:~: Naked Pony! :~:

As spring starts to roll around, there's always that annoying issue of our horses shedding their furry winter coats... That is unless you have a nice pair of clippers! Considering the title of the post, I think you might see where this is going.

If you guessed "Cheeky got clipped" -- 5 Brownie points to you!!

After several months of being hounded by my trainer, barn owner, and riding friends I finally decided to do my first full-body clip on my horse. I would've never admitted it at the time, but I was EXTREMELY nervous, considering I am an absolute perfectionist. I really wanted to make a good impression, and of course make Cheeky look nice with this clip, but I realized that was going to be a challenge on my very first clip job.

Luckily for me, our amazing groom (who was/still is recovering from a dislocated elbow -- OUCH) was able to show me the basics on the body, legs, and back for a good 10-15 minutes. UNfortunately she had to leave me after that, so I was basically left to do my very first full-body clip without any help or supervision. Pretty much all I was thinking was "Greeaaaat, now I'm sure to screw up..."

I must've spent a total of 3.5 hours on his body. Then came the legs, and with that came another hour. About halfway through clipping his legs I could tell that Cheeky had just about had it, and was on that brink of tipping the "crazyberg." For those of you who actually have met or know Cheeky, you know he is what I like to call a "worrier." Worrier horses get extremely skittish in new or somewhat uncomfortable situations, OR when they feel they can't work though a situation that's been handed to them...

So, being the worrier that he is, as I started his hind legs, he decided he was going to tip that crazyberg and started picking up his legs every time I would move in with (or touch) the clippers to his legs. I tried several techniques -- holding his leg in the air, touching his leg while clipping, feeding him a few treats (to relax him), and finally holding the vibrating clippers to his fetlocks (to familiarize him with the feel of the clippers). They all helped in VERY small ways -- just enough for me to finish up the job and pack away the clippers. I wasn't even going to try and attempt his face judging by the way he was acting up. I thought I'd be best if I just put him away and then come back on Friday (yesterday) to do his mane.

By this time it was 6:45 PM, I was covered head to toe in horsehair, and I had a 45 minute drive back home through pitch black/soaking wet backroads. On top of all of this I still had a ton of homework AND a history test to study for. I guess you could say I was busy on Wednesday night... Good thing the clipping turned out okay!

I was able to make it out there yesterday around 1:30 to finish his face, and we got it all done!! Also got to hop on and work on the flat a bit and he was an absolute doll! My baby boy is really starting to turn into something special! I love him so much... <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">
The moral of the story? DON'T do your first body clip on a school night when you have tons of homework. You WILL end up staying awake until midnight.