Cattle Clips

It's fair season! Although I will not be spending a week in a lawn chair with my cows and a funnel cake this year, we still have to get ready for the virtual show! In order to prepare I have a lot of clipping to do to get my steer blue-ribbon ready. In this post I am going to be focusing on clipping his head. It is important to start with clean and dry hair so that it is easier to clip and to avoid damaging your clippers. Here, I am using a flathead Andis HP Progress Clippers that I won from Nasco's Show Us Your Animal Contest when I was younger! As you can see in the pictures, a technique I use when I clip heads is taking off their halter and instead using it to keep their head up. This makes it easier because you do not have to work around the halter while still having the ability to keep their head raised. When I clip, I try to go up along the top of his face and nose, down the sides of his face, and up along the brisket; however, you will most likely have to clip from various angles in order to remove all of the hair. It is important to keep your clippers flat so you get a smooth, line-free finish. When you clip, be cautious around their eyes as you do not want to poke them or take off eyelashes. Additionally, you should not be removing all of the hair on their ears but rather just give them a neat trim, which may require a smaller clipper. The hair on the front of their ears protects them from bugs and helps keep them clean. I also shaved his neck, using the point of the shoulder as an end zone reference. From this area on, I will blend his long body hair into the shoulder to make a natural transition. It is recommended to clip the head, neck and brisket about 3 weeks before the show and then reclipping the face a few days prior to the event. You can find guides online that help show you where to clip or learn by watching others; however, I believe the most valuable way to learn is by doing! So pick up those clippers and practice! Each time you will get better and feel more confident and your calf will also be more comfortable with the process as well! Just make sure you give yourself time before the fair in case you have an oopsie.

Good luck to everyone who has a fair coming up whether it is in-person or virtual! See you in the show ring!