RAZORING YOUR MINIATURE HORSE’S FACE
by: Laura Tennill – Ten-L Training Center

First of all I would like to say that there are several ways to razor a horse’s face. This is the way I like to razor my show horse’s face and I have written this article to help those that want to learn how to do this.

Razoring your horse’s face can really enhance the overall finish on your show horse! It does take some practice and patience to do a really good job, so I would encourage you to practice razoring your horse a bit of time prior to your first show so that you will have one or two practice sessions in before the show.

Prior to razoring, you will need to clip your horse’s head close to the day your horse will be showing. We normally clip the show horses’ heads one to three days prior to their class with a #30 blade. The day before the horse shows, I use a #50 blade on all areas that need to be razored. Check closely to be sure you have all the hair off in these areas so that the razor will do a smoother job that way and it will also take less time which benefits both you and your horse.

You can blend the areas done with a #50 up into the areas clipped with a #30 blade with a #40 blade, using very light upwards strokes and you can do this after razoring if you want to do that, to make a smoother appearance between the razored areas and the actual haircoat.

Your horse will look best razored the day before he shows if possible, or as close to that as you can do it. The hair will grow out quickly and then the light oil, baby oil gel or face glow gel will not shine as much nor look as smooth if those areas are razored too early.

One of the main reasons we use a #50 blade on the horse’s areas to be razored right before it is to avoid nicking them as much as possible. It also makes it much easier to razor a horse too with very little hair to take off.

Just before your razor each area of your horse, take a clean washcloth or small towel and dip it in very warm water, wringing the excess water out. Place the cloth over the top of the eyes or muzzle, whichever area you razor first and hold it there a minute. The warmth of the warm water really helps to prep the skin and hair for razoring and will help you do a neater job it.