Manes and Showing

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Ashleigh_

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My Irish X cob Ronnie has a very thick mane (which i'm pleased to say due to the snow is a lot cleaner now! ha)

In the summer i would really like to show him at some local shows.
Unfortunately when he came to me he had already had his feathers clipped off which i'm hoping will grow back a little in time but i'm in a little dilemma with his mane. I really don't want to hog it but it tends to grow thicker rather than nice and silky long which is preferred for cobs.
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So just a few questions -
Would it be acceptable for me to plait it? Either with golf balls or a running plait? Do you think it would make a difference if i pulled it? Or can anyone suggest any products or ways of getting it long and silky instead of his thick and wirey punk mane look!
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Thanks all!

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Cobs and coloureds not my specialist area but if doing cob classes then cobs should be hogged. Coloured classes tend to have hogged/plaited and long flowing manes depending on whether native or non native or mixed classes. Probably comes down to what classes you are planing to do but if you are going to plait I would try to get someone really good to work on pulling the mane to get it as plaitable as possible. Hopefully you will get a better answer from someone else but if not hope this helps a bit.
 
It really depends what classes you are showing in.
If you are going for show cobs, then hogged is the rule. Traditional cobs should have a full mane. If it's still growing out it might count as a bad mark, but not forever.
Any other classes (I think) would need to be plaited.

I show my chap in the veterans and working hunter classes. He's an IDX and I like to keep his mane long (because it's pretty, and I'm a girl!) so golf-ball plaits are the order of the day for me.
 
I'm looking to show him in M&M or Traditional, not as a show cob hence avoiding hogging!

Would pulling his mane make a difference?
 
You won't be able to show him in M&M unless he's part-bred Welsh or something like that, and then only in classes that permit part-breds. However he could do coloured classes and cob classes unless it specifies Show Cobs in which case he would need to be hogged. I have shown my Welsh Cob in cob classes very successfully but if it says Show Cobs she is not elligible, and it also depends on the judge.
 
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You won't be able to show him in M&M unless he's part-bred Welsh or something like that, and then only in classes that permit part-breds. However he could do coloured classes and cob classes unless it specifies Show Cobs in which case he would need to be hogged. I have shown my Welsh Cob in cob classes very successfully but if it says Show Cobs she is not elligible, and it also depends on the judge.

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Ah brilliant thanks lovely!
First horse i've ever shown so i'm rather confused!
Do you reckon i could get away with plaiting him in golf balls for colored classes and cob classes that allow non-show-cobs too or is it totally against the rules?

Thanks for everyones help btw!
 
I do a running plait down Genie's mane for cob classes, and have once seen a horse with golf balls in a class but the judge did mark them down for it. Could you not grow the mane and thin it out a bit?
 
Yeah i'm trying to, I think i might pull it or try and thin it out so it grows a little thinner fingers crossed!

But thanks i will try and give the running plait a go for any cob classes i do with him. Thankyou!
 
If long term you are wanting to show as a coloured traditional, then carefully tidy the mane so it goes on one side and is not straggly, ie try to get it looking like a welsh D for now - do not thin out for plaiting. Leave the tail to go as long as possible and do not touch the legs. Jawline can be trimmed, and ears if very fuffy tidied.

Put it in plaits to get it trained to lie correctly and you can apply megatek rebuilder to get it growing as fast as possible. A fine and silky mane is not what you will ever get with this type, but you should be able to get a nice thick and glossy mane with time as the longer it gets, the flatter it will lie. Never go into show ring with wavy just out of plaits look - very naff - wash out and leave if needs be in bunches for a few days before so it is as straight as possible.

If you are turning out with furry legs and long tail, then do not plait up - you either show him hogged out - and only if he is a show cob type, natural with minimal trimming for a native/traditional type or plaited, trimmed and pulled - for him as a hunter type.

Legs will take about 6 - 8 months to grow back fully depending on the type he is and the hair he had. Farra had one leg fully shaved at the end of August and is now about half way back to full clydesdale glory.

You should be wearing a tweed jacket - and turn out as if you were doing a hunter class which is correct for his type.
 
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