Hand clipper on ears?

Anyone tried it?

I can't use automatic trimmer on Jemma's ears. And yes, I've been working with her on that for month already - not better after a month - same reaction as it was on 1st day. I can clip under jaw, nose, lips, chicks, but as long as I bring it close to the ears she freaks out. She's fine with touching, pulling, twisting the ears with the hand (and even 2 hands :) ). It's obviously the sound driving her crazy (and I have one of the most quiet clippers I could find). I can just give them up in the end, but just wanted to try something else.

Have you ever tried when ever the clippers are semi close to her ears giving her a treat when she does not react.

I have never tried the hand clippers but I would think they might be hard to use. But that is my thought.

I am in the same boat with my gelding but he really even does not like his ears touched with my hands. When I really was working with him I could get put the small clippers I had in his ear turned on but still was not at the point where I could clip them. I used the treat method where everytime the clippers were and close to his ears he got a treat.

I tried with treats, without treats, bringing close by inch by inch, approaching from different directions, anything I could think of. As long as it's about 1-2 inches from ear she freaks out. Actually I could trim around the ears, but as long as it goes higher - it obviously bothers her. May be she's too sensitive to that sound - I can't stand the "chalk on board" sound for example. As I said I play with her ears and even pull the hair in ears just to see if it may be hurting her or something, and she tolerates it.

BTW, I talked to sales representatives in Dover today, and they said hand clipper is not a good idea because it pulls. They said they know similar examples, so if it's crucial you can use twitch or calmer. I guess I'll just let her go.

Have you tried twitching her? I have a gelding who absolutely would NOT stand to be clipped. He wouldn't even let you clip any part of his body. I even tried to do it once when he was sedated (after his teeth were floated) and I couldn't do it. He was perfectly fine with the sound, but the second they touched him and he felt the vibration he flipped out.

I had assumed for a while that since he wouldn't even let me clip him when he was sedated that there was no way he'd let me clip him with a twitch on, so I never tried it. But I tried it a couple months ago when I roached his mane and he was perfect. He just stood there like he was asleep. I even did his muzzle, ears, and fetlocks when I finished his mane.

You could use sissors? Rena hates the sound of clippers near her ears too... ithink its because they can't really hear anything out of that ear when they clippers are so close, so they get nervous because that's one of their most useful senses. Haha I guess some are fine with it, some arent. Rena is scared of the sissors so close to her ears too... haha im slowly working on that one

I was thinking about sissors, but I'm afraid since it's a pretty sharp object if she suddenly shy away or move I can get into her eye.

CloudsMystique, twitching won't help I'm afraid. The farrier tried to use it once when she didn't behave for him to do the job and it went very bad. It doesn't take her mind away, but makes her even more mad. I may try to clip the ears next month right after the teeth floating (because she's usually knocked out with the drugs pretty good). But I am afraid I'll just let her be.

Have you tried shutting them off and just rubbing the inside of her ear and around it to see how she reacts? You could try that and then just slowly build on it..

I tried that too. She tolerates. :)

Have you tried using those little ear puffs? Ear Puffs - Spooking Solutions from SmartPak Equine