This website is made possible by the members of the Mountain States Meat Goat Association
Mountain States
Meat Goat Association
Mountain States Meat Goat Association
Show Tips By Erica Ashby
of Kicking A Ranch
Show Tips By Erica Ashby
of Kicking A Ranch
MSMGA
Show Clipping
Show season is well under way and this page is dedicated to show you how to clip for the ABGA IBGA shows as they are different than clipping for the wether shows .
First wash your goats preferably on a stand and dry well.
This diagram should help you with how short and long to leave the coat .What you are trying to achieve is to accentuate the good points and cover up the bad .Below is a diagram to give you an idea ,you can follow this one and when you feel better about doing it you can start to experiment .
I use steel clipper guards from Wahl ,they come in a set and are around $40 .They make it a lot easier to know what length you clipping because they have different colours on them for each length .
I find it much easier to clip all the show goats a week before the show then the day before wash and dry them and put then in a stall / pen with lots of clean straw ,that way all you have to do is spot wash them if they get a little dirty .It makes showing a lot more pleasant ,you can go and relax ,visit with friends and promote your goats !Make a list of all the things you will need and put them in the trailer the day before ...don't forget your camera !!and most important your registration papers that's the one thing you cannot buy when you get to your show!!.
Don't forget a clean towel to wipe your goats with just before you go into the ring .Another thing to remember is DON'T clip down the front of the head ,only on the very top ,you do not want to accentuate any dip you want to make the roman nose stand out as much as possible .
If your goat is a bit on the fat side try clipping shorter under the belly from the top of the back leg to the top of the front leg ,it makes them LOOK slimmer !!! If your goat,s hips are a bit high clip shorter on the top of the hip and blend toward to the front ,remember its like sculpturing !If you clip between the shoulder blades shorter it will make them look wider ,look at the profile and then go back and get a nice smooth look from the chine up to the top of the neck .Remember BLEND ,BLEND ,BLEND!!!!!
You can take off any beards on a yearling buck by the way . Do practice on a goat that you are not going to show so you don't mess up on your good stuff.Please call me if you have any questions .
Below is Hollywood Gold ,before and after clipping ,see how much longer his body looks after you clip all that hair off !
First wash your goats preferably on a stand and dry well.
This diagram should help you with how short and long to leave the coat .What you are trying to achieve is to accentuate the good points and cover up the bad .Below is a diagram to give you an idea ,you can follow this one and when you feel better about doing it you can start to experiment .
I use steel clipper guards from Wahl ,they come in a set and are around $40 .They make it a lot easier to know what length you clipping because they have different colours on them for each length .
I find it much easier to clip all the show goats a week before the show then the day before wash and dry them and put then in a stall / pen with lots of clean straw ,that way all you have to do is spot wash them if they get a little dirty .It makes showing a lot more pleasant ,you can go and relax ,visit with friends and promote your goats !Make a list of all the things you will need and put them in the trailer the day before ...don't forget your camera !!and most important your registration papers that's the one thing you cannot buy when you get to your show!!.
Don't forget a clean towel to wipe your goats with just before you go into the ring .Another thing to remember is DON'T clip down the front of the head ,only on the very top ,you do not want to accentuate any dip you want to make the roman nose stand out as much as possible .
If your goat is a bit on the fat side try clipping shorter under the belly from the top of the back leg to the top of the front leg ,it makes them LOOK slimmer !!! If your goat,s hips are a bit high clip shorter on the top of the hip and blend toward to the front ,remember its like sculpturing !If you clip between the shoulder blades shorter it will make them look wider ,look at the profile and then go back and get a nice smooth look from the chine up to the top of the neck .Remember BLEND ,BLEND ,BLEND!!!!!
You can take off any beards on a yearling buck by the way . Do practice on a goat that you are not going to show so you don't mess up on your good stuff.Please call me if you have any questions .
Below is Hollywood Gold ,before and after clipping ,see how much longer his body looks after you clip all that hair off !
