The key to a professional looking clip is a combination of several things.

 

First and foremost, make sure you have good clippers.  When I say good, that doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive.  A quality pair of clippers with good sharp blades will do the trick.  The stronger the motor is on your clippers, the fast the blades will move.  Using less expensive ones will work, but they may not give you the professional look that you desire. 

 

Don’t rush!  By taking your time and using a smooth swiping motion you will get a nice even clip.  This will ensure that you don’t end up leaving tracks on your horse’s coat.  If it seems like the clippers just don’t want to glide, then maybe you need to change the blades.  If the blades feel hot, then you need to put some libricant on them - your horse will thank you. 

 

The angle you hold your clippers at is often a very common mistake made resulting in an undesired clip.  If you have the clippers angled too steep, you could end up with a choppy cut and nicks in your horse.  Keep the blades at an angle parallel to the skin, especially on an area such as the barrel.

 

The direction in which you clip the hair is also something that needs special attention.  You need to clip against the lay of the hair.  If the hair is lying downwards, then you need to clip with an upward motion.  Some areas where the hair could go in several directions may need additional swipes to get a thorough cut.