Clipping for the Katy Show (Audio)

Frenchie before body clipping.



Frenchie after body clipping.

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Clipping for the Katy Show

The Katy show starts this Friday, which means that everyone is trying to finish last minute preparations. Packing, training, and laundry are the primary concerns on the riders' minds, but there is one very important issue regarding the horses that has to be taken care of before the show; body clipping. All of the horses that are going to the show need to be body clipped. Body clipping is when you take clippers and shave all of your horse's winter coat off. Many people, due to ignorance or stubbornness, think that clipping the horse's natural defense against the cold,especially in the south, is wrong. On the contrary, clipping is one of the most helpful things you can do for your horse in the winter, especially in the unpredictable Texas weather. During the winter, if you plan on keeping your horse in a heavy work program or if you plan on showing him, body clipping will help you maintain your horse's health by keeping the horse from getting overheated during work due to a heavy winter coat, by preventing chills and colds due to wind by getting rid of the dense water-trapping winter coat, and by removing the dirt-attracting coat which allows you to keep your horse cleaner and its coat and skin in better condition. The most important aspects of the clipping process are having a clean horse, sharp blades, and a lot of time.


Robert, my trainer's husband, and I clipped my horse Frenchie on Friday, October 16, 2009. Frenchie had never been body clipped before and when we turned on the very loud clippers, she was quite scared and tried to either get away from or kick them several times during the clipping process. Robert began the process by just holding the clippers near her and touching her with them so she could get used to the sound and vibration they emit. At first, Frenchie twitched when the clippers would touch, but she got used to them after awhile. A little later, however, when Robert switched sides she became very agitated and tried to kick and bite Robert. Robert gave her 2ccs of a low-grade tranquilizer to get her to calm down. The tranquilizer didn't kick in as fast as Robert thought it would so after dealing with a still-twitching Frenchie, Robert decided to use the Twitch. The Twitch is a device that is used to pinch the front part of the horse's nose below the nostrils. This device causes the horse to relax because the pinching of the nose releases endorphins into the horse's system. This device looks cruel but it is very humane and does not harm the animal in any way. After Frenchie was Twitched, she calmed down considerably and allowed Robert to finish clipping the rest of her body. By the time Robert was ready to clip her face, the tranquilizer had taken effect and the Twitch could be removed. The whole process took about four hours to complete, but it was worth it because Frenchie looks and feels much better without her winter coat.





This video shows what Frenchie looked like before we clipped her, the process of clipping her as I described above, and what she looked like after we finished clipping her.

Preparations for the Katy show are going very well and the attendance roster is full. We will be taking a total of twelve horses, eleven tack trunks, ten riders, three trainers, and a six month old baby. This is going to be one busy show, but it's totally worth it for the great experiences that come from being with your barn and bonding with your horse.

The sudden rain has left the paddocks unusable as of Sunday October 4, 2009, which means wild and cranky horses. Horses need to go outside to stretch and socialize, and when they can't do this they get barn fever and they turn into the grouchiest animals on the planet. Hopefully the weather will permit some sun so the paddocks can dry up and the horses can return to their regular schedule. Riding has also been put on hold since Sunday due to large quantities of rain blowing into the indoor arena. The usually dry and dusty ring is now a swamp. We have no idea when the ring will be usable again, but I hope it's really soon.

The good news is that with all of this rain I have been able to spend some really good quality time with my horse Frenchie. On Sunday, Frenchie and I took a walk around the whole property while stopping to graze and talk to other people and horses. Also on Sunday, I gave Frenchie a bubble bath and the horse massage therapist arrived to give Frenchie an Alpha-Stem treatment. An Alpha-Stem treatment is where the massage therapist uses a machine that gives off small electrical currents to bring in fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients to an area and to disperse toxins that have built up in the body. This process leaves the horse feeling brand new and very relaxed. Our horses do so much for us that it is only fair that we thank them for all of their hard work.

Frenchie and I are both ready for the Katy show, and I can't wait to go in the ring with her and have a great time.