Anyone struggling with clipping this autumn may — or may not — want to watch a video of trainer Emma Massingale standing on her head to clip her ponies.
The film, created by Devon-based Emma, shows her clipping six-year olds Evenos, Barney and Comet in a somewhat unusual manner.
This is the second similar video Emma has posted after her film A Close Shave, in which she hung upside-down to wield her clippers, went viral last year.
Clipping..I can do it standing on my head..Well, sort of!!Mole Valley asked me to make another clipping video testing out the new Lister Liberty Clippers, last year I hung from the ceiling while clipping…other than stand on my head what else could we do?!! #worldsmileday For great deals on Clippers please see Mole Valley Farmers Equestrian With NAF Ariat Europe Horseware Dengie Horse Feeds Champion Equestrian Wear Cavallo Hoof Boots Mole Valley Farmers West Plus Lister ClippingPosted by Emma Massingale on Friday, October 5, 2018
Emma told H&H: “Last year I threw the kitchen sink at it with hanging upside down and I thought, how can I better it? I hadn’t used battery clippers before and Mole Valley Farmers let me try them so we could have free rein out of the stable and I thought we’d head out into the field and try it.”
Viewers will see Evenos being clipped at the beginning while lying down, Comet losing his hair while Emma sits on top and finally Barney lying down while Emma stands on her head to do the job.
“They were only clipped for the first time last year. It’s having that great relationships with them – when you bring out something scary or a bit new, they’re my friends and they know when I pull out something weird they’re not frightened by anything I suggest. They just think it’s a new game,” Emma said.
“I’m always suggesting different things to them all year round and we do so many different things with them. It was very easy – Connemaras are great.”
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Emma owns eight Connemaras who star in her various videos and she teaches them using voice cues.
“I literally just picked the cleanest horses for this one – they’re all really good. It’s a lifestyle thing, it’s not about what you train them to do, it’s about what they are used to you doing with them,” she said.
The ponies travelled around their native Shetland Islands with trainer Emma Massingale
“Hopefully people will enjoy the video, think of it as a bit of fun and realise they don’t have to dread clipping.”
Emma is launching a Christmas video campaign with the next video due out in November.
“I’ve got loads of ideas. It’s lots of fun, we’re currently making Christmas videos which is hilarious. We’ve got some great ones in the pipeline,” she said.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
