Do you pull your horses mane or cut it with scissors?

I pay someone else to use scissors on my horses mane - for the simple reason that he tries to kill you if you try and pull it! Last time we tried, he had two professional grooms pulling his mane and was under as much sedation as the vet could give him, and he was still a nightmare - it isn't worth the hassle
 
I prefer to pull as I'm useless with scissors; however I have since learned to do "ordinary" plaits with a long mane, so I'm au natural for now :)
 
I use a mixture of scissors, thinning rake, and pulling.

Which reminds me, he is looking a little...hairy...at the moment, so I should probably get on that!
 
I used to pull all my ponies when I was younger and my first horse. I plaited a lot because of pony club etc and it was just what I'd always been taught. Went to work on a SJ yard and then it was cutting manes all the way!

With my Soph she had/has a thin mane, so I've only ever cut it in 7 years, but I'll always feather up so it doesn't look blunt. Dora wouldn't let me pull her mane to begin with and it wasn't a problem, I cut it for the first 18 months. Just recently over the past 2 months I've been taking 2 minutes every now and then to pull it, more just for thickness now I'm plaiting regularly. I cam to the conclusion last night I'm going to have to cut it again anyway because where I've cut it for so long, pulling it is helping the thickness obviously but not the length.
 
I pull thick top half and solo comb the thin bottom half.

My old mare loved having her mane pulled and she also loved the dentist but she had to be sedated to be clipped. My current horse isn't keen on his mane being pulled and has to be sedated for the dentist but you can clip him all over including his whole head. They're all different!
 
If I want to shorten it I use scissors or an old clipper blade. I hold the mane and "razor" downwards. It takes the length off but looks natural. Thinning I use the technique described above.
 
Mixture of solo comb, some sporadic pulling of thick bits, a mane and tail rake and finally tidying with scissors by chopping up and into it. I can pull off the perfect 'pulled mane' using the above method.
 
I pull mine properly twice a year to keep the thickness down. The rest is just plucking the random bits that inevitably appear.

I well done mane with combs/scissors and the likes is fine I just hate the dead straight scissor bowl cut look!
 
I attacked one of my 2yo's the other day. It was very long so I used scissors upwards to get it to a reasonable length before backcombing then with the aid of solocomb it looks a lot better! I use a thinning comb on my old boy and pull one or two strands if he's warm!!! Otherwise I'd get squished. Why pull and cause discomfort (and risk injury) if there are alternative methods?
 
Isn't it strange what we do to horses that we would never do to other animals? Imagine the outrage if someone was caught pulling hair out of a dog or cat.

Needless to say I use scissors and I think it looks just fine. I do spend time trying to get the 'natural look'.

I'm quite vain myself but I'd never contemplate going through the pain of pulling my hair out for the sake of vanity so I'm not going to do it to some poor horse.

http://e-venting.co.uk/2015/03/why-i-will-never-pull-a-mane-or-tail-again/
 
You tell me. Pulled or cut?

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Thin manes I've cut, thick ones I've pulled. The only horse to not like pulling we did it once a year while he was sedated for the dentist anyway. Apparently using clove oil and pulling in gloves numbs the area if your worried its hurting but I guess 'pain thresholds' vary from horse to horse like humans. I don't find threading or waxing painful but loads of people tell me it hurts them.
 
Both. Thin manes are always cut , if they are thick then they are pulled and then cut to neaten up as I hate raggy ends!
 
If I pulled my boys he would have no mane. I keep it a good length, we do small SJ shows so don't braid. My show horse in the US had his cut then pulled when show season came around.
 
I don't pull or cut my mare's mane, what doesn't come out when it is being combed normally can stay. I think it looks nice when it's flowy.
 
It's actually both. I got challenged to "there's no way you can make it look the same". So...my friend pulled a section in the middle and I cut either side...she agreed it all looked the same.

I do always cut now unless I'm doing it for a client and they want it pulled. The mane (pardon the pun) reason I cut is for plaiting, which, admittedly, I have no need for at the moment. Cut manes make for much tidier plaits I have found over the years but yes, it does also help with the more sensitive horses.

There is more than one way to cut a mane as well. I like this look on George, but it's easy enough to create a more pulled look or a more cut look, depending on what you want.

If a mane is really thick and the horse won't have it pulled, I still cut, but will use either clippers or scissors to remove the under part of the mane as necessary. Needs upkeep though if it's going to be plaited. All easily done though.
 
Lévrier;13541805 said:
George really is rather lovely :)
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He's really coming into himself now that all of his issues are sorted at last. Randomly had a text from your old yard owner a couple of months back asking for my account details so she could pay me for pulling her pony's mane, lol. How long ago was that bless her. I told her not to worry. :)

Oh...and George has a new bridle now, well, new to me. Tried a Mexican Grackle on, he loved it so got one off a friend. He's like riding a rocket at the moment though, lol, albeit a safe one...so far ;)
 
_GG_ said:
He's really coming into himself now that all of his issues are sorted at last. Randomly had a text from your old yard owner a couple of months back asking for my account details so she could pay me for pulling her pony's mane, lol. How long ago was that bless her. I told her not to worry. :)

Oh...and George has a new bridle now, well, new to me. Tried a Mexican Grackle on, he loved it so got one off a friend. He's like riding a rocket at the moment though, lol, albeit a safe one...so far ;)
Click to expand...

Really??? OMG I had forgotten all about that :D :D I have never used a Mexican Grackle but I love the look of them (yes, I know, that is SO wrong, they are not a fashion accessory.....) glad he is forward but safe :D
 
Lévrier;13541814 said:
Really??? OMG I had forgotten all about that :D :D I have never used a Mexican Grackle but I love the look of them (yes, I know, that is SO wrong, they are not a fashion accessory.....) glad he is forward but safe :D
Click to expand...

They're BD legal now. George doesn't "need" it...he just goes better in it, not very tight as I never do anything up tight....not even girths. He just really likes it. Sits in different places so much like a Micklem/drop in terms of removing the pressure points from the standard areas of the jaw.

You're welcome to borrow this one if you want to try it out. It's a full.
 
If it has a thick mane and will let me I will pull and then neaten off with scissors. However mine and *funnily enough* most horses I know show at least a little discomfort so I have recently converted to solo combing and then still neatening off with scissors. Used to do full scissors but find its too much effort to make it look not choppy and can make it look very much pulled with a solo comb. (Still slightly obvious as her mane has grown out very thick)
 
I have to admit to pulling....
Pie is a funny chap - he LOATHS scissors and solo combs. He barges and stamps around and gets really upset if you try and use them on him. Whereas if I pull he stands like a rock.
 
I use scissors! Pony isn't a fan of pulling and to be honest I don't mind the bowl cut look. This was the length I went for when I was aiming for 'normal' plaits:
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And now I want to use bigger, more dressagey plaits I'm happy with this length but would like it a little longer (just trying to thicken up the bottom half after a winter of neck rugs!)
Also please excuse her excited chewing of the bit :confused:

All done with scissors. My technique is cut upwards into the mane but I'm not too worried about a really natural finish as I seem to be part of the few who like a bowlcut :)
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thick mane cut with scissors... the pony had only been in the country a day, so I didn't want to upset him by pulling it! It looks a bit better now haha
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I pull manes (none of mine react at all and stand calmly) but I dont pull tails

If I had a pony that objected I would use scissors though
 
Pretty much scissors and Rakes. With the occasional tug!
Ps. Quite a few dogs are stripped (not by me, I never learnt!)
 
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