31x31: Challenge 2

It was a happy coincidence that I stopped by the barn tonight! I got to complete challenge 2 of 31x31- Body Clipping. I have to be honest here, I didn't clip the entire horse, just a bit of her neck and side.

Brook, self taught, has been clipping for years and has it down to a science- about an hour and a half per horse. Her take? Chestnuts are the most difficult color- errors are easy to spot.

When we got down to the nitty gritty- an easy clip comes down to equipment, equipment, equipment. And a clean horse. Brook gives a mineral oil rise before a clip to insure the coat is soft and conditioned.

Then you just follow the direction of the hair!

I am going to follow up the completion of this challenge with a full clip on her next round, Brook supervising of course!
The 31x31 List
1. Body Clip
2. Give IM & IV Shots
3. Pull a Mane
4. Polo Wrap
5. Set a course (including gymnastic differences to trot poles, bounce, 1 stride)
6. Clean a stall
7. Sweat Wrap
8. Poultice
9. Braid- Mane and Tail
10. Name and find all tendons, ligaments, bones in the lower leg
11. Emergency response: choking, colic, etc- signs and treatment
12. Administer Bute, Banamine, Ace- circumstance and dosage
13. Hook up, drive, and back up a trailer
14. Pull a sprung shoe
15. Check vital signs- temperature, respiratory, pulse
16. Palpate major soft tissue structures in the leg
17. Clean a water trough
18. Tie a quick release knot and learn to ground tie
19. Pack and wrap feet
20. Learn identifiers of body condition scoring
21. Clean sheath/ teats
22. Basics of saddle fitting
23. Nutrition- what Ellie eats and why along with setting up grain for the barn
24. Properly fit a bridle
25. Groom at a show
26. Make up a basic first aid kit and understand basic shoeing tools
27. Learn anatomy of a horse and basic conformation
28. How to twitch- when to use and basic methods
29. Rasp a hoof
30. De-worm
31. Learn basic massage and stretch techniques