Centered in the Saddle

I finally body clipped Duke. I should’ve done it at least a month ago. Actually, I attempted it back in October. The clipper blades turned out to be dull so he got a hack job bib clip and that was it. Thus passed two months of me being unsure if I should buy blades and clip him since I am not his owner.

I finally just went for it.

Seriously, he was so hairy that after an hour lesson, I’d have to spend close to an hour and a half to get him properly cool and dry. That included walking in a cooler, towel drying and using a blow dryer. 

Yeah. A blow dryer. 

Beyond that, I realized I was actually not riding him as much, or changing my ride plans to avoid him getting sweaty. I would either do a very light ride, or just not ride at all. That realization was the kick in the pants I needed to suck it up and buy clipper blades. 

I thought all was lost when the hardware store that carries the blades was closed, it being a Sunday. But I ended up looking at my local PetSmart’s online inventory and they had a Andis CeramicEdge blade in stock.

Tip: PetSmart will price match anywhere, even their own website. These blades were $18 online, but when I got to the store they were almost $45. Which, no thanks. But they matched the online price, so I picked up two plus some Cool Care spray. At the hardware store, the blades are at least $30, so I was happy with the price. Why PetSmart doesn’t have price parity online and in-store, I have no idea.

I give you all this background because a) maybe you, too, can save money and b) because these blades were awesome. I was not quite sure about the ceramic blade, but I do have ceramic kitchen knives that are super sharp and amazing, so I tried it. The blade never got hot, it was still sharp by the end, and I was very pleased with how it handled Dukes incredible yak-like fur. I did use plenty of Cool Care spray throughout just to keep them from getting gummed up, and it worked like a charm. 10/10 would recommend.

Duke got a nice warm bath which was amazing to get all the dirt off his legs and I took the opportunity to wash his mane and tail, too. They were nasty. And then, we clipped.

Duke is really a good boy for clipping. He stood mostly still the whole time. The only minor issues arose when the feeding cart came through. I should’ve started just a little sooner – we were almost done when it was feeding time, and it would’ve been nice to not torture him with a delayed meal. Oh, well, we got it done. I left his face, legs and most of his belly unclipped. Those areas aren’t covered by his cozy blanket, and they won’t get super sweaty. 

So, this was the first time I’ve actually body clipped a horse. I know a lot of people hate it but I found it deeply satisfying. I know it’d be different if I had to do a bunch of horses in one day, or work on a horse that was not good with clipping. But I honestly just kind of slipped into this wonderful zen brain state. 

I’ve had a lot going on and a very busy brain lately, so it was really nice to just sink into a calm state, focusing on the task at hand.

Plus, at the end, it was wonderful to have a clean, soft horse! I am dying to ride once again, knowing I won’t have to cool him out for a million years.