Horse clipping technique

Clipping Faces, Ears and Legs: Which A5 Blade Sizes Keep a Horse Calm

Ningbo FOLK Tools · A5 horse clipper blades · reading time about 9 minutes

Most clipping accidents do not happen on the barrel. They happen at the head, where the skin is thin and the horse can see the blade coming, and on the legs, where bone sits a few millimetres under the skin. The blade that works so well on the body is often the wrong blade for these areas — not because it is blunt, but because it cuts too long, too fast or too wide to be controlled.

This guide sets out the A5 blade sizes that professional clippers actually use on faces, ears and legs, in what order, and why a 15# blade earns a place in the kit even on a yard that clips with a 10#. It assumes the A5 detachable system, which covers Andis, Oster, Wahl and A5-compatible Heiniger clippers.

Why the head and legs need a different blade

A body blade is designed to remove coat quickly over large, flat panels of muscle. The head and lower legs are the opposite: small, curved, bony and full of movement. Four things change when the blade leaves the barrel.

The skin is thinner. Around the muzzle, ears, jaw and the back of the pastern, there is very little tissue between skin and bone. A blade that is pressed or tilted here will nick or burn far more easily than on the flank.
The horse can see it. The eyes are on the sides of the head, and the blind spot directly in front is where a hand and a blade appear without warning. A quieter, smaller cutting action is easier for the horse to accept.
The coat changes direction. Hair on the face runs in several directions, and the legs have whorls around the knees, hocks and coronet. Cutting across those changes lifts the skin into the teeth.
Vibration is felt more. Close to the skull and on the cannon bone, the same clipper feels much more intense than it does on the shoulder. This is where a horse learns to fear clipping.

None of this means a special clipper is needed. It means the blade has to be chosen for control rather than speed, and the technique has to be slower.

The detail ladder: which blade for which area

The A5 range gives a series of close lengths below the body blades. Each step has a job on the head and legs. The table below is the working order, not a list of alternatives.

Blade	Cutting height	Best use on head and legs
4F / 5F	9.5 mm / 6.3 mm	Legs on horses that keep some coat, feathering, and first passes on a horse that is nervous about the clipper
7F	3.2 mm	General leg clipping, jaws, bridle path and blending the neck into the head
9#	2 mm	Closer legs for the show ring, cheeks and the area under the jaw
10#	1.5 mm (1/16″)	The standard face and leg blade; the one most clippers are fitted with from new
15#	1.2 mm (3/64″)	Show finish on faces, ears and clean legs; detail where a 10# leaves visible stubble

Two rules sit behind that table. First, never start a nervous horse with the closest blade in the box. Start with the blade that removes the least coat the job will tolerate, then step down if the horse stays relaxed. Second, the closer the blade, the cleaner and drier the coat has to be; a 15# on a dusty head is a recipe for a nick.

Faces: 10# first, 15# for the finish

For most horses, the face is clipped with a 10#. It leaves 1.5 mm, which is short enough to look tidy and long enough to hide small irregularities in the skin. It is also the blade most owners already own, which matters when the horse is being clipped at home.

The 15# comes out when the face has to be sharper: show hunters, in-hand classes, sales prep and any clip where the jawline and cheek are being judged. At 1.2 mm it takes the last of the stubble off and makes the head look finer. The trade-off is that every uneven pass shows, and a horse with thin or pink skin may object to the extra closeness.

Technique on the face

Clip with the hair, not against it. On the face the coat direction changes constantly. Work in the direction the hair lies, with a light, flat blade. Cutting against the grain on the face lifts thin skin into the teeth.
Stretch the skin with your free hand. Flat skin cuts cleanly; loose skin folds into the blade. Support the jaw and cheek with the flat of your hand, not your fingertips.
Use the corner, not the centre. The outer edge of the blade gives more control around the muzzle, the eye socket and the base of the ear.
Keep the blade moving. Stopping with the blade running in one spot builds heat and leaves a gouge. Short, deliberate strokes are safer than long ones.
Leave the eyebrows and eyelashes. Clip around the eye, not through it. A blunt-nosed scissors is the right tool for the long hairs over the eye.

Where the 15# stops: it is a finishing blade, not a tool for taking a woolly winter head down in one pass. Remove the bulk with a 10# or 7F first, then finish with the 15#. Trying to do both jobs with the close blade overheats it and tests the horse's patience.

Ears: outside only, and never inside

Ears are the point where a calm clip turns into a fight. The skin inside the ear is paper-thin and the ear canal is delicate; no clipper blade belongs inside it. Hair inside the ear should be left alone unless a vet has advised otherwise, and trimmed with round-tipped scissors if it must be reduced.

On the outside of the ear, use a 10# or 15# with the ear held flat between finger and thumb. Work from the base towards the tip, with the hair, using the corner of the blade. Do not pull the ear into a funnel and run the blade into the opening. If the horse will not tolerate the vibration, clip the ear last, after the rest of the head is done and the clipper is warm and familiar.

Many professionals clip the inside of the ear only with scissors, and many leave it entirely. The aesthetic gain is small; the risk of a cut or a lasting aversion is not.

Legs: match the blade to the coat and the class

Legs are clipped for three different reasons, and the blade follows the reason.

Practical leg clipping. Mud, feathering and grease are easier to manage with a 5F or 7F. The coat is taken down enough to dry quickly and to see the skin, without exposing it to every scratch in the field.
Show legs. A 9# or 10# gives a clean leg with a little cover. It is the usual choice for horses that are turned out but still shown, because it looks tidy without looking raw.
Show finish. A 15# on clean, dry legs gives the tight, flat look required in the ring. It is the last blade used, not the first, and it is used with more care than any other blade in the kit.

Technique on the legs

Clip downwards, with the hair. On the cannon and the fetlock, work in the direction the hair lies. Against the grain is faster but lifts the skin over the tendon and the fetlock joint.
Keep the blade flat to the bone. The cannon bone is close to the surface. A tilted blade digs in at the corner. Use short strokes and keep the comb in contact with the skin.
Support the leg, do not grip it. A hand under the fetlock steadies the leg without squeezing. A horse that snatches its leg back mid-stroke is a cut waiting to happen.
Watch the bony points. The point of the hock, the front of the knee and the coronet band are where nicks happen. Slow down and use the corner of the blade.
Do the heels last. Feathering and the back of the pastern are the most sensitive parts of the leg. If the horse has had enough, leave them for another day.

Why a 15# belongs in a professional kit

The 15# is not a blade for every horse, but it is the blade that separates a tidy clip from a show clip. It cuts to 1.2 mm — 3/64″ — which is 0.3 mm closer than the 10#. That difference is roughly the thickness of a business card, and on a clipped head or leg it is the difference between a soft shadow of coat and a clean line.

The blade is supplied as a matched pair: a full-tooth stainless steel comb that sets the 1.2 mm height, and an upper cutter in stainless steel or ceramic. The ceramic cutter runs cooler in long show-prep sessions; the stainless cutter is tougher in coarse or dusty coat and cheaper to replace. Both fit the same comb, and both fit any A5 clipper head.

Use it on the face, ears and clean legs of a horse that is already clipped to a 10#, and on the detail around the bridle path and jaw. Do not use it as a first pass on a woolly coat, and do not use it on a horse that objects to vibration until the horse has been desensitised with a longer blade.

Keeping the horse calm: the sequence that works

Blade choice is half the job. The other half is the order in which the areas are clipped and the pace at which the session moves.

Start with the body. Let the horse settle with the clipper on a large, low-sensitivity area. The noise and vibration become familiar before the head is touched.
Do the neck and shoulder next. These are still low-risk areas and let you check the blade is cutting cleanly before you reach the head.
Move to the legs before the head. Legs are easier to control and give the horse more time with the clipper running near the sensitive end of the body.
Finish with the face and ears. By this point the blade is warm, the clipper is familiar and the horse has already stood still for the easy work.
Take breaks. A two-minute break every ten minutes is cheaper than a fight. Switch the clipper off, step back and let the horse relax before starting again.

Keep the blade sharp, clean and oiled. A dull blade pulls, and pulling is what makes a horse head-shy. Oil every ten minutes, brush the comb out between areas, and let the blade cool before it goes back on the skin. If the horse is genuinely dangerous to clip, use sedation only under veterinary advice; a twitch is a last resort for a short job, not a substitute for a calm sequence.

Common mistakes at the head and legs

Mistake	What happens	Better approach
Using the body blade on the face	The blade is too wide and too fast; the horse objects and the finish is uneven	Step down to a 10# or 15# and use the corner of the blade
Clipping dirty or wet coat	Dirt blunts the cutter and the blade pulls	Wash, dry and brush out before clipping
Pressing hard on the head	Clipper burn, nicks and a horse that learns to pull away	Light pressure, flat blade, let the teeth cut
Clipping inside the ear	A cut or a lasting aversion to the clipper	Leave the inside alone; use round-tipped scissors if needed
Starting with the closest blade	The horse never relaxes and the job takes longer	Start with a longer blade, finish with the 15#
Letting the blade run hot	Skin damage and a blade that will not hold an edge	Oil every ten minutes, cool between areas

Aftercare for clipped heads and legs

Wash the blade, dry it and oil it before it goes back in the box. Between horses, brush out the comb and wipe the blade with a cloth; if ringworm or a skin infection is a concern, use a blade disinfectant and let the blade dry fully before oiling. Check the clipped skin the next day for rubs, nicks or heat, particularly behind the pastern and under the jaw.

On the horse, apply a light coat conditioner only if the skin is dry; heavy creams trap dirt and clog the blade next time. Keep the head and legs clean for the first few days, and use a turnout rug that does not rub the newly clipped shoulders.

Frequently asked questions

What blade should I use to clip a horse's face?

A 10# (1.5 mm) is the standard face blade for most horses. Use a 15# (1.2 mm) for a sharper show finish on a horse that tolerates a close blade, and a 7F (3.2 mm) for a nervous horse or one with thin skin.

Can I use a 15# on the legs?

Yes, on clean, dry legs for a show finish. It is not a first-pass blade. Take the coat down with a 7F or 10# first, then finish with the 15# and keep the blade flat over the cannon bone and fetlock.

How do I clip the inside of a horse's ear?

You do not, with a clipper. The skin inside the ear is extremely thin and the canal is delicate. Leave the inside hair alone or trim it with round-tipped scissors. Clip only the outside of the ear, with the ear held flat.

Why does my horse pull away when I clip its head?

Usually because the blade is pulling, the clipper is too loud or the horse has been clipped too close too soon. Use a sharp, oiled blade, start with a longer length, and work from the body towards the head over several sessions if necessary.

Should I clip against the hair on the legs?

For a show-short leg, some professionals clip against the hair to get a tighter finish, but it lifts the skin over the tendon and fetlock. For most horses, clipping downwards with the hair is safer and still looks clean.

What is the difference between a 10# and a 15# on the face?

The 10# leaves 1.5 mm and the 15# leaves 1.2 mm. The 15# looks sharper on show heads and is less forgiving of uneven pressure; the 10# is the safer everyday choice.

Will these blades fit my clipper?

If the clipper uses the A5 detachable system, yes. Andis AGC series, Oster A5 series, Wahl KM series and A5-compatible Heiniger models are supported. The Oster 76 series and livestock shears use a different system.

Build the detail end of the kit

Ningbo FOLK Tools manufactures the 15#, 10#, 9# and 7F in our own plant, each as a matched pair with a stainless steel comb and a ceramic or stainless steel cutter. Ask for a sample and a wholesale quotation for the head-and-leg set.

10# 1.5mm blade → 7F 3.2mm blade →