The Gift of a Clipping

All we owners of Icelandic horses need to consider how we can make life much more comfortable for our equine buddies, who of course are designed to live near the Arctic circle. A simple clipping, taking less than an hour once one gets in the groove, is the best present we can give to most of our IceHorses. The first fall I had an IceHorse, he became listless, and it was only after I realized it was from overheating and clipped him, that he revived. [We live in Maryland, but the value of clipping applies to all but the very coldest places in the US and to many places in Canada as well.]

Imagine trying to run, hike hills, or dance on a temperate fall day, enshrouded in a hooded parka, polar fleece pants, gloves, fleece socks, etc. Surely, you'd get uncomfortably hot and sweaty, pant a lot, and to avoid heat exhaustion would strip down to shorts and a T-shirt. That is what our beloved Iceys must endure, except they can't strip down by themselves. That is where we -- who have taken them away from the climate for which they have evolved -- must help with a clipping! And the IceHorses will greatly appreciate your consideration, not to mention be more energetic and eager to work for you.

There is much mis-information out there, like "Icelandics always pant", "They should sweat in normal work", and "They get used to it". Poppycock! Would you get used to being perpetually overheated? And neither do they. IceHorses are just very stoic, and often suffer silently. I heard of an IceHorse in New England who in the winter would regularly splash water from his tank onto his underside, creating icicles, yet he was still panting, and the owner was told that was normal. In a winter afternoon, if you run your fingers down through that thick coat to your horse's skin, and it is damp, he is sweating and too hot; also, that wet coat puts him at risk of getting chilled if the night turns cold.

A few winters ago, I was put in contact with a lady who had loved riding her new IceHorse all spring and summer, but then his energy disappeared. Her vet had come out several times and had prescribed several treatments, unsuccessfully. As the horse continued to deteriorate and become short of breath, even when just standing, it was recommended he be put down. Responding to the lady's search for other options, several of us Icey owners suggested clipping. Impressively, almost immediately after shaving, the IceHorse returned to his alert and energetic self! Whew; close call! Indeed, I have heard from many IceHorse owners -- residing from Massachusetts to Florida to British Columbia -- who were amazed at how their previously sluggish horses, after clipping, began to work cheerfully and without tiring.

There are also a lot of silly myths of it being hard to clip a horse, or very time-consuming, and that horses don't like it. More poppycock. You just need a suitable clipper and a clean horse, and after introducing your equine friend to your plans, it is easy, for everyone. [When I now bring the clipper down to the barn, Mr. Icey come up to say "Me first!"]

For shaving fuzzy IceHorses, "normal" horse clippers (like the 45 watt Oster "A5") are insufficiently powered. I love my Oster ClipMaster (150 watts, variable speed, slightly under 4 lbs, about $225; previously called the "610"). It uses wider blades than the A5 and just breezes through a clean, dry coat of an Icey. With a maintained ClipMaster, you never have to stop to cool down the motor. [The variable speed is convenient for introducing the clipper to a new horse and for working around the face.] There also are other clippers with sufficient power, but be used to carefully compare the power, weight and cost before buying; if the clipper ad only says "powerful motor" but does not tell you the watts (or horsepower), it is probably prudent to assume the power is insufficient For those who need a lighter unit, I have heard that the "double k" clipper (about $350; the motor hangs on the wall; 90 watts) is sufficiently powered for most IceHorses, since it uses the narrower A5 blades.

Some horses are comfortable with the clipper almost immediately. But some are more wary, and to introduce the clipper to them, one can have it on and moving closer during a few mealtimes, and then pet or brush the horse with clipper in the other hand. When I clip a new horse, I have a friend stand at his head, talking to him and giving him some treats. Our guys enjoy getting clipped.

Different IceHorses need different amounts of clipping, depending on when they start growing in their thick winter coat (which in my experience can range from early August to October) and on when they shed their winter coat (which can range from about March to July). All my IceHorses get clipped as their winter coat is coming in, when it is still basically summer here in Maryland, and most also want a clipping in the spring. [Otherwise they get overheated from wearing insulating Arctic gear in our warm fall and spring.] These clippings are done with the "normal" blade (making for a short clip, e.g., the "83" and "84" blades for the ClipMaster). Leaving the fur long on the lower legs (as well as on the face, mane, and tail) makes for a striking look.

The IceHorses also get a clipping in mid to late fall, for otherwise the IceHorses are too hot all winter; later October/early November works well here in Maryland, as they will still grow enough additional coat to keep them snugly warm in our coldest winters. However, since by then the nights can already be cooler, for that clipping I use a blade that leaves some coat on the upper body (e.g., the Oster "35" blades for the ClipMaster, that leave 5/16 inch of fur) and only do a short "trace clip" on the neck, chest, and belly. It is important to point out that if a horse subsequently grows more coat than you expected, and so still gets too hot in the winter, one can at any time do a trace clip with the 35 blade, or a full body clip using the additional 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch spacer blocks that are available on the Internet. Obviously, horses will be comfortable in colder areas with somewhat more coat, and in warmer areas with more removed. However, even people in very cold areas tell me that they clip the neck, chest, and top of the front legs for winter riding; this helps keep the horse from getting sweaty during the ride, as you surely don't want to leave a horse wet on a frigid day.

Critical to getting a good clip is having a REALLY clean and REALLY dry horse; dirt rapidly dulls the blades, and wet hair clogs them. Since after washing, my horses roll and get dirty long before they get dry, I instead first curry-comb to remove easy dirt, and then use a DirtDevil (the little hand held vacuum, $30 at Home Depot), with the rotating beater brushes going up against the grain of the fur. It cleans excellently, right down to the skin! With horses so clean, the clipper blades last for about ten horses before needing to be re-sharpened. And the IceHorses learn quite fast that the vacuum is OK, some accepting it almost immediately, and some taking a couple of sessions of introduction (done much like you introduced the clipper, above). However, if you need to clip a horse who is not yet happy with the vacuum, you can just brush very well, going up against the grain of the hair, and after clipping send the blades out to be sharpened. [I have had people tell me that it does not matter if a horse is dirty for clipping, but those same folks generally complain that it takes 3 sets of blades to clip a single horse!]

A few technical and other hints:

-- Clip by resting the blades against the skin and moving the clipper up against the grain of the hair; you get the most even clip going exactly against the grain.

-- Spray the blades every 5-10 minutes with something like Kool Lube or put in a cooling solution made for clippers (that you order along with the clippers).

-- Keep the clipper oiled, and clean it after use (following the clipper's instructions).

-- With an insufficiently powered clipper, you burn out the motor, or have to clip only VERY slowly, and/or cause the blades to dull rapidly.

-- Trying to clip a damp horse, or using a gunked up or dull blade, takes forever, and it is EXTREMELY frustrating (both for you and the horse).

-- Fly spray the horse to keep him relaxed wile you clip, and consider giving an occasional treat or other reward.

-- Horse hair gets everywhere, so there is an advantage to clipping in a breezy place, standing upwind. -- Brush the horse as you work, so you are not re-clipping cut hair.

-- Sitting on an overturned bucket makes it easier to clip the tummy.

-- If you or the horse gets frustrated, stop and take a break, and resume later or the next day. While it will eventually take only 3/4-1 hr per horse, start to finish, at first it will take longer.

-- Let new horses watch as their experienced buddies get clipped.

-- I have been told that some blades come from the factory with a protective coating that needs to be removed with blade wash, isopropyl alcohol, or kerosene before use, or they go dull.

-- If blades last for fewer than several horses before needing to be sent out for re-sharpening, the horses are not clean enough, especially down right next to the skin.

-- Cutting off the underside-half of the mane and the bottom section of the forelock (so the rest is held up a bit, rather than lying on the skin) helps a great deal in cooling a horse who is bothered by heat, and does not show.

-- Although they are clipped, I also wet down my IceHorses' chest area both before and during rides, to help them air condition, on all but the very coldest of winter days.

-- And remember, even if the clipping looks less than 100% professional, the horse will be MUCH more comfortable!

Happy clipping! And if this is "old hat" to you, please tell a friend, and make his/her IceHorses more comfortable.

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Barbara Sollner-Webb is a Professor of Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and yet another example of the "potato chip" theory of Icelandics (you can't have just one). But I am now down to three, as several of my best friends have gotten IceHorses too. I find almost nothing is as nice as a pretty trail ride on these guys. For comments or suggestions, please contact me at .