My horse has a massive mane and tail, but barely any forelock??

[[100123]]

My 5 year old ISH gelding has a thick, wavy mane, and a massive tail. Yet, his forelock is really thin.

When I bought him it was pretty bad, but then it gradually thickened a tiny bit over the course of a year. In August we moved back to Norway (my homeland). Over here, it's pretty common to keep headcollars on in the field, which we didn't do while I was living in the UK. I think the headcollar has something to do with it... Then again, in the UK, he was tied up on the yard for 6 hours per day in a headcollar. I always used to cut a bridle path to prevent any hairs from being pulled out. He doesn't have any dandruff or anything to indicate rubbing

Not sure what else to do. I just want his forelock to match his mane

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My dearly departed TB was like that. Long, thick mane and tail but hardly any forelock at all. It's just how she was.

 

[Buddy'sMum]

Please let me know if you do find a miracle cure. My 2-year old has the same problem - the white bit of his mane is lovely and thick but the last few inches behind his ears and his forlock are black and much thinner. His dam has a thick-ish mane but a rubbish forelock so I suspect I'm just going to have to live with it.

 

[Brightbay]

Mine's an ISH too. He is 11 now, he has been with me since 4. I have never trimmed, pulled or cut his mane or forelock - mane grew quite long, forelock grew a bit and then stopped. Since he lives out unclipped, his mane and forelock are his protection against cold, rain and flies - and although the mane is doing its job, the forelock is rubbish! So any tips to get a forelock to grow would be something I'm interested in too! (BTW he has never been turned out in a headcollar, so it's not that, and I've never cut a bridle path, and I don't groom excessively, I think I would brush forelock about once every two to three weeks).

ETA - I do my best to augment the wispy forelock by doing a sneaky mane comb-over...
Here you go, he's doing his most attractive face here...

 

[NellRosk]

He was tied up for 6 hours a day :eek3:

 

[xgemmax]

I should think it could have been the headcollar although many horses have a wispy forelock! Just wondering though, why was he tied up on the yard fro 6 hours a day?!

 

[[100123]]

I should think it could have been the headcollar although many horses have a wispy forelock! Just wondering though, why was he tied up on the yard fro 6 hours a day?!

Because when I worked as an instructor fulltime, staff were only allowed a box if there were any to spare. I used to catch him from the field along with the school horses, tie him up with a haynet and water, and go to work on the yard. 20 of the school horses would be tied up in stalls or on the yard. I preferred the yard if it was sunny, and found someplace indoors if it was raining. If a box was available school horses had priority. We trained for about an hour sometime during the morning. He would get turned out at or after lunch and lived out the rest of the time in a herd of 30 in a big field. Six hours would be the max amount of time he would be in.

I was around, working, the whole time he was there during the day. He was close enough while I was teaching that I could hear him take a step or whicker at another horse. I got to know his voice pretty well. It was actually a really great arrangement, because I could keep a closer eye on him than if he was just in a box. 5 hours after he got turned out, the rest of the horses and liveries would get turned out and I could check him over again before going home.

I probably should have cleared that up in the first post hehe

 

[[100123]]

@Faracat Wow, that mane is really long! Gorgeous face too

 

[NellRosk]

My dearly departed TB was like that. Long, thick mane and tail but hardly any forelock at all. It's just how she was.

wow we look after an elderly ex racer that could be the identical twin of this horse!! scary!

 

[k_sandy93]

Id love to know too! I have a Welsh D I do a lot of BE with, got him when he was 5, hes 12 now. He's got a typical welsh D mane, like a burst couch! And has the most stunning huge tail!.. But as for his forlock, he literally doesnt have one at all, just a few whisps of hair?! Makes it impossible and looks ridiculous to plait when he has golfballs down his mane, then a tiny little scrub that you cant even plait in the front!

You hear a lot about creams that make hair grow, never tried it though?