Solo Comb - worthy investment? alternatives?

[HollyWoozle]

Hello fellow HHOers, I am posting again with yet another question! Sorry about that.

Belle has a very thick and unruly mane which really needs sorting out. I don't like pulling manes and I think she'd have a fit anyway as she can be rather nervy (today I couldn't even touch her with a brush to begin with, very odd).

My instructor suggested a solo comb but does anyone have any experience of these? Or an alternative suggestion? It doesn't need to be super, we don't do competitions so I won't need to plait or anything. Just want to tidy it up a bit!

Many thanks as always. *shares her chocolate brownies with walnuts on the top*

 

[Katd66]

Solo combs are good but takes a while to learn the technique to prevent the mane looking as though it has been cut.

If you horse has a thick mane I don't really think it is the right choice as it will just turn into a bush mane - very thick!

For a thick bushy mane it is best to pull. Perhaps you could do it gradually after exercise - perhaps over a few days?

 

[JMSims2008]

The best thing that Ive found, is to use a mane rake (i think its by Smarttails), flip the mane over onto the wrong side, using the mane rake, rake through to take the thickness out. Flip the mane back over to the correct side, and just take the length off with the solo comb. Voila...no bushy mane! Hope that makes sense??

 

[martlin]

If you want to thin it a bit as well as shorten it, solo comb itself won't do the job.
Good alternative to pulling is a thinning rake, otherwise known as tail rake, it makes the job quick and easy, but you do need to keep on top of it as the mane will regrow a bit like a bog brush
For the thick unruly manes I use tail rake to thin and then either solo comb or scissors to shorten what's left.
For thin manes I tend to use scissors to shorten, but sometimes go with the solo comb.

 

[lizziebell]

I just use scissors and a comb. Backcomb the mane in the same way you would with pulling or using the SoloComb, and use the scissors to cut the long bits, making sure you cut above the short non-cut backcombed bit of mane so you can't see the cut ends (if that makes sense?). I then use a thinning comb which evens it out. Mine never "looks" cut, and you can't tell I haven't "pulled" it.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Ooh, thanks everybody! Hopefully I will manage to get a vaguely decent looking mane and not something totally wild... though that would amuse me.

Yesterday she had decorated her mane with elderberries, along with purple smudges on her face. She's a classy girl.