Desensitizing A Horse To Clippers

Tip for Clippers
There are many stimuli that can cause a horse to be anxious and fearful about the clippers—the sound, the smell, the vibration, even the cord laying on the ground like a snake. When desensitizing a horse to clippers, try to isolate each stimulus so that the horse can get used to them one at a time. For instance, if you have to use clippers with a cord, let him see and get comfortable with the cord moving on the ground before anything else. Then let him smell and feel the clippers before turning them on. Then let him get used to the sound of the clippers before he feels the vibrating touch. Be sure to only advance the stimulus so far—only as far as causes the horse to tense, then wait for the horse to relax, before removing the stimulus. By only removing the stimulus when the horse relaxes, you are training him to relax whenever he sees/hears/smells the clippers. If you remove the clippers while he is tensing—that’s what you are training him to do.