Training a scared 2-yr-old colt to clip

Question
Hi.  Five weeks ago I purchase a 2 yr old colt.  He was extremely nervous and head shy, but over the past five weeks has become so much better.  However, we cannot clip him.  We have tried rubbing the cordless shaver on his neck slowly, working our way up and when he gets nervous, we lower the clipper down to the starting point.  He absolutely WILL NOT let us touch his muzzle or bridle path with it.  Yesterday, while attempting to shave his bridle path, he totally freaked out (on my trainer) and went crazy (in my opinion, since he could not get away, he decided to fight).  It was very scary and he did strike my trainer in the hip (not a serious injury, thank God).  I am at a loss and don't know what to do.  What is the appropriate way to train a colt to clip?  He is a Morgan and will be a show horse, so this will be important to be able to accomplish.  He leads extremely well, lifts his feet well and grooms well.  His training thus far consists of bitting harness, long line, and saddle on........all without any problems.  He has been extremely good with it all.  We are now starting to lean a rider (weight) on him......again, very good with it.  The clipping seems to be his only vice.  Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.  

Lori Doyle

Answer
Hi Lori!

It sounds like you have a nice little fella with a "little" problem!  Well, it could be worse, really.  First, I am glad to hear no one got hurt and we want to keep it that way!  Your colt is so very, very new to his surroundings and you are just another person to him for awhile longer... it sounds like he's done alot and then he just hit the wall!  Stimulation overload!!  Not hard to do with babies of any species, huh?!?

I started with Saddleseat Equitation and my first horse was an ASB ( I still have her!) and she is STILL a nervous mare!  She's now 10 yrs. old and I have done everything from showing to foxhunting with her... she's nervous and high-strung.  This is the breed.  And some Morgans are like this too.  It is best to introduce him to anything new, slowly and quietly AND this includes you.  You cannot act like you are afraid or nervous.  It appears his problem is the sound of the clippers as much as anything. Right here, let me say, somenone has done this horse a great disservice by not intoducing him to clipping at 6 months old and keeping it up.

So, now it is up to you.  Is he a food motivated horse?  Use it to your advantage.  Find a hard candy or treat he just LOVES and only give it to him when he is near the clippers.  First, put him on a longe line and take him to a large empty, enclosed area....an arenea or the end of the barn that can be boarded off.  He should be tired but not exhausted.  Fed, but, not energized.  Babies are hard to pin down as to when they are at their best to learn but, you are his human and you should pick up the clues.

The area should be free of distractions too...just you and him.  Keep the line loose and never pull or shank.  When he wants to be close to you, reward him with a treat and rub him with your hand all over his head, neck, ears and muzzle.  Always reward a calm reaction with a treat.  When he is paying attention to you and this has become a fun game for him, introduce an object he has never seen.  Start with something "not scary" like an office stapler.  It's like a clipper but it does not smell like one.  Rub this on him and let him sniff and nuzzle it.  Reward him when he is calm.  Now, quietly squeeze the stapler together in a very unconcerned manner....you are so important here.  He will be looking to you to signal danger, just like his mother would.  You must be as calm as you would be stapling at your desk.  If he jumps back, DO NOT pull on the longe line.  Let it out and say, "Shhh, Shhh...it's OK" and reel him quietly back to you.  Then, rub somemore, treat somemore, staple somemore, treat somemore.  Tell him he was a good boy with your love and attention (no treats) and put him home.  That's it for the first day.

This will not be fast....but, if you do it right it will last for his show career and never be a problem again.  Beating will not work on him and nor will "tricks" and drugs are always a final resort.

Do this 2 or 3 times a week with him.  It will bond you two together and make him trust you.  You will become his beloved safe place and isn't that what your want?

So, back to the stapler.  It's all been going well and now you can exchange the stapler for a small, quiet cordless clipper.  Same excersise, except, turn the clipper on briefly and turn it back off.  Reward calm reactions from him.  He should be growing more and more unconcerned and even bored by these things the human keeps bringing to his special "Mommy and Me" time.  :-)

Again, when the noise means nothing to him, try touching it to his body in a spot you think he will accept.  Reward quickly a calm reaction.  You can even feed him a treat with one hand while you touch his body with the clipper.  Feel free to drop the rope...by now he will want to stick close to you.  When he feels "cornered" or trapped he is going to act out...like with your trainer. So, do not restrain him, let your enclosed area do that for you. You will be eventually able to clip him all over.  Don't be discouraged by a little bump in the road or a bad training day.  Tomorrow is always going to be there and he will progress!

Keep going in the direction he leads you and is obviously his "comfort zone"....he has to make the steps here so let's let him do it at his pace.  I firmly believe he will progress to the point you want and you will be a very powerful figure in his life because of it!! I wish there was a faster way but, there rarely is with such an intelligent creature as the horse.

Good Luck and Be Safe!

Solange