68 



ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



Clipping 

 lightens 

 labour. 



The 



operation 

 of 

 clipping. 



Period for 

 clipping. 



dry and clean, but if the back of the fetlocks and tendons be neatly 

 trimmed, this may be left to the discretion of the officer concerned. An 

 argument which is sometimes advanced for not removing the hair from the 

 back of the fetlock is that it acts as a natural drain for water when the 

 animal sweats or is wet. Again, experience shows that with heavy-coated 

 horses wet through from sweat or weather, those with trimmed legs do not 

 suffer more from cracked heels than those with a long coat, and are 

 certainly easier to dry and clean. 



Altogether apart from its beneficial effect on the horse's condition 

 and working power, clipping enables the men to dry and clean wet and 

 dirty animals better, quicker, and with less labour ; and in considering 

 the question as a whole this point should not be lost sight of. The attempt 

 to dry and groom a pair of muddy, soaking, heavy-coated horses is a 

 heart-breaking finale to a day's work, which should be avoided if possible. 



The operatio7i of dipping. — Whether the hand or power clipper is used, 

 some little skill is necessary to produce the best results, and as the 

 tooth blades of all cutters are hard tempered and very accurately 

 adjusted, they are easily broken and frequently found out of order unless 

 carefully handled. In using the hand clipper the pressure exerted on the 

 skin should be quite even throughout or the result will be " ridgy," and 

 the right hand, which operates the blades, should do so without any 

 pressure whatever. Care must be taken not to cut any of the mane and tail 

 hair, and when the legs are left undipped the appearance is enhanced by 

 slanting the boundary line from the back of the elbow upwards to the 

 front of the fore arm, where there is a natural dip in the limb. 



If the power clipper is used, the driving machine should be placed in 

 such a position that it cannot be knocked over by any unexpected 

 movement of the animal, or a barrier should be erected to protect it. 

 With either variety the blades must be kept free from accumulating scurf 

 and dirt, occasional brushing and wiping with a little paraffin oil being all 

 that is required. 



In trimming the back of the fetlocks when the hair of the legs is left 

 on, the back of the joint should be clipped quite short, and the length of 

 the hair above and around gradually edged off. When skilfully done 

 there should be no apparent ridge to indicate where the clipping ended. 



With modern clippers singeing is unnecessary, but as a matter of 

 appearance, a lamp may be run over the animal occasionally to keep 

 down rapid-growing hairs, which give a ragged look to the coat. 



Period for clippitig. — Horses may be clipped with advantage from the 

 time their coat thickens in the autumn until their summer coat shows 

 signs of coming in the spring. The frequency of the operation will 



