November 10, 2013

2013 Clip #1

First of all, thank you for the kind words, comments and emails on my post yesterday.  This little blogging community is really something, you guys are wonderful!

Nick and I are starting to think that my depression is unusually severe Seasonal Affectivity Disorder - I have never handled my move from growing up on the extreme eastern edge of Central time (sun always up by 7:15am) to the extreme western edge of Eastern time (sun doesn't rise until 8:15am in fall/winter) very well, and I started taking my lunch at my desk in the windowless basement instead of going home at lunch (where I would often rake or walk the dogs over lunch last fall) to save money when Nick was unemployed, so I have gotten zero sun exposure this fall - not even through a window!  We are tackling it from that angle, and hopefully it works.

Now, for some clipping photos!  This is my first year clipping Connor by myself, and I ended up doing a trace clip with my own light-duty not-body-clippers instead of a full clip borrowing my trainer's giant Oster's.  Honestly, the decision to go trace instead of full was mostly based on the fact that the Oster's are not mine and are expensive/intimidating enough that I knew I couldn't afford to replace them if, say, the motor went out while I was using them.  I knew my little clippers could handle a trace since they were freshly sharpened.  So, a trace we did:



It's...okay.  The lines are straight, but it's not level, and both sides look slightly different, but hey.  He's not going to be sweaty or cold, and I don't think the judges at the Dressage schooling shows we go to this winter will complain much.  It's a clip only a mother could love, but I'm the only person that sees him without a blanket or a saddle, right?!

(That said, he's only half-done growing his coat and there's still a chance I'll buzz the whole thing in frustration next month.  People who succeed at a nice looking trace clip on a hairy draft or native pony breed should be given a medal!)

14 comments:

  1. I think a lot more people are affected by SAD than realize it. My doctor put me on Vitamin D for the winter a few years back after I had a blood test that showed really low levels.
    Conner's clip looks cute :)

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    1. Thanks! I have taken the Vitamin D for the last 3 days and haven't cried once. I think that's a good sign. I didn't know there was a blood test for it, though.

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  2. I hope you do take Vitamin D! Many people are deficient. I take mine everyday. :)

    The more times you clip the better you will get at it. I remember being terrified the first time I had the clippers in hand to do Roz. I definitely got better as I went. The nice thing is, it's only hair and it will grow back (as you know).

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    1. I am, I've been taking it three days and haven't cried once! You PNW folks should be experts on it, so I trust your recommendation.

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  3. Good Job! He looks great. Rosemary was my easiest clip being the least fuzzy. Fuzzy definitely increases the challenge, but I am with you. Only we see the full cut so if I am happy that's all that matters.

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    1. Yes fuzzy is hard. For me it's if I'm happy and if my trainer is happy, representing her program and all that. I know she'd prefer the look of a full clip, but ultimately wanted me to stick with the trace based on the fact that he doesn't get sweaty with it.

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  4. I honestly don't think Id be able to do a trace clip. I think the whole process would be so frustrating. Props to you. I can't imagine only Doing a trace on the wooly mammoth!

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    1. It's hard! I think I'd take your leg debacle over my trace clip debacle, but maybe that's only because I've never done legs before.

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  5. Haha. I think I'm doing my first ever trace clip this year (or three, because I'm a glutton for punishment). Anyways. I will miss the clean look of the full clip. Not sure how it's possible to make a trace clip even start to look good.

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    1. I know you're good at clipping, so if you figure that out, let me know. He'll definitely still be wearing this for our first few 2014 engagements if last year is any indication (redneck Hoosier Horse Fair people asking why I shaved him that way about 465 times over the course of the weekend last year is seriously making me consider full clipping him the second time).

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  6. Just remember nobody is going to be looking at his clip from both sides at the same time so there's no reason anyone will spot that the two sides are different!

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    1. You are so right, and thank you! This comment has been in my head every time I looked at that clip the last few days. You guys and I will be the only ones who ever know.

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  7. I think you did a great job! I can vouch for you, he's a hard one to get straight lines on!

    Is it just me? Or, is he getting more feathers? Adorable ...

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    1. My reaction to this comment: "OH GOD I HOPE SO!" *runs to original post to double check* "Nope."

      Thanks for getting my hopes up! :-p

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