Can Clipper Oil Irritate Your Horse’s Skin?

What to consider if your horse develops bumps, hives or irritated skin after clipping

Does your horse regularly come up in bumps, hives or irritated-looking skin after clipping?

It’s easy to put this down to having a “sensitive horse” — particularly if it happens every clipping season. But if your horse reacts after being clipped, it’s worth looking at everything that comes into contact with their newly exposed skin.

And that includes what you’re putting on your clipper blades.

What happens to your horse’s skin during clipping?

Clipping removes the horse’s protective outer coat, leaving the skin much more exposed than it was before.

At the same time, clipper blades are repeatedly passing over the same areas of the body. There’s warmth from the blades, friction from clipping and, of course, whatever product you’re using to lubricate those blades.

For a horse already prone to sensitive or reactive skin, that’s a lot happening at once.

So when we’re trying to make clipping as skin-friendly as possible, we don’t just think about the clippers themselves.

We think about what’s on the blades too.

Could traditional clipper oil be part of the problem?

Traditional clipper oils are primarily designed to do an important mechanical job: lubricate clipper blades and help keep the machinery running smoothly.

They’re designed with the blade in mind.

But when you’re clipping a horse, that product can also come into contact with the coat and skin as you work.

That’s why, particularly with sensitive horses, we prefer to take a different approach.

Why we use Beautify when clipping

Beautify was formulated for the horse’s skin and hair first.

Its lightweight nourishing oils are designed to condition the skin and coat, while also providing the lubrication and slip we want when clipping.

Instead of thinking only about lubricating the machine, you’re considering the horse underneath it too.

When used during clipping, Beautify can help with:

• Smooth blade glide
• Reducing the appearance of clip lines
• A glossy, conditioned finish
• Conditioning the newly clipped coat and skin
• Creating a more skin-conscious clipping routine for sensitive horses

And that glossy finish is a particularly nice bonus.

We all know the disappointment of spending hours clipping only to stand back and find your horse suddenly looks dull and washed out!

My horse always reacts after clipping — what should I do?

If your horse regularly develops bumps, hives, itching or irritation after clipping, don’t simply assume that’s something they have to put up with because they have sensitive skin.

Take a look at the whole clipping routine.

Think about blade temperature, how much pressure and friction you're creating, how clean your equipment is and every product that comes into contact with the horse before, during and after clipping.

Changing one part of the routine may not solve every sensitive-skin problem, but eliminating unnecessary potential irritants is a sensible place to start.

If your horse develops a severe, persistent or unexplained skin reaction, seek veterinary advice rather than assuming clipping alone is responsible.

Clipper oil — but make it skincare

One of the reasons we love using Beautify Oil for clipping is that it doesn’t become another single-purpose product sitting in your grooming kit for the rest of the year.

Beautify is a multi-use skin, coat, mane and tail oil.

Use it as part of your clipping routine, then keep reaching for it for hot clothing, mane and tail treatments, areas affected by friction and your regular grooming routine.

One bottle. A lot of jobs.

And, most importantly, a clipping routine that thinks about the horse’s skin and coat as well as the clippers.

Beautify is used and recommended by vets and Team GB riders.