If you own a horse, clipping is one of the essential grooming tasks you need to do. Regular trimming will ensure your horse always looks top-notch, whether you’re hitting the trails and riding or competing in events. Clipping can sometimes be a tedious task, and using proper horse clippers can make this task easy and quick.
With numerous horse clippers available on the market, it can be difficult to determine which ones are the best. For this reason, we decided to provide you with a list of the best horse clippers in 2022, as well as advice for purchasing horse clippers.
Best Horse Clippers: Review
1. TAKEKIT Horse Clippers
The TAKEKIT horse clipper comes with a power of 110V and runs at 2,400 RPM. This horse clipper includes an ergonomic handle that reduces vibration interference, and the clipper’s body is polymer-coated. The kit comes with a carry case, two carbon brushes, a bottle, and a cleaning brush.
Pros
- Powerful and efficient motor
- Double blade system
- Multi-speed versatility
Cons
- Heavy and may cause wrist fatigue
2. BEETRO 500W Electric Horse Clipper
The clipper comes with a 100ml bottle of oil, a replacement carbon brush, and a clean brush. High-quality steel makes the blades hardy and tough, making the device extremely durable. The higher speed settings are great for a quick trim for the whole body, while the lower settings are a good choice for trimming around your horse’s sensitive areas.
Pros
- Durable
- Choice of six-speed settings
- Easy to use
Cons
- Can get hot if overused
3. Wahl Professional Animal Iron Horse Equine Horse Clipper
It is also suitable for light-body trimming if you’re using it on a horse that has a softer mane. This clipper is even more enticing with the fantastic customer service by Wahl and the 2-year warranty they offer.
Pros
- Comes with a two-year limited warranty
- Aluminum body is designed to resist any breakage or damage
- Adjustable taper level is fast
Cons
- Heavy coats can easily jam the clippers
4. Lister Star Large Animal Clipper
The clipper will not overheat or clog, thanks to the self-cleaning blades. In addition, you’ll receive accurate tension adjustment from the easy-to-use tensioning system. The 16-foot-long cord allows you to walk around your horse while trimming it.
Pros
- Works great on thick and medium coats
- Good maneuverability for quick clipping
- Includes self-cleaning blades
Cons
- Does not come with variable speeds
5. Wahl Professional Animal Arco Equine Horse Cordless Clipper
This 5-in-1 clipper adjusts to various sizes. It comes with two removable batteries, and while you’re charging one, you can clip with the other. In addition, the clipper comes with a how-to DVD, carrying case, charging stand, blade oil, cleaning brush, and four combs.
Pros
- Sensitive horses will like the quietness of this clipper
- Ergonomic and lightweight
- Includes a one-year warranty
Cons
- Not a great choice for those who don’t like charging batteries
Do You Need a Horse Clipper?
One of the first questions you’ll likely ask yourself is about the necessity of a horse clipper. Trimming is important not only for your horse’s looks but also for its health. Your horse’s body temperature will adjust easier when the coat is clipped, and by doing this, they will avoid extreme sweat in winters and summers.
The horse’s coat can also hide wounds. By trimming their coat, you will be able to see those wounds that you otherwise might have missed.
Horse clipping reduces excess sweating, prevents chills and other health issues that come from a sweaty and wet coat, gives a sleek appearance to your horse, quickens the grooming and drying time, and helps avoid skin conditions such as rain pot that can come from continuously damp hair.
When Should You Clip Your Horse?
As soon as your horse’s coat starts getting in its way, you need to clip it. It’s time to take off the coat if they are sweating more than they have in the past. People often discuss when the last clip should be done. Generally, most people do the last clip before the end of January.
Features to Look For in Horse Clippers
Below, we will look at some features you need to consider when buying horse clippers.
Clipper Power
You should decide whether you want light-duty, medium-duty, or heavy-duty clippers.
Light-duty clippers are a great choice if you own one or two horses with short hair. These clippers are typically quiet and light, and they can be main clippers or cordless clippers.
Medium-duty clippers are ideal if you own up to five horses. They are more durable and powerful than light-duty clippers, and they are able to do most jobs well. Even though they are slightly larger than light-duty clippers, they are still easy to manage and relatively quiet. These clippers can also be main clippers or cordless clippers.
If you have a lot of horses, and those horses have long or thick hair, then heavy-duty clippers are the way to go. Heavy-duty clippers are very tough, but they also tend to be louder and larger. Even though most heavy-duty clippers are main clippers, there are some heavy-duty cordless clippers.
Clipper Size
When trimming hair on your horse’s sensitive regions, such as their face or neck, the clipper size is really important. Typically, smaller clippers are corded, while bigger clippers are uncorded.
Noise
Not all horses are equally tolerant to noise, and some horses can be frightened by the buzzing produced by electric clippers. Noise will definitely impact your decision for horse clippers if your horse is afraid of loud clipper buzzing.
Clipper Motor
Clippers can have one of three types of motors.
- Magnet motors – Magnet motors come with a direct drive shaft and a magnetic field, making them the most adjustable clippers. The blades can be regulated back and forth by the magnet field. When discussing heavy and light-duty clipping, magnet motors can be extremely useful and generally create less heat and noise.
- Pivoting motors – A magnet and a single hand are used for pivoting motors, and their design is pretty basic. The hands and the blades move while the magnet is fixed. The blade is pulled in one direction with the motor that has one arm, and then they are pulled in the opposite direction by a spring. If you’re in search of a shorter trim, then this type of horse clipper might not be the right fit for you.
- Rotary motors – Most horse clippers use rotary motors. The motor function is held by a rotating disc and an electric part, and the blades are powered by rotating discs that use electricity. These clippers are pretty easy to use since you can use a switch to control the speed of the motor. However, this might not be the best option if you’re looking for a quiet horse clipper.
Budget
You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you’re buying clippers over and over again just because you bought the cheapest ones available. However, clippers can be expensive, so you need to consider your budget and get the best value for your money.
Taking Care of Horse Clippers
Once you’ve purchased horse clippers, you want to do everything in your power to make sure that they last for a long time. You need to take care of your clippers to prolong their life span. There are a few things you should do if you want to keep your clippers working well.
Cleaning
After you’ve used the horse clippers, you need to clean them. The clippers can overheat quickly and even lose power if debris, dust, and horsehair build up between the blades. For this reason, it is important to always keep your horse clippers clean.
Typically, a special cleaning brush comes with the horse clippers that can get between the blades and clean properly. If this type of brush doesn’t come with the horse clippers you bought, you can always clean the blades with a toothbrush. Make sure that the horse clippers are dry and clean before you store them away.
Oiling
In order to keep your horse clippers in the best possible shape, you need to oil them regularly. Oiling your horse clippers lubricates them and keeps them working smoothly while also protecting them. After you’re finished with cleaning your horse clippers, it’s always a smart move to oil them.
Storing
Before storing your horse clippers, ensure that they are dry and clean. If your horse clippers don’t come with a storage box, think about getting one since clippers should be free of dust. If horse clippers are left out in the open, they may become damaged or rust.
The box holding the horse clippers should be kept in a dry and clean place. You can also put your clippers in sealed Tupperware or zip lock bags if you want to provide them with additional protection against humidity.
Sharpening
You can pinch the skin of your horse by using horse clipping blades that are blunt. This could make your horse feel uncomfortable with being trimmed in the future. By using sharp blades, the horse clippers will be able to run through the horse’s hair smoothly.
Keep in mind that some blades need to be taken to a specialist to be sharpened, while others are self-sharpening. If you want to know how to sharpen your horse clipper blades, make sure that you look at the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Final Thoughts
If you want to purchase the best horse clippers, you must factor in quality, customer reviews, budget, and noise. Clippers should prevent skin damage, injury, and other potential dangers. You’ll have to choose different horse clippers depending on how many horses you own and the thickness of their hair.
Now that you know what the best horse clippers are, you will be able to find ones that meet you and your horse’s needs. We hope that our list will help you in your search.