When it comes to grooming your dog or horse, achieving a smooth, blended finish can make all the difference and that’s where comb guides (also known as clipper combs, comb attachments or comb guards) come into their own. Whether you’re tidying up a shaggy-legged cob or giving your Cockerpoo a home trim, clipper combs offer an easy, cost-effective way to control coat length and ensure a polished look without taking too much off.
While often associated with dog grooming, these handy attachments are just as useful for horses and ponies, particularly for show grooming or during mid-season touch-ups. Comb guides help retain the natural character of the coat while providing greater precision and safety, perfect for novice groomers and professionals alike.
What Are Comb Guides?
Clipper guides are attachments that snap over your clipper blade, allowing you to control the depth of the cut from a single blade. Typically made of plastic or metal, they’re designed to fit securely over short-cut blades, such as A5 10 and 30 blades.
- The Masterclip comb guides are made from metal to be more robust than plastic, ideal for home groomers and professional users.
- With a simple sprung-loaded mechanism they are easy to attach and remove by simply clipping over the top of the blade.
- Our combs are compatible with all A5 clipper snap-on blade systems and can be used with the Masterclip Pedigree Pro, Royale and MD Roamer clippers, as well as Andis, Oster, Liveryman, Aesculap, Fav5, liveryman, Hieniger, Moser Max 45 and more
- Available in a variety of lengths – from 3mm up to 32mm
- Comb guides are inexpensive and reusable.
Using Comb Guides for Dog Grooming
Comb guides are a staple in dog grooming salons and for good reason. With snap on guides it is very easy to create an even finish as they need to be passed through the coat multiple times. This thinning process allows full control over the clip and is the perfect method for novice groomers to master, creating a natural, blended finish to retain the character of the coat. They’re ideal for a range of breeds, including:
- Doodles like cockerpoos, cavapoos and spoodles
- Flatter coated breeds such as spaniels, including the springer and cocker spaniel.
- Double-coated breeds, such as schnauzers.
Comb guides allow for a wide variety of cutting depths and are exceptionally safe to use, so the groomer does not have the worry of accidental nicks from the blade passing too close.
Key benefits include:
- Safe grooming – helps avoid nicks from close blade contact.
- Natural results – perfect for retaining coat texture and shape.
- Versatile cutting lengths for a customised finish.
- User-friendly – simply snap on and go, great for beginners.
Trimmer sets tend to have comb guides designed specifically to fit their smaller blades. Our own Showmate II trimmer set includes 4 comb guides, ideal for trimming and clipping smaller breeds and lighter coats.
Using Clipper Combs on Horses and Ponies
Comb guides are most usually associated with dog grooming but in actual fact they also make a very useful addition to the equine clipping kit too.
Clip on comb guides will help thin out the bulk from your horse’s coat without the cut being too short. You can fit virtually any length of guide over your blade but the most commonly used sizes are between 3mm and 12mm. Comb guides help soften a prominent, sharp cut line to give a more pleasing look. This is a particularly popular process with cobs and natives, especially if for show grooming to avoid looking clipped.
On clipped legs, comb guides can be used to tidy up a partially grown out leg – this will help the hair appear more uniform in length without resorting to a full clip. They are also useful for taking the bulk out of particularly hairy cob legs, after they have been bathed and dried, to keep the overall, natural appearance.
Comb guides are especially useful for:
- Thinning thick winter coats without taking them too short
- Blending clipped and unclipped areas, particularly between the body and legs and hogged manes.
- Mid clip trims when annoying “cat hairs” start to make the coat look untidy. Especially on the neck, gullet and hindquarters.
- Maintaining a natural look, especially for native breeds and show cobs
- Evening out partially grown leg hair, without needing a full re-clip.
For finer finishing work, the Masterclip Showmate II trimmer comes with its own specially designed set of guide combs. These are perfect for light to medium density coats and help with:
- Creating a tidy, blended fetlock or leg finish
- Removing coarse guard hairs
- General facial grooming of coarse hair and under the jaw.
3 Key Benefits of Comb Attachments
Controlled Clipping Lengths : Ideal for achieving a natural, consistent finish on dogs and horses alike.
Blending & Thinning : Perfect for smoothing transitions and tidying partial regrowth without harsh lines.
Safe & Simple : Easy to use, affordable, and especially helpful for beginners or nervous pets
Masterclip are specialists in providing the right tools for the job and have a wealth of knowledge and a comprehensive selection of products to match.
Ready to upgrade your grooming game? Visit our homepage to explore our range of grooming products or contact us for bespoke grooming advice tailored to your needs.
