Grooming Gypsy Vanners

It’s that time of year again-time to body clip the Gypsy Vanner If the temperature where you live is above 70 deg F it is time to remove that fuzzy undercoat . Most Gypsy Vanners are used to being body clipped if they are from a warm climate area. If they haven’t ever been clipped, they may be afraid of the clippers.  If they have never been clipped before, you will need to take the time to introduce them to the clippers.

Slowly introduce the horse to the clippers
We have found if you hold the clippers on them and also give them some love , they will set about to understand that the clippers will not harm them.  Horses are prey animals in the wild , so they are naturally fright or flight animals   As a horse groomer it is our responsibility to make this as good an experience as we can.  If the big clippers scare the horse, try starting with smaller ones (the ones used to trim the face).  The large clippers (the ones used on the body) make a loud noise, so understand that it is a fear response?, not misbehavior.

Start with a clean horse
A clean, brushed coat is best for clipping.   At Gypsy MVP we use a medicated shampoo from EZ-Groom. We find that this shampoo prevents irritation.

Always keep your blades cool and clean.
This makes your job easier and gives better results for the horse . Keeping the clippers cool and clean is very important. Clippers get hot rather quickly , so make sure you check them often. And if they are dirty they are louder and cut slower.  

Always reward your horse with a treat when you are finished
Upon completing your grooming session , make sure you give the horse a treat, so it makes it a good experience for the animal .  This way the next time you put the horse in a bay for clipping (or any other reason) they will look forward to the experience.

This article is compliment of Lisa the groomer for Gypsy MVP, America’s most trusted source for Gypsy Horses.

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