Should I hog my TB's mane?

sidesaddlegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 November 2007
Messages
2,594
Location
Wigston, Leicestershire
www.sidesaddlegirl.co.uk
She is losing more mane, you just have to lightly pull it (very gently) and it comes out. she only has mane on the top half of her neck and tiny tufts down the rest of it that also come out if you gently pull them. I've checked that she doesn't have lice and she doesn't suffer from sweet itch. If I put false plaits on the tiny tufts, they will just break off.
I've seen 1920's and 30's photos of women riding TB's with hogged manes so wonder if I would be ok for showing her with one. She works well in an outline so it would show off her neck I guess?!
 
No!! Unless she is a polo pony do not hog her! TB's just don't have the neck for it and it's likely that you will be penalised in show classes. You can get false plaits toput in for showing and I'd get rid of full neck rugs - horses did not die of cold before these were invented!! You could also try some Megatek for hair regrowth I've heard showing people rave about it.
 
No, shes not the right type for hogging, she wont show well hogged either.

Is she wearing a neck cover or full neck rug? It sounds as though shes overheating perhaps.
 
I wouldn't want to hog a tb, Ive seen plenty that are hogged here in australia, and I really dont think it suits any of them.
I certainly wouldn't hog a tb I wanted to show.
I give my tb biotin for his hooves, but have found his mane and tail grow really thick and quickly as well...Might be worth trying?
Kx
 
No do not hog it, you will probably end up regretting it if you do, like others have said try her without a neck on and see if that helps.!!
 
She does have a neck rug on but she's clipped and with all the rain and cold weather we've been having, she would stand there shivering if I took it off so not sure what to do then. I already give her biotin and limestone flour for her hooves, but it doesn't make a difference every year with her mane.

I've got a show in 2 weeks too and even without the neck rug, it won't have time to grow back. I am making some little fake plaits but there isn't even enough to attach them onto anything. Will look into the Megatek and hope it works FAST?

Bah, wish she was a cob so it would be ok to hog! :p
 
How about feeding some linseed too? Has had a brilliant effect of the quality and condition of the coats/manes/tails of our two. After you have washed her mane could you wipe through a little baby oil? One of ours can get a bit of a dry brittle mane after winter and this helps preserve what little there is!
 
I don't see whats wrong with hogging a TB? Especially if his/her mane is falling out? It may be a bit odd but... ?
If this was me and it was the last result then I would, and I'd just have to put up with being penalised in shows it wouldn't bother me :)
 
i hogged my TBx's mane one year as she has a pathetic mane, bottom half grows to a wispy inch or just over if we are lucky, the top half is ok:rolleyes: i never use rugs with necks on her as i imagine this is what caused it in the first place but it's never got better in the 5 years i've had her:( she looked rather funky with her hog but then she is a big girl so could carry it off and i don't show so no worries on that score:)
shelleecob002.jpg
 
You could always take the neck rug off and add an extra thin blanket under her.. err.. body rug to compensate?

You could also get some of that caffine shampoo too :D and massage her neck daily to get the blood flowing! Coconut oil is great for a cheapish mane moisturiser too :)
 
NO I wouldn't hog......Is she out 24/7? if she is only on day turnout then you could consider on of those hood things you put under her rug (name escapes me)

No good for 24/7 as I would worry about it getting wet.
 
Ibblebibble, your ned is lovely with a hogged mane!

Parker79, she is in at night but you know how rubbish the weather has been in the day though. It hailed today!

Hattie suit plaits though. I will take off her neck rug and try that but the hair is actually coming out at the root not breaking off like it's brittle or anything, like she is moulting so maybe she is indeed getting overheated although I wouldn't have thought so since she's clipped out and it's been freezing here!

LOL at the caffeine shampoo, may perk her up a bit schooling!
 
Although it may not look good initially in the long run it will do her mane good and have found it promoted a bit to much growth in the ponies weve had hogged. Have you got a pic, is she substantial?
 
Um, think I would talk to vet first to establish the cause of this hair loss, and seriously think about either replacing the supplements with one really good quality balancer, or going down the forage analysis route, as dietary mineral imbalance cqn cause hair loss.
 
She does have a neck rug on but she's clipped and with all the rain and cold weather we've been having, she would stand there shivering if I took it off so not sure what to do then. I already give her biotin and limestone flour for her hooves, but it doesn't make a difference every year with her mane.

I've got a show in 2 weeks too and even without the neck rug, it won't have time to grow back. I am making some little fake plaits but there isn't even enough to attach them onto anything. Will look into the Megatek and hope it works FAST?

Bah, wish she was a cob so it would be ok to hog! :p

Definately don't hog unless she has a really big strong neck - TB's look terrible hogged!

Keep the neck rub absolutely spotless - I use the thick baby wipes and wipe the lining daily to remove the grease - keep the mane clean even if it means washing it weekly. It's grease and friction from the movement of the neckrug that does the damage.
 
Really wouldn't hog it, but then I am not a fan of hogging. Do you know what's causing it? Is it a regular occurrence at this time of year or a one off? Agree with poster above that it might be an idea to have a chat with your vet to see what they think might be causing it....
 
I put my money on the neck rug causing it, they get hot and the friction causes the hair to just come away at the root. I think it's more than just coincedence that the horses at my yard who only have 1/2 a mane (top half left) also wear neck rugs. I don't remember this happening before these things were invented. I dont really believe they are for the good of the horse at all, just convienient for the owner.

I very much doubt it's a mineral imbalance as the top half of the mane is still intact.
 
I do think it is the neck rug as she gets it every year until she goes rugless or neckless rug in May till November and then the hair grows back by the fall/winter. This year is different as its come out more because we are at a livery yard and she has a new 16.3 boyfriend who is able to reach to groom her neck too. At my own field, I only had a Welshies there so they weren't tall enough to groom her.

She's held her weight really well this year, better than previous winters and has kept her condition though the winter so not sure if she could be lacking in something as the top of her mane is ok and her tail is ok too. I had a look today and it's right where the rug touches her neck when her head is down to graze, etc.

This is us last month, her mane was starting to come out then as it was hot. She's not a stringey TB but doesn't have cob neck either:
lesson1.jpg


I've taken the neck part off today but not sure if that will help since Charlie will still groom her and I will use baby wipes to wipe the insides of the neck rugs for when i do have to put them on.
 
I came really close to hogging my tb when I was clipping her but for the opposite reason, she's got a thick, bushy, course mane that would make a shetland blush - it's awful.

She was growing out a hog (she'd been playing polo) when I bought her & it looked terrible, most tbs don't suit it but I friend used to hog her tb hunter & he looked great.

You could always try it, it'll grow out if you don't like it.
 
I probably would in your position. I hogged one of mine who got persistent ringworm (none of the others did so suspect some past ragwort poisoning). If you aren't intending to show too much then why not. Ditto the neck rug thing though. They really don't need them, all major organs except brain are below the main body of the rug. TB's did fine before the invention of neck rugs honest!:D:D
 
No I would not hog her. Have you tried putting a lycra hood under the rug hood? Snuggy Hoods do a headless version so you don't have to worry about the eye holes moving and her going blind temporarily! I have a welsh A that we do affiliated showing with and would never risk his mane under just a rug hood.

By the look of her she looks in great condition so don't believe she is lacking in some vitimin or other. Expect she just has a wimpy mane ;-)
 
What rug/neck cover do u use? Iv got Rambo duos on all mine, cob, tb, Arab and the ponies exmoor and highland have rhinos and iv never had 1 rubbed mane. Maybe try a different rug next winter? But won't help you now
 
Top