I think we’re getting to the point where we’re going to have to clip our Cushing’s pony. She’s not a full yak but is hairier than usual. Does anyone have any clipper recommendations? I’m not sure what’s on the market now. We don’t need to be show ring ready, but the clippers do need to be quiet and as timid-pony-friendly as possible. Cordless would be nice, but not required. Any other tips for clipping Cushing’s ponies? Thanks!
It’s going to be tough to find a cordless model that will hold up.
I used Double Ks on my cushingoid every 5 weeks during the warm seasons.
I bought the Andis Super AGR cordless clippers at Valley Vet last year and they work great for my Cushing’s gelding. It does require 2 fully charged batteries (although I’m slow so that could be part of the problem). I don’t think Valley Vet has them anymore but I found them on Chewy and Amazon.
Last year I bought the Andis Pro from Dover. Use them in the spring, the trainer clipped her in the fall and tried clipping again a few weeks ago. They worked all of two minutes. I’m definitely following for recommendations.
I use wahl KM clippers to body clip my welsh and minis. They aren’t the heaviest clippers but get through medium thick hair OK and are quiet. I also have the Double K Clippers, which work well and get the job done. But they seem more noisy and I find them much more awkward to use (but I have arthritis so it could be just me).
Lister star and a smaller corded Andis ACG for tight and sensitive spots. You really need the power of a bigger corded clipper for most of the thick coated horses and it also makes it a quick job. Love my Stars and I clip 30+ horses a season.
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Have The Andis ACG 2 Speed and (had one pair for 10 years before they finally died)…
They work great on our cushing mare. Remember to get them as clean as possible before clipping, which is especially hard with the furry bushings ones, but worth the little extra effort and time… or just be prepared to not use those blades again, as they will die.
@Dressage59 sounds like you may need to replace the drive assembly. Its a very small and easy to replace part. its actually designed to wear out and be replaced… I believe Andis says every 200 hours… but I haven’t had one last that long… usually ned to replace it after 4-5 clips, sooner if its been used on the Cushings mare or thick winter coats. you can buy them on amazon from anywhere between $7-15. Just buy a spare whenever I buy new blades so I always have one on hand.
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@Kottbulle Thanks! I’ll look for the drive assembly on Amazon. I was somewhat fanatical about cleaning and oiling, so just not sure what when wrong. Thanks again!
I’ve done almost all of the horses I clip with Andis AGC2 clippers. Knock on wood, they’re almost ten years old and going strong doing 10-20 clips a year. The only horse I had noticeable issue with was a half draft who had a really thick, still-wet from bathing coat, and they didn’t like that. Otherwise they’ve handled many Cushing’s-coated horses well.
I am the outlier, like the old Oster Clipmasters the best. I like the amount of coat it leaves. My advice…for a timid pony, sedate so it is a good experience. Also, no need to clip face and legs! Do what feels good to pony, not what you would do for an A show. If you want to show it the clipmasters are good too.
if you get the Lister Stars order longer blades, they come with fines and need mediums.
I bought Lister Star clippers this spring and they definitely work. My geldings coat is not particularly long but very thick. My nice Laube clippers choke and die quickly. I agree with another poster that you’ll need a smaller clipper for the tight spots.
I love the Lister Stars but they do get hot after 10 minutes or so. I’m following the oiling instructions so would appreciate any hints. As mentioned in my post above, my horse’s Cushings coat is very thick so hot clippers might just be something I have to deal with.
Canned air for cleaning electronics is FANTASTIC for cleaning and cooling blades quickly.
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I’ve clipped with Clipmasters, and several mid-sized Andis and Oster clippers, then a couple of years ago, I got my K2 clippers - they are LIFE changing for both me and my horses. They are LIGHT because you aren’t holding up a motor, and they are powerful. I use T-10 blades on them. They are QUIET compared to the Clipmasters, which always had the horse’s on edge a bit. And the Clipmasters left me with shoulder aches because they were so heavy. So, if you can swing paying a bit more - that is the way to go. If you are only doing a couple of clips a year, it isn’t such an issue, but I have one mare that I clip monthly, and a pony that needs at least 3 or 4 clips/year - and the K2s really made my life easier. I read the reviews on one website, and one person (who worked as a groom) said she would marry them if she could:lol:
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Thanks for all the great suggestions and tips about noise, heat, and different blades. I’ll definitely take a look at the models mentioned here. Hoping we can get through a clip and that the pony will feel better after!
I oil every section (shoulder, neck, side etc). check your tension on your blades and also keeping them well sharpened helps them run cooler along with clipping a clean dry horse. I also give mine a break and use the little clippers for the smaller spaces throughout the clip. I do a lot of full clips so that happens a lot with legs, faces, etc. I used to have clipmasters and I would never go back to the hair blowing in my face and the weight of them!
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I bought the Oster Clipmasters because it took FOREVER to clip my horse’s dense hair with the Andis AGC 2-speed clippers. The Andis clippers also had a hard time getting through his coat. I would have loved the Double K clippers but couldn’t justify the cost for the number of times I need to body clip. The Oster clippers are noisy, and they blow hair all over you. BUT, they clip my horse fast and don’t struggle with the yak-like coat.
