Horses manes

[S_N]

What is the reason behind it being 'correct' for horses manes to lie on the right? I've met very few that actually do without copious amounts of effort put into training it over. Does it REALLY matter?

 

[HBII]

I dont think it matters at all, my mares mane lies to the right, however a few others on the yard lie to the left. As long as IMO it is neat and tidy I dont think it matters one iota.

In answer to your question I dont know why the right is right?!

Hb

 

[_OC_]

I keep getting told this as it keeps going left.....after lots of mane pulling and plaits and bands......bad lanuage,blood,guts and tears I give up........my cob now has a mane on both sides...err,help!!!So it can stay like that till Summer '07 when it will be hogged then prob solved........spent ages looking at pictures of other horses and other peoples when out to check manes.......and I think my neighbour thought I 'd lost it while staring at her new ID's mane when she popped into the yard to show him to me while passing out hacking!!!!

 

[Rambo]

My two both 'dress to the left'.....I don't care if it's correct or not....so long as it's neat and tidy

 

[TheresaW]

Dolly hangs to the right, but Mac has been hogged again!

 

[Kelly1982]

My mares mane is on the left, i dont really care either as its neat and tidy so i'm not going to go messing about with it.

 

[samp]

Mine falls to the left and due to sweet itch it stays on the left as it looks like she has more mane. My dressage trainers horse's mane goes to the left and she just palits it to the left

 

[Kais]

an old lady years back told me it was easier to have the mane out of the way when riding sidesaddle

 

[suns]

Lol OC think I know where you are comming from and yep Ive given up on mine now too. Wonder what the original reason was though.

 

[K9Wendy]

When I was a young kid and asked my parents what the difference was in a girl and a boy horse, my Dad informed me that boys manes were to the left and girls to the right!!!!

At least sex eduction is more advanced these days!!!

 

[Zebedee]

No idea why, but as you say it is deemed correct. Manes plaited on the 'wrong' side in the show ring really do stand out a mile, but not in a good way I'm afraid!!

 

[metalmare]

I think it probably has a lot to do with anthropology. Historically the left hand has been the hand of the devil and untrustworthy (hence left handed people have been persecuted through history). I have a lot of literature on this. So it probably comes from a silly superstition like that...

... or I could be completely wrong

 

[RobinHood]

I have always been told that it's because you have the loop of the reins on the left and it is less likely to get caught if the mane is on the right.

 

[0]

It's funny you should ask this......
When I got my mare she was a youngster, had never been handled etc so her mane was how it would be naturally as it had never be interferred with - it ALL lay perfectly to the left. It was quite long as it had never been managed so when i got her home I started plaiting it over to the right and when she started to have it pulled it was to the right. This lead to an 8 year battle to keep it on the right - it never learnt to just stay there and it led to the mane being mainly on the right and then every so often a chunk would go over to the left so i'd plait that back over then a different part would go to the left and so on FOR 8 YEARS!!!!!!! So one day this summer when I was about to pull her mane I thought sod it i'm going to pull it to the left as i'd rather have it all on the wrong side than bits all over. It now lays perfectly on the left where I should have left it all along
But after all these years of no-one ever mentioning her mane, since i put it on the left anout 15 people have said "oh, your horses mane is on the left" I say "yes, and?" people only ever say "It should be on the right" but never have a reason!!
Not sure if it makes a difference in showing but my horse does dressage and the judges don't care what side it is plaited on. My horses mane will be staying on the left and I will always let manes lie on their natural side from now on........it's just not worth the hassel!!!

 

[sojeph]

Is it for showing purposes maybe? So the mane is visible when showing?
All 6 of mine however have mane both sides

 

[spaniel]

Ive got one 'leftie' and one hogged. Im not bothered as long as its tidy.

 

[PapaFrita]

Perhaps because when horses are 'presented' we see their left side and the mane on that side would cover the neck? Which presents the next question... why are horses presented like that?
Personally, I think it's because we look at things in a left to right 'sweep' and it feels more natural to view a horse like that (did you know, for instance that for this reason it's cheaper to advertise on the left side of a newspaper as we automatically stop on the right?).
Which presents the next question; is this why we read and right from left to right? And if so, why do muslims and the Japanese do it the other way round?? Huh? huh?
Sorry you asked?

PF's mane, incidentally, lies perfectly and neatly to the right (But then, she IS perfect!!)

 

[MagicMelon]

I think it only matters for showing. TBH one of mines manes naturally lies to the 'wrong' side but I dont care. I keep it that way and do showing - nobodys actually ever said anything. I do plait to the correct side but thats probably just coz the horses manes go that way.

 

[pottamus]

I like metalmare's suggestion...could be some truth in that. But I guess it is something to do with the showing lark because otherwise the judge would not be able to see the mane/plaits.
My boys lies beautifully to the right of it's own accord, so I am lucky really. Not that I would be bothered either way!

 

[S_N]

WOW!! What a lot of suggestions. General consensus though, is that it doesn't matter, unless showing.

 

[calon]

when showing in hand the horse is taken round on the right rein so that handler is at off side and not obscureing judges view of the horse and mane is over the other side too so judge can see his neck and shoulder better , it really is a matter of choice though

 

[not_with_it]

Gins mane is on the left where it is staying. It also gets plaited on the left.

Who am I to mess with nature.

 

[Benjamin]

Benj has enough mane for about 5 horses, I have now taken to plaiting both sides into a running plait.

Looks silly but keeps it outa the mud!

 

[druid]

Hehehe, I know this...PC quizes do have a purpose.

It's because the horse was presented on the left to the gentleman at the steps of the house and his mane being trained to the right allowed the neck muscling and condition to be better assesed...so if it had a scawny neck it was sent away as not fit for a gentleman!!

 

[emmajanerushton]

i had privliage of having last 2 ponies from babies, so i have trained there main togo on the "correct" side as they are shown, unsure as to the reasoning behind it, but when your in the fighting world of showing we dont give the judge a chance to knock us down for something they deem "incorrect"

 

[dwi]

I have been told by several different people over the years that its an army thing.

http://www.newrider.com/Library/How_it_Was/horse_care.html

 

[tinker512]

Opposite side to what you fasten headcollar/bridle....so its out the way..

 

[magic104]

One view "Most horses who naturally have manes on one side have the mane on the left (although fashion wants it on the right) and it's because the muscles have been developed more on that side due to mounting on that side." Otherwise who knows, Sas has her's on the right as does her son, Mo (always the odd one) has a bit either side, Shadow on the left & Bailey on the right

 

[PuddingandElla]

As far as i know, it is all to do with showing. I got told off at the begining of the season for having my on the left! So spent the rest of the summer training it to the right! I believe, i was told this at HOYS, that in a showing ring they mostly show the horses on the right rein, thus the plats should be on the right.... Other than showing i really don't think it matters.
Oh and my horses mane is happily back on the left, where it like to be!!