Doping for clipping

[marge2]

My mare has had most of a blanket clip. It was only her 3rd ever clip ( aged 18) She was scared of the clippers at first and was a bit tense, but stood nicely and let us do almost all of her apart from her head and some belly bits as she started to get bargey towards the end and dragged us around the yard and chucked her head all over the place. Couldn't do it in the stable as the cord won't reach. She let us do more or less up to her ears and jaw, but the line is ragged and untidy and looks a right old mess. She is always tickly under her belly even for grooming. We tried to tidy her up yesterday after an ACP tablet, but it obviously hadn;t touched the sides and she was worse than the first day. I am considering getting the vet out to dope her up so we can finish off the clip. But before I do, does anyone know anything else we can give her orally to dope her that will actually work. I know one ACP tab prob wasn't enough, but I just don't think even a higher does will do the job. Same goes for Sedalin. I don't think it's strong enough.

[MassiveKnob]

I used to use a nose twitch, but that was many years ago.....

[marge2]

Yeah I could do that, but I think that will make her even more scared for the next time. I don't want it to turn into a massive issue. She was nervous but actually very good to begin with. I have a feeling the clippers were getting a bit hot.

[Pixel]

We've just tried sedalin to wash our horse's sheath (he kicks like a mule) and though we gave him more than the normal dose it had no effect whatsoever. We ended up getting the vet to sedate him and he was dopey within about a minute. Amazing! The only problem I can foresee for you is that when he was 'coming to' he seemed to get quite sweaty which wouldn't help you much with clipping. Plus it was quite expensive.

[marge2]

Thanks Pixel - We have only got a tiny bit left to do , but it needs doing 'cos her head look crazy and she is tufty underneath. I think I am going to have to get the vet out. I am hoping I can share the callout though.


Grrrrrr. Bloody horses!!

[TacticalNameChange]

Another perpetrator of twitching I'm afraid.

It is non-invasive, no needles, non-drug and no vet needed. It is a SHORT term solution.

With lots of natural horsmanship/ intelligent horsmanship training you can have a happier horse but this is a LONG term solution.

Either contact your vet or use twitching.

In the long term consult Kelly Marks books.

Best of luck.

[TacticalNameChange]

Sorry, that message didn't explain that I DO NOT prefer twitching in general, just that I have had to use it and have had to use vet sedation and in my experience it is best to do every thing you can to prevent your horses being scared of the vet!

Please don't think that I like hurt my horses just that it is best they learn to accept the odd 'trick' from their owner than despise/fear the vet. As one day, acceptance of the vet may save their lives (as in my eldest mare's experience).

[Pixel]

Have you tried the little mini clippers that you use for trimming? We've got a pair of cordless ones for trimming jawlines etc and they are almost silent and hardly vibrate at all. You can hardly tell they are switched on! You might be able to finish off the clip with them if there is not much left to do, it would help get her confidence ready for next time, and you can pick them up fairly cheaply (mine were £20, way cheaper than the vet!).

[marge2]

Sadly she is already the vets best mate. She has metabolic syndrome and is recovering from laminitis. She has ben doped numerous times for xrays recently. The clip is part of the solution. She is only in the very early stages of getting back into work. To speed up the weight loss we are trying to freeze the exces weight off.

I have twitched her before for various one off things, so I'm not against it per se.

Those little mini clippers sound like the answer to me - I didn;t know you couldget them so cheap!

[marge2]

...by the way - what make are your mini clippers?

[AlpinePony]

Bikini-line clippers for head & ears...

[Abbicob]

I have to twitch to get the ears off and if you get it on tight enough she stands like a rock. Much cheaper than calling the vet out.

[Pixel]

They are the same as these. There might be better ones around for all I know but I bought them on a whim when we went to Windsor to the dressage/showjumping championships. I've found them to be quite good for what they are, they make a lovely neat job of dhorse's jaw/ears etc though I know they would never cope with anything like hogging him as he has a very thick coarse mane.

[marge2]

Thanks All,

I'll get those clippers. Luckliy she is incredilby fine coated so with any luck they should do the job....and if she is still a nob I'll twitch her! I'll let you know how we get on!

If all else fails I'll get the bikini line ones

[horseymum]

you can do a less damaging form of twitch (which is to release natural endorphins ) by gripping above lips with hand vertical - you have to grip very hard and it tires your hand out but might be enough to get endorphins going and pony to cope with last bit of clip. it prevents chance of rope cutting into lips as your hand can only grip so tight for a short time.

[ohnelly]

I would just put a twitch one - will only take a few mins, no stress to you or horse, and no vet bill!

[MitchyInge]

twitch doesn't work for us, was hoping sedalin might be cheaper alternative to vet - especially as get v little time to clip even with vet before something life threatening happens

even if can just get windpipe done will be a miracle pleased

[Sparklyoldwhizzbangcatpusswhee]

My friend used to look after a tb who had to have 18 acp tablets to be able to hack out! The vet gave me sedalin gel for my small Shetland and said that it is acp in a tube. You definitely need to give more than one tab.
I second smaller clippers. I have wahl cordless ones designed for face and trimming that managed well when I traced my bigger Shetland ( 14.2 on 6 inch legs!)
Twitching is okay, but it will only get the job done now. she's going to be way more reluctant next time! You need to get quieter clippers and spend a lot of time desensitising her to them ready for next time. In the long run, only time and patience will help.

[mummydoc]

we have vet out for sedating - clipping is the only thing we haven't managed to overcome with nutty noddy who in a yr has transfomed from stress head to dopehead !

[JRsandCoffee]

Looking a the timings I suspect it's all done and dusted but for what it's worth I'd be inclined to go down the desensitising route....at the end of the day if you've got most of the hair off you've achieved the object, even if she does look messy? If the desensitising route doesn't work you may need to go to dope but I'd try and avoid what sounds like yet another vets bill? Maybe I'm just being tight....But also if you can desesitise her you've got a solution for life that doesn't involve the vet.
If it's any consolation when I was on a busier yard I used to be asked to clip horses quite frequently, I'd draw attention to my boy's wonky lines and point out that I can remove the hair but without much skill or beauty but at least he doesn't sweat!!

Have you tried laminaze? Or even Cushingaze - or however they're spelled? Mine is laminitic and possibly heading towards cushings and I never go near the bloody vet, he just gets his scoop of laminaze and a bit more during "danger" periods. Give or take the odd day we've kept him in to be on the safe side and a bute sandwich during one dodgy week in the summer he's been good for almost a year and in work. Cushingaze has something in it that seems to stop them holding weight - another horse on the yard, previously like a whale and also prone to laminitis is on that and she's nice and trim now....

[rotool]

Sedalin is really good, we use it on all our 4 year olds that have never been clipped before and it does knock them out enough although we still put the twitch on for ears and legs if needed....goodluck

[marge2]

Sadly it's not all done and dusted yet. We still have the daft hairy head and tufty belly. It wouldn't look so bad but there's a small clipped square patch on one cheek - it's so obviously a failed clip. I got the ultra quiet clippers but the minute I turned them on she stated bolting round the stable. It will be one VERY long de-sensitization process which I will do anyway.

However the vet is coming out anyway next month for a progress update on the 'metabolic' thing and possibly to take X-rays of the pedal bones. He will take bloods to check the insulin levels. Recently he has had to dope for the X-rays anyway as she tends not to stand still enough to get a good shot. So I will ask him to give her enough dope to get her through a clipping after the X-rays and that way I can legitimately put it through on the insurance. We'll do the head and belly first before she starts to wake up!