Oh dear, very bad idea....

[dizzy]

Some of you will remember my daughter and friends are going team jumping tomorrow, I was looking for a team name a few weeks back. We went for "Santa's Little Horse Chestnuts" in the end.
Anyway, been pondering on clipping Luna since beginning of winter. I hate clipping and I'm no good at it and she's only been clipped once before and wasn't terribly good. So I got bullied into doing it this morning. Oh how I wish I hadn't, I am going to die of embarrassment tomorrow. She looks a complete mess, mainly cos she wouldn't stand still but really mainly cos I am useless at it! Then the clippers got hot so we had to stop, then she wouldn't let me near her again and then they stopped cutting anyway. So that was that. She's got a kind of wobbly blanket line which is much higher on one side than the other, her crest is really scraggy as I was terrified I was going to cut her mane off, the clip goes to her jaw on one side but not the other and her belly, well what can I say.
Anyone got any useful suggestions or shall I just wear a bag over my head tomorrow?

[jill]

Just remember that no-one can see both sides at the same time and whatever you do don't point out the errors - they probably won't even notice unless you do.
Have fun it IS only a clip!!
I once hunted an ID mare who couldn't bear her face to be clipped - and have you tried clipping 17hh face against it's will? All day total strangers were saying "Difficult horse to clip??" - they just thought that and not that I wasn't any good at the job!!

[tammy68]

Don't worry, the clip is there to stop her sweating up anyway and, as Jill says, most people will just think she's been difficult or that your clippers broke before you'd finished. I had that one year with my mare when I had only done one side. I had to get the clippers mended so I could do the rest. Also my daughter's connemara is difficult to clip and last year I just couldn't finish his off side rear leg so he went through the winter with it looking like I'd clipped it in the shape of a map of Italy! ;D He didn't care and he didn't get all sweaty and wet so it served its purpose.

[dizzy]

Thanks for the support Jill and Tammy.....must remember to keep quiet! I know I'll be telling everyone before she even has her rug off!
Will post pics tomorrow if I get any decent ones.

[xrachx]

Dont worry about it, my horse is a nightmare to clip, last year I started off doing a trace clip which then went into blanket which then turned out to be hunter ! All this was due to him being loopy and getting himself sweaty, then he had odd sides then the clippers needed to cool etc etc. This year he isnt getting as much work so he doesnt need his hair off ( thank god)! If your'e like me the more I tried to make it look better the worse it got

[dizzy]

Rach, that just about sums it up....a bit like the stool with uneven legs, the more I chopped off the worse it got. Didn't dare admit I started off with a trace! Couldn't go for the full job though as clippers stopped clipping. Ooooops!

[jen1]

lol, i clipped my lad out all over ?? apart fromhis belly,lol i just never got round to doing it,

[sara]

When I first clipped Lloyd in Oct, I started a blanket clip, and did his bum, his sides, and half of his shoulder, and then he started to get stressed, so I stopped. I had to get the vet out to sedate him to do the rest, so for a week he was only half clipped, but I hadn't finished it off, so he really did look terrible!

sara
xx

[xrachx]

LOL Dizzy, it'll soon grow

[Yann]

Hmmm, some progressive desensitisation is called for here ;D

I never clip the head even if I clip the neck, madame still has a complete beard and that's the way it's going to stay

[dawnsandy]

Glad its not only me, I bought myself some clippers this year determined that I would give it a go instead of expecting other people to do it for me, bad idea, my lad not too bad but have only done his bib as he's not in much work, but then my friend asked me to clip her little mini, bad idea, I tried to warn her telling her I'm useless but she reckoned the practise would be good for me! Well bless his little socks he looks like a jigsaw puzzle now he's got so many lines on him, but friend was pleased as he's easier to look after now, I'm just glad that he is kept rugged now. Oh the shame!!

[tammy68]

They often look a bit odd when first clipped especially if you are in a hurry and they are not too keen. The blade marks in the coat look better after a couple of weeks as they don't looks quite so clear. Just wait for the edges to blur a little, on failing that have a good stiff one and the blurring will take place immediately, either that or you will no longer care. ;D

[dizzy]

Well nobody said anything, maybe they were just being polite?
Camera died so got video of it all but no stills and have no idea how to transfer video onto here.
BUT they won the Novice!! Yay! And got the best Junior award so I guess they couldn't give us the prize for "Santa's Little Horse Chestnuts" as well, so we were beaten by " Bah Humbug!"
Really really chuffed with Luna as even though the team got eliminated in the second round of the open she got one of only 3 clear rounds, yay!! 1m height.
And her clip doesn't look toooo bad from a distance anyway, hee hee.

[Louise C]

Well done - and the clip obviously worked anyway!!