[BettaBlossoms]

I spent a good part of yesterday trying to get Satin to not be scared of my clipper, its a little clipper, make for 'scurs and fuzzies, shes got SUCK a whiskery muzzle, and I just prefer it being kept clean, I tried turning it on and feeding treats, just walking circles around her with it on, had her smelling it on and off, but when i would go and wick off the ends of the longer ones, she would pull away and reared a few times *not unusual for her, shes quite light up front* I just gave up in the end and took sizers and snipped her bridal path and took off the ends of her mane and forelock *looks much healthier now, forelock somehow seems more shiny after thinning it*

What can i do to help this experience be pleasurable, or at least tolerable?

[shyxpony]

My mare used to be TERRIFIED of clippers. The clippers could get turned on in another room, and she would hear them and just FLIP. Her legs would honestly start shaking and almost buckling beneath her, and her whole body would tremble.

Ahh, we had a FUN time working through that! It took lots and LOTS of time and patience. I started out by letting her sniff them while they were off. As soon as she was okay with that, I turned them on as far away as possible (in the tackroom, while she was basically on the other side of the barn). She flipped out as usual but not as much because they were pretty far away. I left them on while I groomed her and just acted like they were no big deal. She got used to it after a while and it didn't really bother her anymore... next time I groomed, I turned them on a little closer. I kept turning them on closer and closer every time she got used to them at the distance they were at, until I could leave them on on the floor next to her. *NOTE - I turned them on far away and THEN brought them closer. If you turn them on while you're close to them it might unsettle them a little bit. If you turn it on far away and bring them closer, they have some time to get used to the sound and it's not as unexpected.

Anyway once I could leave them on the floor about 2 feet away, I started picking them up every now and then and just walking around her, letting her look at them in my hands, and letting her smell them while they were off every so often as well. Just lots of desensitizing. She eventually started smelling them while they were on, and I started running them around her muzzle while she smelled.

Now she's just great with the clippers! You can clip her anywhere and she's great. It took a LOT of time and patience though. If you loose your patience just turn off the clippers and work on something else - it gets frustrating sometimes if they are being little brats (and my mare is the queen of brats)! But you don't want to take out your frustration on them, that certainly won't help them get used to the clipping experience!

Until your horse is used to clippers, you can use scissors or a human razor. Be careful not to cut them with the razor though!

[CJ]

Cordless are great for a clipper phobe. Keep them low but in sight, let the horse see & here them turned on & off without trying to make skin contact. Let horse feel the case vibrate some place benign, like shoulder. Trim sacrificial mane ends, so horse can hear & feel the clip in action. Do not try raising clippers to bridle path and turning them on up there. Do not turn on while horse is sniffing case.
I had a clipper PHOBE in college. It took weeks to desensitize him enough that hed let me clip his muzzle & fetlocks, but even so his bridlepath remained a fearful No-zone. Go SLow & if you or horse gets fearful/ frustrated, stop for a while.

[BettaBlossoms]

Ok, that helps, thanks

[kizmet]

Hi, I found using a hand held massager which buzzed just like clippers allowed my horse to get used to the noise and assosiate it with a pleasant relaxing sensation. They are really cheapt to buy and can help to build a bond with your horse.

[Simon Says]

Unfortunally I have the same problem, I have tried for months now with my boy and he is dead set on no clippers, so I have to sedate him and have a twitch on back up!

[Kizza]

Ace has bent a chifney bit trying to get away from clippers (while sedated)... that was fun.

With her, I took it right back to basics. Got her out on a line on one hand, clippers in the other. Turned them on and if she walked away kept the distance between us. If she stopped, then I turned them off and told her she was good. Repeated it many times, slowly closing the distance. She soon learned that if she stood still, the clippers did not stay on as long. I started leaving them on for longer and longer as she was stood still until she would stand for them to be on for as long as we wanted.

Then did that while holding the clippers on her (she hated this part!) kept them on her no matter where she tried to walk and only turned them off if she stood nicely for 5 seconds or so. Slowly extended how long I kept them on for while she was stood.

When she was fine to have them rubbed all over her, we clipped her, and she was good as gold.

[kristenc812]

My gelding is AWFUL about clipping his ears..the people before obviously gave him some bad experiences. The thing that I hate and am dreading SO much is that I'm going to a huge horse show in a couple days and I HAVE to clip his ears. I'm honestly a little scared..I've been working with him, but I still can't even get his to stand still with the clippers off and touching the inside of his ear. I hate this already. I'm going to un-do all of our de-sensitization work.

[Beeks]

I found it was helpful to have a clipper pro (horse) tied close to the clipper phobe. I fussed over the pro using the clippers and giving the phobe (or newby) a good view of the process. I think it is also helpful to never approach them head on with this scarey horse eating buzz monster, but work your way up from the back. Of course while the clippers are off, let them smell them first, but like most have said, turn the clippers on from a distance away, clip a pro and then baby steps and many of them.

[BettaBlossoms]

Yea, I'll keep trying.. I haven't pressed the issue in a bit, right now its working with fly spray...she still thinks its going to eat her....even if she stands still, when she hears the spray, or feels it, she shudders all over and stomps her feet....I reward her when she stands still by giving her a treat, and then I leave her alone...