My latest clip job..Check it Out!!!

[garett]

First of all, I resized these pics myself, I followed all of those directions so it better work!

OK heres my steer again, this time hes clipped!  I finally decided to just go for it.
    But anyways tell me what you think.....maybe some improvements that can be made?


Remember: I am no expert and, and hes still gonna need some work done. I think he needs a little more taken off his back, but I was running low on time and quit.
                  I wasn't for sure how to go about this for a while, but then I got some advice from one of our very own, and decided to go ahead.

                                              Thanks for any replies in advance!!

                                                          Garett

 

[doubled]

Garett, by clipping yourself that is the best way to learn, keep it up, pretty nice steer, good luck with him, looks like he is going to have a nice
hair coat. 

 

[farmboy]

man he looks really nice, good job, looks better than the other pics you posted of him

 

[TJ]

I think that it looks pretty good.  Looks like it could use just a little more blending near where the neck & shoulders meet... actually, I'd take it a little tighter (not much) further down the neck until you get to the front of the shoulders, but other than that it's not too bad... not too bad at all!!  Good job!!   (clapping)  

Someone with more skill than might be able to point out something that I didn't, but that's about all that I see...    

 

[shortyjock89]

yeah man, like I told ya, he's looking good...he's come a long way, and I think he's just gonna keep getting better.  You get his top clipped down a little more and then you can work on that tailhead.  That, and the couple little things that some others pointed out, and he should be looking pretty dang nice..can't wait until you get him shown! (thumbsup)

 

[TJ]

I just checked out the orginal picture that you posted about a month ago...  he's looking a lot better!!  That's the sign of a good clipper, fitter, feeder, etc., IMHO.  I think that the 3 or 4 week transformation your calf made deserves...  (thumbsup)  (thumbsup)

 

[showgoer]

If this is one of your first attempts at clipping, you're a natural.  It just takes a lot of time and a lot of practice.  And I think if you are just "roughing" him out to make the haircoat more manageable at home then what you have done is fine.  But if you are preparing him to go to a show, some more of that hair needs to come off to help him look his best.  You already know some more needs to come off his top.  Clip that tailhead down and square it off.  Make sure it blends nice from his tailhead to his topline and from his tailhead to his hip.  Clip those front shoulders down~ again making it blend nice from his forerib to shoulder to neck.  Clip the neck down tighter and blend it into his jawline where you used the flatheads.  The hair needs to come off his front legs from his knee up blending it into his shoulder.  The rear legs need clipped also from the knee up blending into the flank but leaving the hair on his lower quarter.  Make the transition between his leg and lower quarter look natural (blend).  I see way too many people clip that rear leg down tight and carve a line at the quarter.  Some of that hair also needs to come off his belly.  Don't shave it but the gurard hairs need to come off and it needs some shape being blended into his body.  I know this sounds like a lot but I am just trying to help.  I was glad to see that you said you ran out of time so you quit.  That is the best thing you can do.  Let him rest, you rest, then come back and work on it later.  When calves stand for hours being clipped they get frustrated and move and you get frustrated and the clip job isn't as good as it could be.  Also don't forget to slow down.  Too many beginners try taking all the hair off in one pass.  If you watch the jocks that do this for a living, it almost appears that they aren't clipping anything off at all when they clip.  They go slow and take a little at a time so they don't knick one and to make it look natural (blend, blend, blend).  It appears either you have done some work or the calf naturally has a nice haircoat, just try keeping that into the spring and summer months.  Best of luck and good job!

 

[TJ]

If this is one of your first attempts at clipping, you're a natural.  It just takes a lot of time and a lot of practice.  And I think if you are just "roughing" him out to make the haircoat more manageable at home then what you have done is fine.  But if you are preparing him to go to a show, some more of that hair needs to come off to help him look his best.  You already know some more needs to come off his top.  Clip that tailhead down and square it off.  Make sure it blends nice from his tailhead to his topline and from his tailhead to his hip.  Clip those front shoulders down~ again making it blend nice from his forerib to shoulder to neck.  Clip the neck down tighter and blend it into his jawline where you used the flatheads.  The hair needs to come off his front legs from his knee up blending it into his shoulder.  The rear legs need clipped also from the knee up blending into the flank but leaving the hair on his lower quarter.  Make the transition between his leg and lower quarter look natural (blend).  I see way too many people clip that rear leg down tight and carve a line at the quarter.  Some of that hair also needs to come off his belly.  Don't shave it but the gurard hairs need to come off and it needs some shape being blended into his body.  I know this sounds like a lot but I am just trying to help.  I was glad to see that you said you ran out of time so you quit.  That is the best thing you can do.  Let him rest, you rest, then come back and work on it later.  When calves stand for hours being clipped they get frustrated and move and you get frustrated and the clip job isn't as good as it could be.  Also don't forget to slow down.  Too many beginners try taking all the hair off in one pass.  If you watch the jocks that do this for a living, it almost appears that they aren't clipping anything off at all when they clip.  They go slow and take a little at a time so they don't knick one and to make it look natural (blend, blend, blend).  It appears either you have done some work or the calf naturally has a nice haircoat, just try keeping that into the spring and summer months.  Best of luck and good job!

I couldn't have said it better myself.  You had no karma points & now you have 1.  Very nice explanation!!  (clapping)

 

[red]

Really shows you've put in a lot of time & work on him! Good job for a beginner at clipping. Keep it up & you'll be in demand in a few years!

Red

 

[cattlejunky]

Good job! 

 

[Richburg]

you have done a really nice job for first time.....but it does need more taken off before the show.....the way i learned to get better was going through the clubcalf bulls and seeing how they were clipped.....also at the next show go around and watch the big dogs clipping and fitting and you will learn a lot by just watching

good luck

 

[BCCC]

The first picture of him looks very good  (thumbsup) . I would also clip his underline some, to make him look like he isnt as high in the flank.

 

[garett]

Hello all, thanks for all of your amazing comments

Justamom-Ya I love his hair, haha, this is the most I've ever had and I'm tryin to keep it on him
Zach-I know, after looking at the other pics I had posted, I'm kind of embarassed at how he looked
TJ-I'm not done clipping but I'll take your advice when I finish up
Olson Family Shorthorns-Like I said up there, I'll work on the tailhead too when I go to finish up--Thanks for all of your advice earlier anyways
Showgoer-It's not the first time I've clipped but the first with this much hair, I'm gonna take all of your advice when I finish up too
Red and Cattlejunky-Thanks for the Support
Richburg-I have clipped before, haha, I'll check out some of those bulls and see if I can get any ideas
BCCC- I like the first picture the best also-Gonna clip some more on that underline too

            Keep all this good advice comin guys

 

[garett]

O boy

I just looked at those other pictures I had posted earlier, and man has he made a transformation.
I was also lookin at a pic of him last summer and boy he didnt look to good then either

                                                      Garett