Horse Clipping Season Guide 2025

As the weather begins to cool down from September onward, it’s time to prepare for horse clipping season. Proper clipping not only helps keep your horse comfortable but also makes post-exercise grooming easier and quicker. Below we have crafted a detailed guide to help horse owners through the full process of preparing, clipping and then post-clip maintenance of your horse’s coat to ensure and maintain their well-being throughout this clipping season.

Before you begin, ensure you have all the necessary equipment and tools. The first thing you should consider is which is the right clipper for your horses coat, as well as what type of activity your horse is going to get up to. Whether you have a working horse or are just looking to freshen up your friend’s coat, look no further.

In this article we plan to look at the following:

1: What Clipper is right for my Horse

2: Preparation: What to do before clipping

3: Coat styles for my horse

4: Post-clipping care

What Clipper is right for my horse?

To start, you probably are going to need to have a clipper in the first place! Luckily, we know just the people to help; WAHL! Our equine clipper products are built to last, able to handle tough work and cut through both thick, coarse hair as well as fine or silky coats.

Recommended Clippers and what they are used for:

Heavy Duty Clipping: KMC+ Equine Clipper

the KMC+ Equine Clipper is a beloved fixture in many stables. This powerful, fast and efficient clipper is ideal for professionals and enthusiasts alike. It has a slim, balanced grip for maximum comfort while you trim. The KMC+ is cordless, lightweight, so you can clip for longer, and it’s wide T-blade is designed to cover as much of your horses coat as possible. It runs quietly, keeping your horse happy and calm during their groom.

Although it is called a heavy duty clipper, the KMC+ is equipped to handle all hair types.

Cordless Professional Grooming : KM Supera

The KM Supera is our powerful, long life battery cordless horse clipper.

Designed for those who want to clip without the hassle that comes with corded clippers. No hassle, just perfect clipping. Lightweight and compact, the KM Supera offers hours of power with two rechargeable chargers that each give 180 minutes of clipping. it also comes with a unique ultra wide blade that can cut down to 1.5mm. Medium-duty clippers can handle all coat types.

Tight Trimming: Adelar Pro

the Adelar Pro has been engineered to cope with the most challenging tight trims. Ideal for sensitive areas, it features a powerful motor that gives constant speed control, meaning that once you trim a spot, you wont have to come back for seconds.

It has also been built with a unique integrated cutting length adjuster that means you can cut between 0.7mm – 3mm without having to change blade guards.
This powerful trimmer should be used for areas that need detail and finesse.

Bridle/Fetlock Grooming: Arco Trimmer

the Arco Cordless Pet Trimmer is a nimble and powerful grooming tool that’s ideal for equestrian use. Particularly used for trimming around eyes and legs, as well as slightly longer finishes on the bridle path. Its slim, lightweight and comes with two batteries (each delivering about 80 minutes of runtime), allows seamless use without being tethered to an outlet. This mobility, along with its quiet, low-vibration rotary motor, helps keep skittish horses calm while trimming delicate areas like bridle paths, fetlocks, and muzzles.

Precise Trimming: Smart Clip

The Wahl Smart Clip Pet Clipper is an excellent choice for focused equine trimming, especially when dealing with sensitive or nervous horses. Its quiet operation and lightweight design help minimize stress and the 4-in-1 adjustable blade offers cutting lengths from 1mm to 2.8mm, making it versatile for various grooming needs. With 3.5-hour cordless runtime and a digital battery indicator, it ensures uninterrupted grooming sessions. Its ergonomic design and anti-slip grip enhance control, making it suitable for detailed work on horses.

Ultimate Precision & Control: KM10

The Wahl KM10 Two-Speed Professional Clipper is an excellent choice for clipping horses thanks to its powerful, durable brushless motor with constant speed control that automatically adjusts power to effortlessly handle thick, matted, or coarse horse coats. There is no slowing down mid-clip, it runs remarkably quietly to help keep noise-sensitive horses calm. With two speed settings, easily switch between gentle trims and fast, full-body clipping. Plus, it comes with a high-quality Ultimate Competition blade.

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Battery and Blade Maintenance:

Checking Battery Health

if your Equine clipper is cordless then before you can get started, you should check the battery life.

To ensure the clipper’s battery is fully charged, double-check the battery light indicator to prevent disruptions mid-clip. otherwise you may find your horse has half a haircut.

With corded clippers however, there is no need to worry about charge, simply plug in and make sure the wires are untangled before beginning your clip.

Wahl KM Supera

Oiling & Cleaning Your Blades

Regularly clean and oil the clipper blades. Oiling the blade ensures smooth operation, prevents overheating, and extends the life of the blades. It is especially useful to oil the blades if you haven’t used the clipper in a few months.

You should clean the blades with a brush and apply oil before, during, and after clipping session.

Blade Oil

Clipping Techniques:

There are various clipping styles depending on your horse’s workload, coat type, and comfort. Here’s a breakdown of the most common styles:

Trace Clip:

This style aims to remove hair from the underside of the neck, belly, and sometimes the sides. Ideal for horses in light to medium work. It’s a partial clipping style used particularly for horses that continue to be ridden during colder months.

How to:
In this style, hair is clipped along the areas where the horse typically sweats the most, such as the underside of the neck, chest, and belly, while leaving the rest of the coat intact. This helps keep the horse cooler during work while still providing some insulation against the cold.

Blanket Clip:

Leaves hair on the horse’s back and hindquarters, providing more warmth while removing hair from the neck, shoulders, and belly. Overall, this clip balances the need for cooling with protection from the elements.

How to:
Start to clip from the underside of the neck, work your way to the entire chest, belly, and flanks, making sure to leave the hair on the back, loins, and upper legs intact, leaving the remaining hair resembling the shape of a blanket.

Full Clip:

Removes all hair, leaving only the legs and sometimes a patch of hair on the saddle area for protection. This style is typically used for horses in heavy work throughout the winter, as it helps them stay cool during intense exercise.

How to:
Starting from the face, work your way back to the neck, down to the entire chest, hind and finish up with the underbelly and legs.

Hunter Clip:

Keeps the legs and saddle area covered while removing the rest of the body hair. This clip is popular for horses in regular, strenuous work during the winter, such as hunters and jumpers, as it helps regulate body temperature during exercise while providing extra protection to areas prone to cold and friction.

How to:
The main focus here should be on the lower body, neck, and hindquarters are clipped, leaving hair on the legs for protection and a saddle-shaped patch on the back for warmth and cushioning under the saddle.

Which Clipper Blade is right for me?

Easier swapping- pRIME SERIES Blade

The core philosophy when designing Prime Series Blades was making it so that they had a quick change system in place so that you could clip and unclip for easy maintenance and replacement.

Every Prime Blade is precision ground from solid high-carbon steel to ensure sharpness and durability, improving the quality of your cutting experience. They are also grooved so that they stay cool throughout longer grooming sessions, essential when you are dealing with pet grooming over the course of the day.

Since they are made from solid metal, you can have them re-sharpened multiple times before you need them replaced.

Prime Series Blade

Post-Clipping Care:

After clipping, it’s essential to maintain the horse’s coat and skin, follow our guide below for the full guide on how to maintain your horse’s coat far beyond the initial groom:

Washing Your Horse:

Once the clipping is complete, give your horse a wash to remove any loose hair or clipper oil residues. Use a gentle horse shampoo and ensure the horse is properly dried to avoid chills.

When cleaning, make sure to use a gentle shampoo and add a conditioner afterwards. With their fresh coat, it’s important to keep their natural oils to act as a natural protection and shine for their coat.

For easy removal of knot and tangles, ensure your horses mane and tail is clean. Wahl Shampoos and Conditioners can aid in detangling, making brushing more comfortable for yourself and your horse.

Shampoos & Conditioners

Brushing their coat:

Regular brushing post-clip helps distribute natural oils and keeps the coat healthy.

To get the best out of your horse’s new coat, it is good to spread their natural oils all over their coat using grooming tools.

The best equine grooming tool for body grooming is a curry comb. The Wahl Rubber Curry has been specifically designed for easy, effective use and comfort for your horse. This short-toothed horse grooming brush is made with rubber and can be used to rub or “curry” the loose hair, dirt, debris and other particles from under your horse’s coat surface. In addition, when using in a circular motion it can stimulate the skin for healthy blood flow and the production of natural oils.

Combo Body Brush

Blanketing to keep them safe:

Depending on the clipping style and the weather, ensure your horse has an appropriate blanket to stay warm.

Blanketing your horse after grooming helps maintain cleanliness by preventing dirt and debris from settling on their coat. obviously once the weather starts to get cooler, it also keeps the horse warm, reducing the risk of chills, and sickness.

Additionally, a blanket can protect the horse’s skin and coat from environmental elements, preserving their groomed appearance longer.

Health and Hoof Care:

Maintaining your horse’s overall health during the colder months is vital, especially when it comes to foot health. Wet and muddy conditions can increase the risk of conditions like thrush and mud fever. Read below for a few tips on what you might want to look out for and how to pre-emptively watch out for issues.

Cleaning and inspecting their hooves:

The ideal thing to do after a full day in the muddy or wet weather is to clean your horse’s hooves daily. You can do this by Use a hoof pick to remove debris that might have gotten lodged in.

In terms of inspecting the hoof, you should regularly check your horse’s hooves for any signs of infection, such as foul odour, black discharge, or swelling.

Hoof Pick

Preventative care

In order to maximise the safety and make sure issues don’t arise, you can always apply hoof treatments designed to protect against moisture-related diseases. Products like anti-thrush solutions or barrier creams can help prevent bacterial and fungal growth

However, If you notice any signs of hoof disease or other health issues, consult your vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.

By combining regular health checks with a thorough and gentle clipping routine, you can keep your horse comfortable, healthy, and looking great throughout the colder months. Using Lister clippers ensures a smooth clipping process, making it easier for you to manage your horse’s coat while also keeping their skin and hooves in top condition.

Browse Helpful Tips & Guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

We suggest gradual exposure to the noise. Start by introducing your horse to the sound of the clippers without actually clipping. Turn the clippers on at a distance and slowly bring them closer over time before actually clipping them.

You can also do the same thing but introduce a treat so they associate the noise with something good.

Consider positive reinforcement: Reward your horse with treats or praise when they remain calm during clipping sessions. This can help build a positive association with the process.

Make sure to take breaks: Clip in short sessions with breaks in between to prevent overwhelming your horse.

Get Ready For Horse Clipping Season