Shopping for your horse's clippers can be overwhelming - there are dozens of styles, colors, and functions. But all types of clippers, shears, and trimmers are one of two things - corded or cordless.
Features of Corded Clippers
Corded clippers are just that - horse hair cutting machines attached to an outlet with a cord. They do have a few advantages over non-corded styles.
Corded clippers can be lighter and stronger. There’s no battery weight, and the power goes right to the motor. Most shears and horse clippers are corded to provide that extra oomph while clipping. The cord ensures a constant flow of power, and your clippers won't run out of juice.
You also don’t need to invest in replacement batteries down the road, and you certainly won’t lose any batteries.
The lighter weight makes maneuvering around your horse a bit easier, too. And, as a bonus to your pocketbook, corded horse clippers are usually priced less than their cordless equivalent.
Features of Cordless Clippers
Horse trimmers are usually cordless. These handy clipping tools are smaller, typically have a 5-in-1 blade, and are best for tidying the bridle path, jawline, legs, and hard-to-reach places.
Some trimmers have a nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH). The Wahl Arco has NiMH removable batteries that charge on a base corded to an outlet. You can also find removable lithium-ion batteries, like the Creativa trimmers have. These batteries are easily replaced if needed and can be purchased separately - no need to buy a whole new trimmer. NiMH batteries are the old-school type of power source. These nickle and metal hydride power sources are affordable, reliable, and pack more power than the newer lithium-ion batteries.
Contrary to the removable batteries, some cordless clippers and trimmers charge with a cord. The cord connects to the bottom of the clippers, and the battery is not removable. These styles, like KM10 Cordless body clippers, save a bit of space as they don’t need charging stands. You can also use them as corded clippers if you need to, letting them charge as you clip.
The dreaded cord snake
Not all horses are comfortable around cords, and rightly so. It's all too easy for a horse to mistake a cord for a horse-eating snake. Kind and thoughtful training and patience can remedy this. In the meantime, opt for a cordless clipper or trimmer for your horse.
Cords also need to avoid wrapping around both horse and human legs. Ideally, you clip your horse where there's an outlet on both sides of your horse, or you can move your horse around. You want yourself, the clippers, and the outlet on the same side of your horse.
If the cord is too long, you can make a few loops and secure them with a twist tie to shorten the cord.
