally wet, cold and windy. 

Bambi has a shorter but very dense coat, being a native x Fjord. She's getting very sweaty even on a sedate ride at the moment. I've never clipped her as she was ill last winter... but hopefully she'll be fine. There's no way I can keep riding her regularly in the winter without clipping her, I'd never get enough mud off and she'd get far too hot if I rugged her without clipping first. I popped a rainsheet on at the weekend but she was too hot, I had to take it off again and now she's a mud monster!

With two needing doing it's going to be worth while buying my own set of clippers, so can anyone please recommend a make/model that can cope with hairy native coats without breaking the bank? Or that I might be able to buy secondhand? A friend has recommended Liveryman Harmony which can be used either on a battery pack or plugged into the mains. That would be a useful option for me, but would they cope with cob hair? My friend has Criollos and their winter coats are not much, if at all, thicker than my lots' summer coats!

Also, now that the weather has nose-dived, how on earth do you get a cob's belly dry enough and clean enough to clip if you don't have stables? Even if I confine them to the yard they don't dry out properly from now on, not unless we have a run of dry or frosty weather.

Also time to stock up on pig oil for feathers.... jeez I'm fed up of the mud already and it's only October!

[mags]

We use an old set of Liveryman Mustang clippers (300W mains, I think). They definitely do the job clipping (thick-coated Icelandics...), but also tend to run hot very quickly. I'm a bit of two minds about the high wattage motor. On the one hand, it makes sense that more wattage = more heat, which is not good. But more power is definitely helpful when clipping the thick coats. I wonder if the heating issue has been resolved with better ventilation for more recent models? I think the Mustang model has been discontinued. Anyway, these definitely do the job, so if I were to buy new, I'd probably aim for something like the Liveryman Arena 200W or similar, unless someone can demonstrate to me that a less powerful, battery operated model can do the same job.

BTW, I have clipped through a few damp and muddy patches before. Often the mud/wet doesn't go down to the skin, so if you can get the clippers underneath the dirt and mud, it's not too bad. Not something I'd plan to do on purpose, but as you say, it can be virtually impossible to have a clean and dry pony to work on!

[Hannah]

Go for the heaviest duty clippers you can afford. Cheaper/weaker clipper heat up quickly so you have to keep stopping and let them cool down, plus thick coats are hard work for the clippers. I have mains clippers and several sets of blades so once I get started, I know I can finish the job.

Mags is right, if they have a really thick coat, the wet doesn't get down to the skin. I would clip the dry areas first and you could always resort to a hairdryer

[janwilky]

The Harmony is 80 watts on mains, 60 with battery pack, which maybe isn't very powerful? Budget is tight, so I might try and find a secondhand set as maybe I'd be better off getting a good secondhand set than new lighter-duty ones? Never bought clippers before so I feel a bit bewildered by the choice!

[Deleted]

I can't remember what the ones I use are... and Talin's coat is pretty fine so probably not comparable!! But I learned last year that some places that sharpen blades do a pants job and if the blades are properly sharp you should be able to do more than one full clip with them.

Re the mud, I'd wait for a dry day, rinse off the mud, towel dry and tie them up on your yard with a big haynet each and give them an hour or so to let their body heat dry out the underneath of the coat, then at least you're only clipping under damp, not mud. If you get mud on your clipper blades it'll blunt them big time.

[janwilky]

Thanks Michelle, that sounds like a good plan

Having got my head well addled with brands and types of clippers, and having done a futile ebay trawl (good way to waste an evening!) I think I've decided I might pay someone to clip them this first time. Lucas hasn't been done since my accident in 2012 and I've no idea how Bambi will be, so it would be a lot easier with two people so I can hold them and make sure they're relaxed. I think I've found someone who sounds sympathetic and kind, she says she specialises in nervous horses and uses cordless clippers so I might get an idea from her of the best ones to buy for hairy beasties.

Lucas is too hot just standing in the field today, despite a stiff breeze and a proper overnight dunking, it's so mild at the moment.

[portiabuzz]

Best of luck jan and before and after pics please

Sent from my SM-G800F using proboards

[Hannah]

Jan my friend who clips professionally bought some good clippers from ebay which weren't too pricey. I will see shst they are and get back to you. Sounds like a good plan to have someone else do them first, see what you are letting yourself in for!

[janwilky]

Thanks Hannah

Yep, I'm thinking if I get this lady to do them first, I'll at least have a line to work to if I decide to re-do them myself later in the winter - otherwise they could end up looking very 'unique'

Photo request noted PB!

[portiabuzz]

Thanks jan

Sent from my SM-G800F using proboards

[mags]

Update... I've actually just ended up buying a set of Lister Star clippers. They were on offer at Scats (still are, BTW) in a set together with smaller trimmers. Not quite as heavy duty as I was aiming for (after some research, I quite liked the idea of the Heiniger Xperience ones), but a solid medium duty set. An friend bought them the previous week and spent a few days clipping all of his horses, and was well pleased with them. I haven't had a chance yet to have a go myself...

[janwilky]

I'll be interested to hear how you get on mags. I was with a good friend yesterday and she very kindly offered to clip my monsters for me which is very kind  . I said I'll buy her a new set of blades, as no doubt doing my two hairies will lead to some wear and tear! Hers are Listers, cordless, and she says she's had them for years and years and they're still going strong, which is as good a recommendation that you can get isn't it. So I'll see how we get on, it looks like it'll be far too wet and windy to do it this week....

[bonniesmum]

I have Wahl Avalon. Cordless, good battery and very quiet. They do my hairy welsh cross with no trouble and you can get different blades to suit different purposes. Blade sharpening is only £6 from Wahl as well.

Best thing about them is that they don't bother Bonnie in the slightest whereas she thought the yard owners Heineger set were going to eat her.

[mags]

I'll report back, though I'll probably hold off a bit longer before clipping again. I've already gone two rounds, and if I do the last clip in early December I won't have to go again! Unless the weather keeps being ridiculously warm...
I had a look at cordless clippers too, but decided I'd rather go with mains. Since I know my pony is fine with clipping, stands nicely and doesn't mind the cord, I figure there's no advantage in getting a battery operated one. If you want to keep the battery healthy in the long run, you are supposed to store them with a certain amount of charge, fully charge and discharge at intervals etc., and I just figured I'll probably not use the clippers frequently enough to keep the batteries in good condition. I was even thinking about selling on the little cordless trimmers that came with the set (Lister Libretto), but now that I've seen them, I want them They will come in very handy doing the bits in between legs etc.

[Hannah]

Jan, they were Premier 1 clippers from ebay