[AppalosaCowGirl]

i read a training story once. he might afriad of the sound. so tke him out in a round pen. or the closeset thing you have. and take a screw driver. (the kind with a battery that spins when you bush the button.) and simply stnd away from him and push the button. if he is afraid of the noise than work with him on it. let him run away but dont chase him. if he stops adn truns toward you than turn of the sound. and let him walk up to you. do this a couple times and soon he will get the idea. but i wouldn't try clipping until you can touch him with the screwdriver while it is running.

[dogbetty141]

I have just tried the method that was suggested to me by Amigo and to be honest he wasnt scared of them being there when I groomed him he went up had a sniff and then just stood there whilst I groomed him. I thought if he is not bothered by them being there at all ill turn them on. He didnt even flinch he just turned round to see where the noise was coming from. I carried on grooming him until i had finished with them on and he was not bothered.

However I completley forgot that when I picked them up he might panic because he wasnt bothered by them in the stable. So I picked them up on the way to my tack room and was going to switch them off as I walked to my tack room. He however then freaked out and ran in the opposite direction. Have I put him two steps back now and will I have to start again? I was soooooo annoyed with myself. Im gonna try him tommorrow with them switched of and take it one step at a time. Do you think that this is the best idea or going back to having them on in the background again?

[morgangirl]

If you go to the Clinton Anderson site he has a very good article on getting a horse good for clipping. Go have a look see maybe this will help.

https://aussie1.tempdomainname.com/a.../clipping.html

[Amigo]

yea i would go back and try again, but i think with patience it should work. sounded like you were going good.

However, if you have any problems i agree with cowgirlnets and appalosacowgirls ideas of desensitising them to the sound and feel of them seperately.
there again not everyone has a vibrator to hand or a hand held screwdriver and a roundpen!!! i know i dont... lol

Originally Posted by cowgirlnat

First method I use...take a vibrator to get the horse used to the noise and sensation. Work w/the horse every day until you can rub it all over the horse's body. Then the transition to clippers will be easier w/fewer chunks of hair missing, lol.

Originally Posted by appalosacowgirl

AppalosaCowGirl[/url]i read a training story once. he might afriad of the sound. so tke him out in a round pen. or the closeset thing you have. and take a screw driver. (the kind with a battery that spins when you bush the button.) and simply stnd away from him and push the button. if he is afraid of the noise than work with him on it. let him run away but dont chase him. if he stops adn truns toward you than turn of the sound. and let him walk up to you. do this a couple times and soon he will get the idea. but i wouldn't try clipping until you can touch him with the screwdriver while it is running.

[PonyCrazyGal]

Clicker train him!!! Just do a google search for it. Clicker has helped me solve all of these issues.
Clippers
Ear puff's
Bridle
Biting for treats
Rudeness on halter vetting issues

[MyBelgianAzzy]

Some of the horse here HAVE to be clipped, whether they want to or not. I agree the first thing to do would be to train him.

Sometimes the horses need clipped NOW though. Zone finals were last week, and one of the girls decided to clip her horse a few days before. He's a monster when it comes to clipping. She drugged him and twitched him, but he was still rearing.

Had the circumstances been different, I agree she should have worked with him. But he was going to be ridden in a heated indoor, and worked hard, so the options were don't clip him and make him sick, so let her get hurt trying to clip a nutty horse, so we called the vet out.

The vet can sedate the horse for you to the point the horse will need assistance balancing. NEVER try to sedate your horse like this on your own- the vet will have the medication needed to reverse the sedation, and the knowledge of how much is too much.

Again, train him if you have the time to (as in you're not showing this weekend). I found a blow dryer (set on cold) really helped my horse, especially with his ears.

Good luck!

[Amigo]

Originally Posted by PoNyCrAzYgAL

Clicker train him!!! Just do a google search for it. Clicker has helped me solve all of these issues.
Clippers
Ear puff's
Bridle
Biting for treats
Rudeness on halter vetting issues

I dont really like the idea of clicker training, how is a click a reward in comparison to you stopping doing something etc? I personally have never seen it in practice, but i think you have to use food for it too, (correct me if im wrong) but this can introduce other habits like biting. I dont like the ide much, and although training is a good idea, i wouldnt do it with the clicker method. but thats just my opinion.

[dogbetty141]

I tried the clippers again last night everyone looks at me like a freak and says to me its never gonna work as hes 14 now and will not get over his fear.

Im afraid to say that it must have been by fluck the other day that he did not get scared as he did as soon as i turned them on he panicked and panicked bad by trying to jump the door. I keep thinking to myself it is my fault as what i did the day before. Very annoyed with myself.

any other suggestions??

[Amigo]

Age has nothing to do with training, its NOT the case of ''you cant teach an old dog new tricks''. Take my horse bach for instance, he is 26, and there are so many new things that he has done with me that he found scary to start with: eg umberellas!!

how far did you get with them turned off? i would try starting again, and you need patince, dont be annoyed withyourself, its not your fault! *hug*
if he is fine with that but frieks if they are on nearby, leave them on in another room to start with so that he can hear them, then open the door so they are a bit louder, then place them on the side etc. maybie try something that vibrates, if you have one when it comes to touching him, its probably safer to start with.

I would keep trying if i were you, and you sholdnt worry about what others think; he is your horse. I know its easyier said than done, and it will not happen simply in one night, maybie not even one week. try it day by day eg: day 1 clippers on side day 2 carry etc...

good luck xx

[Xiphias]

You have to desensitize him to the clippers and that will take some time and patience to do...Cathy