Help Clipping a Yearling Pleeeease :)

[SamWerner]

So my boy is 19 months now, and still giving me a hard time with clipping his ears. Every few days I mess with his ears by rubbing or massaging them, but he is still a little defiant about it.

He WILL NOT let me go anywhere near his ears with the clippers.
We even tried a tiny bit of Ace, but it did not work.

I have done all the steps to get him used to it, attempted to rub them on his head, put them on and let him used to the vibrations through my hand, but he still freaks out.

The only time I was able to get his ears clipped was when his two little friends were taken away from him

So, is my only option to have him sedated? Keep messing with his ears, attempt to twitch? Anything else?

Help me!! Thanks

[Equine_Reproduction]

@SamWerner;5970167

He WILL NOT let me go anywhere near his ears with the clippers.
We even tried a tiny bit of Ace, but it did not work.

It it is STRONGLY recommended NOT to use Acepromazine in the male equine. It can cause paralysis of the penile retractor muscles. Bad, bad, bad when that happens and yeah…it does happen :(.

The penile retractor muscles also runs the full length of the ventral surface of the penis.
• This muscle can become permanently paralyzed following treatment with some phenothiazine tranquilizers such as acepromazine.
o Such paralysis may result in a requirement that the penis be amputated.
o Acepromazine use is therefore contra-indicated in stallions and geldings.

So, is my only option to have him sedated? Keep messing with his ears, attempt to twitch? Anything else?

Help me!! Thanks

Is it THAT important to clip the ears? We typically do not do anything more than trim the outside of the ears and “tidy” up the inside so that no long rough hairs extend beyond the fleshy portion of the ear. Horses need those hairs to protect them from bugs, especially during the summer months.

Try using a twitch if necessary, but quite honestly, other than when I’m needing to actually clean them up for a show or an inspection, I don’t mess with their ears much. I’ll try without anything, but if it isn’t going to work, I’ll step up to the twitch. I’ve learned to pick my fights and ears just don’t rank very high up there as to being a fight worthy “topic” ;). Good luck!

[alliekat]

Did you try the electric tooth brush? It is small, cordless, and easy to grasp. Less noise and vibrations then clippers too. For the ones that aren’t really sure about clippers I would be using one to get them use to it, in and around his ear. If that fails there is always “Aunt Allie” LOL
Kathy is very right though, I wouldn’t use Ace on a male horse.

[lauriep]

Ace isn’t going to get you where you need to be, anyway, with a horse that is REALLY resisting ear trimming. I agree with Kathy, just forget it and use a twitch when you HAVE to do it for a show or inspection. I have trimmed literally HUNDREDS of horses over the years, and I could count on one hand the number that let me trim ears with no twitch. They just don’t like it. So, I let them go when it isn’t necessary. They get done a lot in the summer, and not at all in the winter. I feel NO guilt at all when I have to twitch them for 5 minutes.

If I use a drug, it is ALWAYS Dormosedan. I haven’t used Ace for any grooming/trimming in years. It just doesn’t take enough of the fight out of them.

[NaniLio]

I agree with Alliekat about the electric toothbrush. Just yesterday one of my boarders asked if I really brushed the horses teeth…the only logical explanation she could think of for having an electric toothbrush in the grooming box On ours that really resent the buzzing sound around their ears I’ve found it works wonders at getting them used to it. While they eat I let the toothbrush buzz around the ears progressing to inside the ears once they become less resentful about it.

I also had a very gentle and patient old “cowboy” tell me that I should always grasp the ear firmly and sort of turn it inside out to clip the ears. He did NOT mean ear twitch them. His explanation was that when you’re just softly holding the ear the clippers tickle quite a bit and the sound echos in their ear canal. So, by firmly holding them and turning them out it decreases the vibration and blocks the sound going into the ear canal. I sent a mare to him that had a nasty habit of trying to knock you out with her head when you say…bridled so you can imagine my shock when I watched him clip her ears while ground tied after just a week. I was sold on the technique and I think my horses are happier for it!

Good luck!

[JustThatSimple]

Twitch, lip shank, use politely, get the job done, practice again in a week the same way- less fight- less measures used.

The more often you clip with a good experience in regards to respect being given to you- and reward afterwards- treat, carrot, anything he likes- the greater probability he will grow to not care.

This is how mine all start if bad- they all finish standing quietly to be clipped- doesn’t matter where. I’m too small to fight or let them attempt to be defiant- not worth getting hurt.

[alliekat]

[QUOTE=NaniLio;5970462]
I also had a very gentle and patient old “cowboy” tell me that I should always grasp the ear firmly and sort of turn it inside out to clip the ears. He did NOT mean ear twitch them. His explanation was that when you’re just softly holding the ear the clippers tickle quite a bit and the sound echos in their ear canal. So, by firmly holding them and turning them out it decreases the vibration and blocks the sound going into the ear canal. I sent a mare to him that had a nasty habit of trying to knock you out with her head when you say…bridled so you can imagine my shock when I watched him clip her ears while ground tied after just a week. I was sold on the technique and I think my horses are happier for it!

Good luck! :)[/QUOTE]

This is what we do too.

@JustThatSimple;5970469

The more often you clip with a good experience in regards to respect being given to you- and reward afterwards- treat, carrot, anything he likes- the greater probability he will grow to not care.

Again I agree. I would have them out every day, even if I wasn’t really clipping until it was just not a big deal any longer. Each time there will be less resistance/fight, there for less measures needed to be taken. Always end on a good note. Also let him have some turn out too before you try and clip. If he gets to run and play with his buddies he should* have less energy to test you with.

Here is our weanling colt from this year. After they are ok with it they don’t see the clippers until needed and usually they are fine with it from then on. After being smashed in the face by an adult horse that was in training years ago I knew that clipping the ears was something all my babies would have to learn to love…or tolerate, without twitching and drugs. My face still hurts thinking about that horse!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMFYNf5kkNo

Here is another weanling our ours meeting the clippers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9S2ozkbEq8

Pictures below of another weanling who stood to be body clipped in the back yard.

[NoDQhere]

We get all our youngsters used to a blow dryer first. They learn to accept it pretty quickly. The clippers have been no problem once they are used to being blow dried :yes:

[alliekat]

[QUOTE=NoDQhere;5970533]
We get all our youngsters used to a blow dryer first. They learn to accept it pretty quickly. The clippers have been no problem once they are used to being blow dried :yes:[/QUOTE]

What a fantastic idea. Great tool to be able to use. Thank you

[ise]

We never clip inside the ears. When we need to trim the outside we just use scissors. We get them used to us cupping their ears with peppermint treats and then work up to moving the whole ear and folding them forward and back. So holding the ears to cut the outside rims and the inside long hairs pocking out is usually just two clips and done.
Thank you Kathy for posting about using Ace on the young boys.

[Dune]

All of the above are good suggestions, although I don’t like the idea of hand feeding treats to young horses. :no: You can get it done by desensitizing, not bribery. Plenty of time for that down the road and for more important things.

[SamWerner]

[QUOTE=Equine Reproduction;5970270]
It it is STRONGLY recommended NOT to use Acepromazine in the male equine.

Is it THAT important to clip the ears? We typically do not do anything more than trim the outside of the ears and “tidy” up the inside so that no long rough hairs extend beyond the fleshy portion of the ear. Horses need those hairs to protect them from bugs, especially during the summer months.

Try using a twitch if necessary, but quite honestly, other than when I’m needing to actually clean them up for a show or an inspection, I don’t mess with their ears much. I’ll try without anything, but if it isn’t going to work, I’ll step up to the twitch. I’ve learned to pick my fights and ears just don’t rank very high up there as to being a fight worthy “topic” ;). Good luck![/QUOTE]

Wow thanks I had NO idea about the Ace on males. Thank you so much! I will never use it on him again.

I am planning on taking him to his first in hand show in 2 weeks, so that is the only reason I want to clip his ears.
I also just clip/trim ears for horse shows
I just wanted him to be fully groomed up for the judge!

[QUOTE=alliekat;5970353]Did you try the electric tooth brush? It is small, cordless, and easy to grasp. Less noise and vibrations then clippers too. For the ones that aren’t really sure about clippers I would be using one to get them use to it, in and around his ear. If that fails there is always “Aunt Allie” LOL
Kathy is very right though, I wouldn’t use Ace on a male horse.[/QUOTE]

Aunt Allie…we may need you haha. I will try the electric toothbrush, good idea!

[QUOTE=lauriep;5970413]Ace isn’t going to get you where you need to be, anyway, with a horse that is REALLY resisting ear trimming. I agree with Kathy, just forget it and use a twitch when you HAVE to do it for a show or inspection. I have trimmed literally HUNDREDS of horses over the years, and I could count on one hand the number that let me trim ears with no twitch. They just don’t like it. So, I let them go when it isn’t necessary. They get done a lot in the summer, and not at all in the winter. I feel NO guilt at all when I have to twitch them for 5 minutes.

If I use a drug, it is ALWAYS Dormosedan. I haven’t used Ace for any grooming/trimming in years. It just doesn’t take enough of the fight out of them.[/QUOTE]

I will try the twitch after the toothbrush And if need be, I will use the Dormosedan! I am just so used to my mare that is an angel with the clippers

@NoDQhere;5970533

We get all our youngsters used to a blow dryer first. They learn to accept it pretty quickly. The clippers have been no problem once they are used to being blow dried :yes:

Good idea too!!

Thanks everyone for your advice!

[jcotton]

Whether your in-hand show is a breed show or an open in-hand show, the inside of the ears are not being judged. Just clip the excess fuzziness and tufts on the outside, you will be fine with leaving the insides fully haired.

I have been showing arab sporthorse for the past couple of years and do not clip the inside of my 1/2 arabs ears. He needs the hair to keep bugs out of his ears. I use a humane twitch to get the job done.

And a good judge can judge with a full haired horse.

[Home_Again_Farm]

If the in hand show is a DSHB show, no need to clip the inside of the ears. We just do the tufts that stick out and have won most of the classes we have ever entered.

[SamWerner]

[QUOTE=jcotton;5971249]
Whether your in-hand show is a breed show or an open in-hand show, the inside of the ears are not being judged. Just clip the excess fuzziness and tufts on the outside, you will be fine with leaving the insides fully haired.

I have been showing arab sporthorse for the past couple of years and do not clip the inside of my 1/2 arabs ears. He needs the hair to keep bugs out of his ears. I use a humane twitch to get the job done.

And a good judge can judge with a full haired horse.[/QUOTE]

My boy is 1/2 arab too…good to hear you have never been penalized.

@Home Again Farm;5971319

If the in hand show is a DSHB show, no need to clip the inside of the ears. We just do the tufts that stick out and have won most of the classes we have ever entered.

It’s just a schooling show, but I was going to go all out. The real shows around here don’t start for me until February, so I just wanted him to get used to it before then.

[NOMIOMI1]

Ive done some tough ones, and I mean nasty stallions who are getting clipped first time in their lives at 15 type tough lol

My favorite thing to do right now is use those tiny clippers http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM256732388P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM256732388

They are pocket size and not too loud

I keep them with my cleaning gear and Bzzzz bzzz here and there on their face or ears. Just a snip here and there and eventually they get used to it.

VERY patient works best. I stand next to them completely still for long amounts of time with clippers on. If they are a really bad I just turn them on and set them down if I have to and continue grooming

All kinds of things you can do. No biggie giving a treat here and there for good behavior IMO but stay clear of over doing that too

[SamWerner]

Thanks NOMIOMI1

[Home_Again_Farm]

My point was that if the in hand show is dressage rather than hunter breeding, there is no benefit to clipping the inside of the ear. Just cup the ear and clip or even scissor the hair that sticks out. Here in FL we have bugs, especially gnats, year round. Your guy will be so much happier to have some protection. But, to each their own. Good luck!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

My opinion is to just trim the tufts with a scissor, I’m with HAF. My filly was trimmed this way and beat horses with their ears completely shaved out. The judge really didn’t care about the inner-ears, and she looked very good with this amount of ear trimming anyway, imo.

I am going to try some of the desensitizing suggestions on this thread over the winter however!

I would have no problem using Dormosedan and a twitch to get the job done quickly and safely, however, if it “had” to happen. I would want a helper too, depending on how bad the horse is. I did see a horse that absolutely objected to having it’s rear legs shaved overcome Dormosedan and a twitch to strike it’s owner, so you should still be careful. Make sure you do any drug-application (if you go that route) soon enough if it is a USEF event!

[lucyeq]

I would clip all the way, even if it is a schooling show.

Try the twitch, like others have said, but if that doesn’t work, you can do a passable job with scissors. My mare is the worst about having her ears clipped. I mean horrible. I eventually gave in and did it with little, good-quality scissors and it looks good after you get used to it! I also have to use razors on her muzzles instead of the clippers.