Have you ever spent a good hour or more carefully clipping your horse, only to step back and see tram lines that make it look like your horse was mown with a garden tool? Don’t worry—you’re not alone! It happens to the best of us.
Some horses are more prone to showing clip lines, especially greys! But with the right preparation, techniques, and tools, you can achieve a smooth, professional-looking finish. Here are some practical tips to avoid those unsightly tram lines when clipping your horse or pony:
Preparation is Key
A clean and well-prepared coat makes all the difference:
- Start with a clean coat : If possible, bath your horse thoroughly to remove dirt and grease from the coat. Clipping greasy, dirty coats will accentuate lines and also makes it harder for your blades to glide through the hair smoothly. Bathing is the best way to ensure you get the very best result and most comfortable clip for your horse for a flawless show-ready finish! Ensure the coat is fully dry before starting to clip. For horses with pink skin, their skin tends to be more sensitive and susceptible to lines and skin reactions such as dermatographia so washing before clipping and using sharp blades is more critical for these equines to achieve a line free finish.
- Groom thoroughly : If you can't bath your horse, give them a deep, thorough groom to loosen and remove any dust, mud and dirt from the hair as much as possible. Follow up with hot clothing to lift the grease from the most problematic areas of the coat such as the rump to give your clipper blades the best chance of gliding though. See our tips for hot clothing your horse here.
The Right Equipment
Investing in and maintaining quality tools is essential:
- The Right Clipper: Make sure your clipper is up to the task that you want it to perform. Trimmers are not designed for clipping large areas of the body and will end up blunting quickly, chewing at the hair and leaving lines, not to mention be uncomfortable for your horse! A heavy duty clipper is the best headset for body clipping. Find out which clippers are best for you and your horse's needs here.
- Use sharp, high-quality blades : Dull or damaged blades create uneven lines and tug on the coat. Start with new or freshly sharpened blades and have extra blades incase a blade should go dull mid-clip. Always discard blades with broken teeth.
- Check blade tension : Ensure the tension is set correctly for your clipper. Too tight, and the blades won’t cut smoothly and generate excessive heat, too loose, and they may leave ridges. Different styles of clipping heads vary in the right set up and tensioning of the clipper blades. This is particularly essential for clippers with a Heiniger style head. You can find the right way to tension your clipper model in the clipper instruction manual or for your Masterclip clippers, you can follow our tutorial guides on our YouTube channel here.
- Oil your blades often : Keep the blades lubricated with clipper oil or cooling spray every 5–10 minutes. This prevents overheating, reduces friction, and flushes out clipped hair that could affect blade performance.
- Clean as you go : Use a cleaning brush to remove trapped hair from the blades regularly. Stopping to do this every few minutes will help you maintain a clean cut.
Clipping Technique
Clipping Technique to prevent tram lines:
- Overlap your strokes : With each stroke, overlap the previous one by about half the blade width. This avoids ridges and ensures a smooth, even finish. With each strike of the coat, ensure to track the next line with ½ width overlap rather than another full width. The will remove ridges at the sides of the clip.
- Go against the hair : Clip against the direction of hair growth for a cleaner cut. If tram lines appear, clip over the lines again at a slightly different angle to remove the ridges.
- Take shorter strokes : Long strokes can be harder to control, increasing the likelihood of uneven lines. Opt for short, controlled strokes for better precision.
- Keep the clipper level : Hold the clipper blades level against the horse’s skin, using gentle, even pressure as you clip and let the clipper do the work without pushing it too quickly. Avoid tilting or angling the blades, as this can dig into the skin and cause an uneven clip.
- Work in sections : Break the clip into smaller areas to maintain focus and precision on just one area at a time. This makes it easier to spot and correct any lines as you go.
TOPTIP: Use a medium cut blade (2.5mm-3mm) when clipping horses with pink skin to give a little extra coverage. This prevents the pink tinge from their skin from showing through the clipped coat.
Finishing Touches
A few extra steps can make all the difference:
- Inspect your work : Step back and view your horse from different angles in good lighting. Spot any lines or uneven areas and correct them as needed.
- Hot cloth the coat : Once you’ve finished clipping, use a hot cloth to rub over your horse’s coat. Using a wash with a mild antiseptic (such as diluted hibiscrub) can help to reduce dermatographic skin reactions. Hot clothing also removes loose hairs, soothes the skin and removes residual dust giving shine to the coat for a polished finish.
"Clip lines?? I have a little tip for u © I NEVER try to make my clips flawless right away! Clip over the entire body roughly.... There's always a few wee lines here and there. I then go back over the body again in a slightly different direction, sometimes using small strokes to zig zag over a line until it disappears. WHY dont I do this at the begining instead of going over the horse twice?? If you wait a while and come back to them, the horse will be cooler because you have removed most of the hair, therefore when you come back second time around, all the little bits that you missed will be standing on their ends, making them easier to get off. Also, if you did try and do it all at once first time around, going over the same area for a longer amount of time increases the risk of skin reactions and what's known as Dermographic lines, which are basically a raised line on the skin where the edge of the blade has caused some irritation. Some horses are sensitive and will get Dermographic lines for a few daya regardless of what you do. I find the only way to disperse them right away is to hot cloth immediately after clipping with either dettol, hibiscrub or epsom salts."
Horse Clipping Tips from the Experts
Test your blades beforehand : Always do a quick test clip on a small, inconspicuous patch to ensure the clippers are set up correctly.
Choose the right clipper and blade combination for your horse : Some coat types and thicknesses require specific blade types or clipper models. Match the tool to the job for the best results.
Practise makes perfect : Clipping is a skill that improves with experience. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to go back over areas if needed.
Flawless line free clips by professional groom @Laura Rose Equine Services using Masterclip clippers
By following these steps, you’ll not only avoid tram lines but create a superb finish to your clip. Clipping doesn’t have to be stressful—with a little preparation and the right approach, it can even be enjoyable and highly satisfying! Need help choosing the best clipper for you? Give us a call to chat with our friendly and knowledgeable customer service team or drop us a message.
I have a grey horse with dark skin. Can I clip using fine clipper blades?
Fine blades can be used for clipping light coloured horses with darker skin tones, but be mindful that the skin colour may show more through the coat. This is more problematic for pink skinned horses, as their skin tends to be more sensitive and can leave them at risk of sunburn in the summer months. We would recommend not using superfine blades for horses with light coloured coats. This can leave the coat looking uneven, just like our cover image for this blog. These are best only used for heavy working sport horses with dark coats in a solid colour. As with all coat colours, If you can, bath and dry your horse before you clip to achieve the best possible finish.
