Masterclip Coarse Blades for Horse Clipping: Summer Clips, Show Clips and More!

If you’ve ever faced the challenge of clipping horses with thick summer coats, managing unruly feathers, or tidying up scruffy "cat hairs" without wanting to clip your horse too close, then this blog is for you!

We’re putting the spotlight on our A2 coarse blades, a clipping essential that’s rapidly gaining popularity thanks to their versatility, ease of use and the smooth, natural finish they deliver. 

Whether you're aiming for a flawless show groom, tackling a thick Cushing's coat or simply want to freshen up regrowth as your horse transitions into their summer coat, coarse blades offer the perfect solution. As the warmer weather approaches, read on to discover why these blades are a must-have addition to your clipping kit.

At Masterclip, we provide a premium range of A2 blades for our heavy duty A2 clippers and compatible with Lister clippers, including:

• Superfine cut (0.75mm)
• Fine cut (1.5mm)
• Medium cut (2.5mm)
• Coarse cut (4.5mm)
• Plus a Livestock blade for clipping cattle, sheep and camelids.

Choosing the right clipper blade comes down to your horse’s individual needs and your preferred finish. Superfine blades are ideal for high-level competition horses, while fine or medium blades suit those in regular work. For grey horses with pink skin, a medium or longer-cutting clipper blade helps protect sensitive skin by leaving more coverage.

In recent years, there’s been a growing trend towards using clipper blades that cut a little longer than a standard fine or medium finish, especially as many owners are needing to clip all year round for the comfort of their horse.

Masterclip's A2 coarse blades have become an increasingly popular choice, particularly for owners wanting a more natural-looking finish. These blades leave a 4.5mm cut, which is equivalent to the Covercote and Covercoat blades offered by Lister and Liveryman. The longer finish is ideal for horses such as cobs, that don’t require a close, competition-style clip but need a shorter length than their natural coat allows to reduce sweating.

Looking to tidy up the scraggy 'cat hairs' that start to appear as your horse transitions out of winter? The A2 coarse blades are just the ticket! As the spring coat grows through, these longer guard hairs can give your horse a rough, unkempt appearance, especially if they’ve been clipped earlier in the season.

Rather than clipping short all over again, coarse blades gently skim the coat, tidying up stray guard hairs without interfering with the growth of the summer coat underneath. It’s a fantastic way to maintain a neat appearance while still allowing your horse's natural coat to come through as intended.

Whether you're preparing for the show season or just want your horse to look well-kept, coarse blades offer a smart solution for transitioning into the warmer months.

Coarse blades are perfect for clipping cold-blooded horse breeds such as Shires, Clydesdales, draughts, cobs, natives and thick-coated ponies. They’re especially useful for summer clipping as they leave a smooth, summer coat-like finish that helps horses stay cool without removing too much hair.

Unlike some longer-cut coarse blades that can leave a choppy or uneven finish, the Masterclip A2 coarse blades have 24 teeth to deliver a smooth and even clip helping to avoid harsh lines and giving a more polished appearance.

Longer cutting blades are often used for show grooming to give a natural looking finish to the coat without the obvious clip lines. Using our coarse blades along with clever blending techniques 7-10 days before a show will leave a flawless finish whilst helping to keep thick coated breeds cool. For more tips on show clipping, take a look at our blog here. 

Coarse blades can be particularly helpful when dealing with more challenging coats, such as horses with Cushing’s disease or those that have coarse hair. Their design with larger spacing between the teeth over medium and fine blades, allows thicker hair to feed through the cutter more easily, making them ideal for:

• First clips of the season
• Clipping dirty coats where bathing isn't an option.
• Clipping feathers
• Clipping coarser hair

The longer clip length of 4.5mm offers greater protection to the legs, when a tidy look is preferred or needed. This allows for the legs to be better managed whilst balancing a good level of hair coverage. The larger gaps between the teeth of the comb allow for dense feathers to pass easily through the blades.

For clipping dense or dirty coats, once the bulk of the hair is removed with coarse blades, some owners like to do a second pass with a medium or fine blade for a sharper finish. However in many cases, the coarse blade leaves a smart enough result on its own, especially when a more natural appearance is preferred.

Benefits of Masterclip Coarse Blades:

• Leave a 4.5mm cut – similar to Lister's Covercote blade
• Provide a smooth, natural-looking finish without choppiness for showing.
• Excellent for clipping cold-blooded horses, thick-coated ponies.
• Ideal for managing a Cushing's coat.
• Ideal for summer clipping, maintaining coverage while keeping cool.
• Efficient on dense or dirty coats
• Great for first clips to remove the bulk of the hair.
• Can be used on feathers and legs to maintain protection
• Compatible with both Masterclip and Lister clippers