Reins For Long Manes...

sasquatch

sasquatch

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Originally I rode him with rubber reins, however heard web/continental reins stopped some of the knots and tangles that you get with rubber reins.


Bought myself a set, and now have even worse tangles and the hair on the top of his mane is coming out - so any alternatives for a very thick mane?
Towards his withers is where it's becoming most tangled, and could be why that's shorter.
I would plait, but he shakes it out within five minutes and it ends up tangled anyway.

his mane, for reference :)
9F1F17E6-5CA5-48A3-AAF5-83CDC2369386.jpg
 
We used to put a running plait in for our welsh sec A. (It was kept full length for showing...) You don't have to do it tight tight - but they certainly can't shake it out.
 
Just normal plain leather reins, or plaited reins if you want a little more grip, i hate riding in plain reins as they slip! Best option would be pull it short :p
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Just normal plain leather reins, or plaited reins if you want a little more grip, i hate riding in plain reins as they slip! Best option would be pull it short :p
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If it was worth the hassle and stress he goes through for pulling/thinning then it'd be kept short, I did try but after it grew back thicker and thicker each time and he gets very stressy and even with a thinning rake can be very very hard to do :(

Will definitely look into leather reins! do they give as bad rope burn as the continental ones? very quickly learnt to drop my reins when you're coming off with the continental ones lol.
 
Shay said:
We used to put a running plait in for our welsh sec A. (It was kept full length for showing...) You don't have to do it tight tight - but they certainly can't shake it out.
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Ditto have to do that for the hairy highland his mane is so thick helps if he has plenty of coat shine in his mane... Unfortunately it then makes the reins slippy!
 
After having riding a horse with a very thick mane and a rubbish pair of reins, and getting caught up in all of it whilst galloping along, very scary, I'd say get rid of the mane!
 
I think he'd look lovely hogged if pulling isn't an option! however I also know how annoying it is for people to tell you what to do with your horse's hair haha. Being the owner of a horse with a mane probably thicker than that (he has one of those each side, well he would if I didn't pull it all out) I'd have to hog if I couldn't pull it.
 
Similar problem with my highland. I use laced reins generally, but I sometimes put the bottom section of his mane in a Spanish type continuous plait to keep it out of my fingers.

Oh ... And ignore all those pull/hog freaks ... He's gorgeous.!!
 
I have material reins for the Spaniard, though I find it much easier & quicker to do a running plait. The more you practice the faster you get, I can do one in minutes and it keeps it all out of the way.

Don't listen to those heathens who speak of pulling or <shock> hogging!
 
be positive said:
I saw this earlier and thought of the OP and her horse with the loooong mane, someone obviously thought it needed tidying, I hope he never sees himself in a mirror although it is very neat even the clip is in line.

http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=112593&query=retrieval

wrong link first time.
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Oh god, this horse was on my Facebook newsfeed! The mane is god awful.. dealer I think said she did a tidyu with scissors and she was doing it bit by bit.. it still silly to put it lightly. :P
 
be positive said:
I saw this earlier and thought of the OP and her horse with the loooong mane, someone obviously thought it needed tidying, I hope he never sees himself in a mirror although it is very neat even the clip is in line.

http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=112593&query=retrieval

wrong link first time.
Click to expand...

Brilliant! :D Where did they find a pudding basin that big?!

As for reins, I use cotton reins on the cob. They're sort of plaited, rather than webbing - mounted games/barrel racing stylee.
 
Tern said:
I think he'd look super smart hogged. ;)

However, I'd be putting this in a running plait to ride!
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unfortunately hogged he just looks a bit odd, when I first got him he was hogged and his neck looked as if he was an ostrich and he always looked as though he'd just witnessed something traumatic without his forelock lol. You do also need a bit of mane to grab onto sometimes, he can be quite an 'enthusiastic' jumper

I do try and stick it in a running plait, but the whole thing is so thick it just falls out as it won't stay tight and there's too much hair. I've just given up completely. He's been on rest for the past 2/3 weeks and the whole mane has grown and evened out a bit more so the part near his withers doesn't look so short. It also keeps his neck warm and cuts costs for any neck attatchments hehe

I will try and find some plain leather reins or cotton reins and see how that goes :) thank you all!
 
sasquatch said:
unfortunately hogged he just looks a bit odd, when I first got him he was hogged and his neck looked as if he was an ostrich and he always looked as though he'd just witnessed something traumatic without his forelock lol. You do also need a bit of mane to grab onto sometimes, he can be quite an 'enthusiastic' jumper

I do try and stick it in a running plait, but the whole thing is so thick it just falls out as it won't stay tight and there's too much hair. I've just given up completely. He's been on rest for the past 2/3 weeks and the whole mane has grown and evened out a bit more so the part near his withers doesn't look so short. It also keeps his neck warm and cuts costs for any neck attatchments hehe
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If you have any pictures of when he was hogged I'd love to see them. :) Also, you could always use a neck strap - they're good enough for William Fox-Pitt. :)

Regarding running plaits.. practice makes perfect I'm afraid, and I find the more mane the better! ;)
 
be positive said:
I saw this earlier and thought of the OP and her horse with the loooong mane, someone obviously thought it needed tidying, I hope he never sees himself in a mirror although it is very neat even the clip is in line.

http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=112593&query=retrieval

wrong link first time.
Click to expand...

OMG that is truly awful, poor lad!!

OP, I would definitely do a running plait, I hate plain reins, especially in the wet!

I have to say I love long manes and lots of feather and am not normally one for taking it off, however I do think he would look even more stunning with a shorter mane, if he won't stand pulling then have you tried back combing like you're going to pull it and then snip off the bits rather than pull?
 
Princess Rosie said:
OMG that is truly awful, poor lad!!

OP, I would definitely do a running plait, I hate plain reins, especially in the wet!

I have to say I love long manes and lots of feather and am not normally one for taking it off, however I do think he would look even more stunning with a shorter mane, if he won't stand pulling then have you tried back combing like you're going to pull it and then snip off the bits rather than pull?
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he's headshy round his ears and although he's a lot better than he was even to brush behind his ears can be a bit of a 'no' area on a bad day, so by the time the bottom of his mane is tidy he starts to stress and anticipate. I've tried about everything, by the time half his mane has been tidied he's fidgety and stressed so it all ends up different lengths.

I found a very old photo of him with his hog, this is when he was starting to grow it out so not the best but I can't find any others.

199071_212239355458445_6629088_n.jpg
 
If there's too much mane for a single running plait, how about parting the mane (50% over the left side, 50% over the right) and having a running plait run down each side of his neck? It might be easier to handle and keep in check that way?
 
My boy has a similar length mane and I find laced reins are good - they give me a bit of grip (essential when riding a tank) but without damaging his mane.
 
I rarely ride my mare without her mane braided. Rein mane drives me NUTS! I use rope reins, which don't exactly go well with traditional English tack.

What sort of braid did your horse dislike? Running braid? Or several long braids?


EllieandHaley-1.jpg


June2013333-3.jpg
 
Enfys said:
I rarely ride my mare without her mane braided. Rein mane drives me NUTS! I use rope reins, which don't exactly go well with traditional English tack.

What sort of braid did your horse dislike? Running braid? Or several long braids?


EllieandHaley-1.jpg


June2013333-3.jpg
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running braid! he just shook it out or it fell out. I did put it into lots of thinner plaits and it wasn't too bad though, so I might try that again when he's back in work as they might stay in longer!

Tern said:
Noo, I like it hogged, I don't think he looks that bad! :D :p
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To be fair he does have more neck now :)
he's just not quite heavy enough to pull off the hog, and dealing with the regrowth and hogging him might prove to be a bit of a nightmare.
he has a rather justified fear of scissors after all the horrible attempts I've made in the past, lol.

found one of him with a shorter mane - again, a good 3/4 years ago :)

227587_224326030916444_3286739_n.jpg
 
Big mane does go into a running plait - it just takes practice! I use laced reins on mine which give a good level of grip - good gloves are also important to help grip, i like the Rockel ones.

Running plait;
10307434_10152039160495938_311438921259031557_n.jpg


And how much hair we have when it's "free" (not very often!!);
1475952_10151717808740938_2018389132_n.jpg
 
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