Not everyone needs to clip their horse, and if you don't enter a show ring very often clipping and trimming may not seem very important. But most horses look better - and even feel better - with a little tidying up around the edges, especially in the winter months. Trimming around your horse's face and legs will not only make him look good, it can make keeping him healthy and comfortable a lot easier. A good set of trimmers in your horse grooming supplies makes this job easy to do.

Why trim the face?

We're not talking about a show ring presentation here, where you trim around the eyes and ears. What we're looking at is trimming around your horse's jaw and muzzle for comfort as well as looks. The long hairs under your horse's chin can easily get caught in halter and bridle straps, and most riders can recall catching the muzzle hairs more than once when fitting a bit or a curb chain.

These hairs do serve a purpose. The muzzle hairs help your horse find small bits of food, and the long jaw hairs draw water away from the face in rain and snow. Even so, if you horse has work to do, you can trim these back for comfort and appearance, without losing the natural benefits. Most horses today won't need the hairs under their jaw, because they aren't exposed to long periods in wet weather. And for those that are, you can be sure that no horse appreciates the muddy icicles that can form under their chin if those hairs are left untrimmed. You can safely trim back the jaw hairs underneath the jaw, making it easier to fit your bridle, and your horse more comfortable without any pinched hairs. Leaving the hairs longer at the side of the face will carry water away, but if it's dry, you are showing, or your horse is stabled, you can shorten these up too.

The hairs on the muzzle are a little more important, but again, most horses don't use them as much as their wild counterparts. You horse most likely is well fed, on good pasture, and doesn't have to forage for feed. That said, unless your show ring requires you to, don't clip these hairs completely away. Trimming them back to about half an inch gives your horse the information he needs to sift for tiny grains or the best grass, but keeps these sensitive hairs out of the way of the bit and bridle.

Why trim the feet?

There's two parts to trimming the feet and legs - around the coronary band at the top of the hoof, and clipping the long hairs at the back of the leg. Trimming around the coronary band isn't just for appearance, although it will make the hoof look rounder and neater. If you use any hoof preparations, keeping these hairs trimmed will keep them from getting dirty with hoof oils and creams, and also help you make sure you get these treatments right up to the top of the hoof where it grows and where it is needed most.

Clipping the back of the leg is more sensitive. Again, if your horse lives out, or spends a lot of time in wet muddy conditions, these hairs can help carry the water away from the heels, where it can lead to sores and infections. But these hairs can actually cause problems. If your horse has a lot of hair, or 'feathers', these can get matted with ice and mud, and if they never get to dry out water can still get trapped around the sensitive areas of the heel.

If you are showing, or your horse is stabled, you can clip these hairs off. This is one of the most effective techniques to make any horse look neater! But if you do, you need to be sure to clean and dry your horse's heels regularly. If you want to tidy up your horse, but leave some protection, you can take away the long hairs at the back of the cannon, and just leave a small tuft at the fetlock. This leaves a small channel to carry the water away from the heel, but allows you to easily wash and dry the area, and prevents mud and ice from becoming packed into the hairs.

Choosing an everyday trimmer

Every owner of a working horse should consider having a good set of horse trimmers in their horse grooming supplies for trimming the face and legs. For all horse owners, a good set of trimmers is useful - they are invaluable in the first aid kit for cleaning up wounds or tidying up areas under bandages. So even if you aren't showing, an investment in a good quality set of trimmers is a wise one. Here's some good choices:

• Wahl horse clippers. The Wahl Pro Rechargeable is an economical and versatile cordless trimmer. Fully charged, it will last for 40 minutes, enough to get around the face and legs. The blades are an easy pop-off design, making replacement simple. Best of all, the low price means you can keep a kit in several sets of horse grooming supplies, or a spare in your first aid kit.
• Oster horse clippers. The Oster Whisper Quiet Trimmer is ideal for nervous horses. It gives a neat finish, there's a good choice of blades available, and if your horse is likely to fidget when you are trimming around its face or legs, then this is a great choice. However, if you need to get through thick leg feathers or matted hair, you'll need something more robust.
• Andis horse clippers. The Andis Ruby clippers give you the option of corded or cordless operation. Use the cord for quiet horses, or if you have a lot of horses to do and don't want to wait for recharging. But if your horse is nervous, you don't have easy access to an electrical socket, or want to take it with you to shows, then go cordless. It's light, and comes with several comb attachments so it's ideal if you are moving form precise trims to more general areas.

Choosing clippers from Wahl, Oster, or Andis is wise. These major supplies or horse clippers will provide you with a good warranty, a safe product, and replacement blades will be easy to get. Most of these suppliers offer a choice of attachments and blades so you can make sure you have the right tools for each job in your horse grooming supplies.