CLIPPING YOUR HORSE FOR "THE SHOW"

1. The muzzle & bridle path -- Use a 40 or 30 blade first, then go over the areas with a disposable razor. Just remember not to go beyond the ears in length when clipping the bridle path back towards the withers. I usually only go 1/2 of an ear length, instead of a full ear.
2. The head -- For any white markings directly on the forehead use a 30 blade making sure the "blue zone" is also shaved. For any white markings on the side of the face or under the jaw, use a 15 blade for good even blending. (If horses have a bald face, or a lot of white, I tend to use the 15 blade and not the 30 blade.
3. Always start from the outside of your blaze and work towards the middle. On the forehead , usually going against the hair gives the best results. Make sure your blades are not dull, you don't want to leave any tracks in the hair.
4. The eyes -- Use a 30 blade and try not to scalp the upper lashes as the horse needs those for protection. I also go over the top of the eye with a razor.
5. The ears -- Use a 30-40 blade. I do the inside of the ear, very slowly and carefully. You don't want to jab the clippers into the ears, this is what makes a lot of horses dislike having their ears clipped. I also hold the tip of the ear and use the clippers from the base of the ear to the tip of the ear to remove those long unwanted hairs. Make sure you don't scalp the outside of the ear!
6. The legs -- Use a 10-15 blade on the dark hair and a 15 or 30 on the white. The dark hair around the cornet band, clip up about 1/4 of an inch, then by turning the clippers and face the clippers down shave in a downward motion around the ankle towards the hoof. Never clip the legs above the knees or hocks with a 30 or 40 blade, use your 15 blade for the joint areas. For white hair on legs always clip upwards.
7. Use a fine sanding block to sand chestnuts for a smooth, clean look and your hooves.