 |
|
|
Clipper blades
Now you get to choose your blades! All the clippers I looked at came with one blade. The ones I bought came with a #10 (pretty standard I think), which is great for body clipping. A #7 has also been recommended for clipping horses with color (as opposed to greys and cremellos). A #7 is also used for clipping dogs, so if youcan't find one at your tack store, try your local pet groomers.
You will need more than one blade! The spare blade I bought is a #30, which is a finer blade and better for clipping muzzles, bridle paths, fetlocks and so on - show clip stuff. A #40 blade is also available for fine work, and the three main ones in most people's kits will be the #10, #30, #40 and possibly a #15.
Some breeds prefer to shave part of the head as well to enhance the horse's features. Usually a #40 is used for that, with a #30 being used to "blend" the clipper marks into the longer hair.
It is also recommended to buy more than one of each blade, for two different reasons. One is that they heat up during use (especially body clipping, less so for show clips) and if you are in a hurry that can create delays. The other is that blades dull (especially if not well cared for, see next week's Equipment column) and you may need to send one in for sharpening which leaves your clippers useless if you don't have a back up set.
This clipping stuff gets expensive doesn't it?! |
| If you have tips or questions on equipment care, purchases, fit, or anything else to do with equestrian equipment, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
|
|
We update the Events Page every week - so be sure to check often
|
|
Western, English, Penning or Trail riding, all equine sports have a voice on Northern B.C. Horse.
|
If you are new to Northern B.C. Horse, check out all the previous issues on the Archive page.
Kristi is building a great knowledge base about horses, with the emphasis on our area of the world.
|
|
Past articles are all available in the
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dust allergies in horses
If any of you have ever owned a horse with dust allergies, you know how time consuming their management can be, and how disheartening it can be at times. I'd like to share a few techniques I've learned over the years dealing with a dust allergic horse.
A dust allergy can present itself in several different forms. Your horse might cough frequently but have no other signs of illness (like runny nose or temperature). You might notice that his breathing is laboured during riding and that his recovery rate is longer than it ought to be, like my one gelding.
You may notice great difficulty in breathing, even at rest (though this may be more a sign of heaves, which can develop from an improperly managed dust allergy).
What causes it? Well, like some people, some horses simply are more sensitive to airborne particles. Hay is a huge culprit, and what makes up the majority of a normal horse's diet? Stabling in shavings can also create problem, as can frequent exposure to dusty areas such as some arenas, busy dirt roads, and so on.
When the airways get irritated, they become inflamed as body parts will do when under attack. While inflammation can help healing in some areas of the body, in airways this creates a problem.
As they become inflamed they slowly start to cut down on the air supply reaching the lungs. The horse then has to breathe harder to get the same amount of oxygen into his bloodstream (remember Science 101?).
With a severe case (heaves) the abdominal muscles start to take on more and more of the job of expanding the lungs to suck air in, which results in a crease along the sides of the barrel, called a heave line.
Next week I'll go into some of the prevention methods and management technique I have learned over the years. If you have ideas you can forward on this, please send them to kristi@hiway16.com and I can include them in the coming write-ups.
If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
More methods of hair removal, other than clipping
One of these weeks I will get to info on clipping itself, but first I'd like to mention a few other methods of winter hair removal besides feed supplements.
Consider blanketing your horse. A blanket with a wool liner will help pull loose hairs out on its own (though don't try and wash the blanket afterwards unless you have used the shedder blade and curry on it!).
A blanket also has the effect of keeping your horse warmer which can encourage hair loss. Be careful not to over blanket though, your horse's internal thermostat is set for cooler weather after being unblanketed all winter, and you can overheat him in a hurry, standing under a thick blanket in the midday sun.
If you stable your horse, consider "putting him on lights". This means having him in the barn with the lights extending daylight on one end of the day or the other. He can be outside during the daylight hours to save electricity (and barn cleaning time!).
For example, your horse goes out at 7 am when the sun is coming up. In the evening, you put him in at 6 pm before the light starts to fade, and the lights stay on in the barn until 11 pm, when you either go out and shut them off or have them on a timer.
There are different opinions on the length of time required to have a horse under lights, but a standard answer seems to be 16 hours a day. There are also opinions on the type of lighting used - some people think normal lights work just fine, others say you must use special lights. If in doubt, please check with your local vet.
A side note on using lights is that it will also help mares to start cycling earlier, which is a good thing if you are planning on breeding in the early spring.
Between the three columns over the past couple of weeks, that about sums up the ways of removing winter hair without clipping - and this was supposed to be about clipping itself! Next week I guess...
If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
|
| Northern B.C. Horse is brought to you courtesy of our advertisers including:
|
Thanks to our advertisers for making this all possible...
...for information about advertising, email jim@hiway16.com
|
|
|
|
|
