Note: Today’s activities (and this blog) could have been avoided had I have done one simple thing: keep up with Kobi’s body/facial clippings!
On Thursday (providing it doesn’t rain), Kobi will have his first visit by a professional photographer, Richard Fleming, who did an amazing job with my head shots a few years ago. I know it’s going to take a few days to get Kobi ready – almost as much work as getting him ready for a show. So I started today…with clipping his whiskers, long eyelashes, and bridle path.
I haven’t used the clippers since I body clipped Jake a few years back, and haven’t used them on Kobi since before then. What an interesting experience we had today.
He started out curious as I was searching through several pairs of clippers with different blades, trying to find a single pair that would work together and hadn’t rusted solid from being stored for YEARS in an open air Florida tack room. After finding a pair that worked (sort of), I set to work.
Kobi’s memory wasn’t as good as I thought it would be and the former show horse who let me do this to him every few weeks chose to melt down and sit back. With a change in tactics, I slowed down and enticed him with food rewards. When his connection with the clippers was reinstated, I set to work. The left side of his muzzle was no problem…I wish I could say the same for the right.
It reminded me that when you work a horse, you must do both sides equally as there is something in their brain that doesn’t connect the two sides. To them, everything is a new experience on the other side of their body. There was no talking him off the ledge this time. I moved back to his left side and clipped his bridle path instead.
Not wanting an all out war over the clippers, I broke out a disposable razor to finish the job on the right side of his face. After he realized I wasn’t going to cut his throat with the razor – I was able to finish the job and now have a nice, freshly shaved mustang!
His pampering will continue the rest of the week with coloring his faded mane and tail on Monday and a colored body wash/bath on Thursday to tone down his red spots.
For those of you wondering what I’m going to do with his pictures, I plan to put together a photo album to use at his book signings (since I don’t have a trailer to tote the real horse around with me) & for other promotional things….plus I just want some really great photos of him!
Bridal path, we used to call that a poll cut!
Either/or – whatever you’re more comfortable with:)