Pictures Missing half the mane - ideas needed

GreatDove

GreatDove

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Hi everyone

I’m fairly new to horse ownership having taken this mare on full loan last summer. Still clueless about most stuff!

It’s been my childhood dream come true, I was so excited and bought her loads of new stuff, including a new wardrobe.

Unfortunately I think the rugs were a bit of a fail, as this happened to her mane:

6FF7015B-1219-4E8B-87B3-D9AE7E4C71B5.jpeg

I’ve got a dressage comp coming up next week at a fancy venue and I’m just dreading it! There’s no way I can plait this.

Any ideas/suggestions? Thank you
 
More important that she is warm & dry this time of year than in show condition. This happens to my gelding’s mane every year, whether he’s wearing a combo rug or one with a removable neck. I might try one of those Lycra hoods under his rug next year to see if that stops it.
 
As above plait what you can into small plaits, you may need to make the rest a little shorter to achieve this. Although not so short it’s impossible to plait!

The only way I’ve found to stop manes rubbing is not to use neck rugs! My mare doesn’t wear a neck in the stable and only wears one for a few hours of turnout IF it’s raining/cold. If not I don’t feel the lose that much heat out of their neck if the body is warm.
 
I think a lot depends on the horse and rug combination tbh
My horses have been wearing a detachable neck most of the winter. the TB has a full mane. The welsh has a tiny area where its slightly thinned. But my cob x WB used to lose a 4 inch span every year, wearing the exact same rugs.
 
This happens to robin too (and also did with Minto having tried every combo possible). He wears stable rugs with no neck overnight and it has made no difference. He wears a neck in the field as I would rather he was dry and warm and is clipped. But I never plait for unaffiliated dressage. For eventing I just plaited the bits that were there and didn’t worry about the bald bit, he wasn’t the only one.
 
My oldie with sweet itch was always in a rug and eventually the mane gave up even trying to grow across a gap of 9 inches or so. Any rug with a neck will tend to damage the mane but horses survived until very recently without necks on their rugs and I'm sure they still can, even when clipped.
 
Thank you all for your replies!

It's a bit if a relief knowing perfect plaits aren't really expected.

Now to find the perfect non rubbing rug!
 
Upthecreek said:
More important that she is warm & dry this time of year than in show condition. This happens to my gelding’s mane every year, whether he’s wearing a combo rug or one with a removable neck. I might try one of those Lycra hoods under his rug next year to see if that stops it.
Click to expand...

My two wear hoods (they're grey so it's more to keep them clean) and M loses more mane with a hood than without. A wears the same hood and same rugs and never loses any mane!
 
Agree with everyone who says just to plait what you can and not to worry.

I find using mane and tail detangler on the mane and the rug helps loads, you can also use furniture polish but it's not quite as good.

I've tried a stablemasta rug, the ones with the domed neck, for the first time this year and the mane is still perfect without using detangler etc. really impressed with it.
 
I don’t put neck rugs on mine unless I absolutely have to, and then they come off at night. Mine lose more mane when they are too hot under their rugs as well.
 
Mine has been like this for years whether I put full neck or no neck, it just doesn’t grow...! When I did showing he’d have ridiculously tiny plaits in that spot..?..dressage no plaits..easier!
 
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