Clippers and Blades: The Kit Behind a Good Clip
A clip is only as good as the machine and the blades doing it. What separates a clipper from a trimmer, when a cordless machine earns its price on an island yard, which blade grade suits which coat, and the ten-minute habits that keep blades cutting through a whole season.
Choose the machine for the job, the blade for the coat, and oil, clean and sharpen on a schedule rather than when the clip starts to drag.
The clip comes first
Which clip a horse needs, and when it goes on, is covered in our companion piece, Clipping a Horse on Mallorca. The short version for the island: the first clip usually goes on in the second half of October, a trace clip covers most horses in regular work, and anything heavier is a rugging commitment through to March. This guide picks up from there, with the kit.
Clipper or trimmer
The two machines look alike and do different jobs. A body clipper has the larger motor and the wider blade set, and it is built to move through a thick winter coat across the neck, shoulder and flank without stalling. A trimmer is smaller, lighter and quieter, made for the head, ears, jaw line, fetlocks and the tidy edges of a clip.
For a trace clip or anything larger, the clipper does the work. The trimmer finishes it, and on a horse that dislikes the sound of a clipper near its head, the quieter machine is the one that gets the job done at all. Most yards that clip more than one horse keep both.
In the shopListerAircool 400W Heavy Duty Horse and Cattle Clipper MachineView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
AlternativeWolseleyWolseley Harrier Heavy Duty Mains Horse Clipper – 325WView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
In the shopLiverymanLiveryman Nova TrimmerView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
The full basketThe clipping setReady packed, above the retailer's free-delivery threshold, every item swappable.See the basket →Mains or cordless
A mains clipper runs as long as the job takes and weighs less in the hand. The limit is the cable, and on many island yards the nearest socket is nowhere near the wash bay or the shade where a horse stands quietly.
Cordless machines have closed most of the gap. Makers now state their figures plainly: Liveryman says its Black Beauty clipper runs with the same power from the battery pack as from the mains, and gives up to 90 minutes of running time from a three-hour charge for its Harmony Plus trimmer (manufacturer statements). Run time depends on the coat and the blades, so for a full clip on a big horse a second battery or a mains option is the safe plan.
In the shopLiverymanLiveryman Phoenix Cordless ClippersView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
AlternativeWahlWAHL KM Supera LA Schermaschine Akku, lila, UniView at Horse Shop DE →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by Horse Shop DE.The blade set
Blades are graded by how much hair they leave. Lister publishes its range as a useful reference (manufacturer figures):
| Blade (Lister) | Hair left | Maker’s intended use |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 1.4 mm | the standard for most horses, and for showing |
| Medium | 2.5 mm | winter clipping, horses with light skin |
| Coarse | 2.5 mm | dirty or muddy horses, thick coats such as cobs |
| Covercote | 5 mm | seasonal transitions, keeps a more natural coat look |
For an autumn clip on Mallorca, the medium grade deserves a look: a little more hair on a clipped horse is a little less rug on a mild night. Other makers use their own names and figures, so compare the cut length, not the label, and check that a spare set fits your clipper before ordering.
A second set of blades is the most useful accessory in the box. One set goes to the sharpener while the other stays in use, and a clip never stops half-way because the only set has gone blunt.
In the shopListerLister A2 Blades: StandardView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
AlternativeLiverymanHarmony 10 Wide Fine Clipper Blade – 1.0mmView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).Blade care, during and after
Both Lister and Liveryman give the same core instruction: oil the blades every five to ten minutes while clipping. Oil across the teeth and into the oiling points, run the clipper for a few seconds with the blades pointing down so the oil does not run into the motor, and wipe off the excess.
- Clip a clean, dry horse. Lister names dust, mud and debris as what dulls blades fastest. On an island where dust settles in every coat, a bath the day before, or at least a hard groom and a fully dry horse, protects the blades as much as the finish.
- Check the temperature. Blades warm up as they work. Test them against the back of your hand or forearm regularly, and stop to cool them. A blade wash or a cooling spray helps between passes.
- Check the tension. Liveryman notes that wrong blade tension causes poor cutting and makes the motor overheat. Follow the maker’s setting rather than tightening until it feels firm.
- Clean the filters. An air filter clogged with hair lets the motor run hot.
Sharpening. Lister puts the interval at roughly every 8 to 10 clips, depending on the blades’ condition, the maintenance and the coats clipped (manufacturer guidance). Dusty coats shorten it. Send blades to a specialist sharpening service rather than attempting it at the yard; the two plates have to meet precisely.
Storage and servicing. At the end of the season, clean and oil the clipper and blades, wrap the blades in an oiled cloth and store everything somewhere warm and dry. Liveryman recommends a service once a year by the maker or an approved centre.
Straight after the clip
A freshly clipped horse loses its insulation within the hour. A cooler goes on while the horse dries, and the right rug follows for the night. How much rug a clipped horse on Mallorca needs, and why the answer is less than a northern chart suggests, is in the companion article and in our turnout guide (Clipping a Horse on Mallorca: Which Clip and When, Which Turnout Rug Does Your Horse Need? The Quick Decision Guide).
In the shopTurfmastersTurfmasters Fleece Rug – 50 / Dark GreenView at TRI Equestrian →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by TRI Equestrian. EU delivery €25, free from €150 (according to the retailer, checked 27.09.2026).
AlternativebucasBucas Power Prize Cooler ohne BegurtungView at Horse Shop DE →Affiliate link · Sold and shipped by Horse Shop DE.- A clipper does the body, a trimmer does the head, legs and edges. Most yards that clip several horses keep both.
- Cordless clippers suit yards without a socket near the wash bay; plan a second battery or a mains option for a full clip.
- Compare blades by cut length: Lister’s fine blade leaves 1.4 mm, medium 2.5 mm. A spare set keeps the season running.
- Oil every five to ten minutes, clip a clean horse, watch blade temperature and tension.
- Sharpen roughly every 8 to 10 clips (Lister), sooner with dusty coats; service the clipper once a year.
Lister, What Clipping Blades Do I Need? – blade grades, cut lengths, oiling, sharpening interval: www.lister-global.com (retrieved 27.09.2026)
Liveryman, Horse Clipper FAQs – battery vs mains, run time, tension, storage, annual service: www.liveryman.co.uk (retrieved 27.09.2026)
EquiMallorca, Clipping a Horse on Mallorca (companion article)
General editorial guidance, not veterinary advice. A horse with skin problems, a coat that will not shed or unusual sweating belongs with the vet before the clipper is switched on. Product links on our page are affiliate links; the price is the same for you.