The mane

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Horsekaren

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My boy has a pretty impressive mane! I always plait it back as that's is the easiest way to care for it, plus he gets ever so hot underneath it in summer. For the first time in a year and a half i took the plait out mainly because if didnt have time to plait it back up before my lesson lol.

Anyway... after waffling ... for those of you with horses with massive manes, how do you keep them? i was told that keeping it plaited all the time will stop it from thinning and keep tension in his head and neck which made me wonder. Should i thin it? i haven't got a clue how to keep it besides plaiting it. If it TO with it down i worry he will get it caught in wire ect, It is as thick as it is long (and i took about a foot off the length last September so its only going to get longer). I know our horses have all this hair for a reason but i hate the thought of him getting too hot under neath it all. Last summer i thinned it by literally sawing scissors through the roots right at his neck to get some of the weight off it. I know i should pull buts its such a big job :(

Any tips would be great

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I used to keep my traditional in a running plait all the time in the field. I've heard a few people mention tension with plaits, but I can only imagine they mean real plaits rather than running or field plaits, which aren't as tight or strong on the hair. A loose plait is no problem and a common enough way of keeping horses. My highlands, who have long loose manes, but not as thick or wiry as a cob man, usually have them loose or in field plaits. Nothing has ever had a problem with hair caught in the fence - it just breaks.
 
Just plait loosely but I would undo it every week so that the hairs which have fallen out naturally can be discarded. I do leave my cob's mane which is similar to yours but black/dark brown and just finger comb it. She is a warm horse but sometimes I find that the mane keeps her neck cool rather than too hot.
 
That's a very impressive mane, it would be a shame to shorten or thin it. I'd be tempted to keep it loosely plaited and regularly take it down and re-do it but I admit I'm not great at dealing with a lot of hair and keep my cob hogged, if he had had a mane like that it would have been worth persevering with.
 
I used to keep my horse's mane in a loose running plait, but re did it every couple of days. Gave it a quick brush through, or used my fingers to keep it in good condition and remove clumps of mud or debris. In winter, it was only for turnout. Only takes two minutes to do.
 
Just hog him :p . Only joking. Will it split down the middle so you have half each side of his neck? If so, I'd french plait it along the crest, but make sure you don't plait the little wispy hairs on in, that's what normally causes the pain. I prefer a french plait rather than a running plait as it keeps it off his neck completely.
 
My fellow livery has a cob with a mane like that and she gets me to regularly pop it in a running plait for her - never seems to cause her boy any issues. I don’t know how she manages it though, maintaining it and the feathers would drive me to distraction!
 
Thats why mine are hogged. It must be awful for them carrying all that weight around on their necks, and they get so hot underneath it. I've got long hair and if I plaited mine and left it for a week, even done loosely, it would pull and be uncomfortable, so I'm not convinced by keeping it plaited either. And whats the point in having such a long mane if its constantly plaited up? I just dont get it.

If you want to keep it you are going to need to trim it with scissors. You cant pull it when its that thick and long. I think what you have done previously is the only sensible option, and cut in underneath and close to the roots to thin it, then cut it shorter after some of the thickness is gone.
 
Leo Walker said:
Thats why mine are hogged. It must be awful for them carrying all that weight around on their necks, and they get so hot underneath it. I've got long hair and if I plaited mine and left it for a week, even done loosely, it would pull and be uncomfortable, so I'm not convinced by keeping it plaited either. And whats the point in having such a long mane if its constantly plaited up? I just dont get it.

If you want to keep it you are going to need to trim it with scissors. You cant pull it when its that thick and long. I think what you have done previously is the only sensible option, and cut in underneath and close to the roots to thin it, then cut it shorter after some of the thickness is gone.
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I agree. If you want to keep it long then plaitng it 24/7 is a bit pointless imo. I have very long hair and if I plait it by the end if the day I have a sore head where its pulled! Also once its plaited it will feel even heavier to him..

If you want to keep it long then I would plait like the horse below - at least the weight is evenly distributed.
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Ooh I don't do long manes but it suits your boy, personally I prefer the pulled look but he suits the long mane, I think youd potentially lose his character if it was pulled he suits his long flowing mane plus hes Yours So if you like it keep it!

I'd pop it in a running plait, even if it's just for when you're riding him in the heat, the rs I keep H at does it for their ponies and horses who have long manes in the summer to keep them cool. If you were to it slightly away from the top of the neck I wouldn't think it would cause tension

I should imagine loose "dreadlocks" will be fine as well

If you were feeling inventive you could do a trellis it was featured in a pony magazine I read a while ago probably best not turn him out with it but will keep him cool when riding

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=t...oECAwQAQ&biw=360&bih=572#imgrc=uAr20HHOCyM1NM

I dont think I'd thin it either
 
OP, one of my fell ponies has mane to down her forearm and forelock past her nose..
I dont plait it (if shown, the mane on a Fell must not be wavy, despite newcomers claiming the opposite).
Even through heatwaves last summer, she's been absolutely fine, with no overheating.
Its something I leave, then gently tease out tangles by hand when going out.
I've had plenty of natives over the years and they have done everything from Olympia to pony/riding club and hunting etc, never had the need to plait long hair yet :)
 
Thanks for all the tips, its a very love hate thing, i agree it looks pretty, i couldn't ever hog him as his neck is long plus he hates clippers near his head so i just couldn't be bothered with putting him through that every month. He would end up with a big mohawk.
I might try and split it to see if that helps. The long individual plaits come out when it is really hot as he will sweat under the running plait.

I'm glad i havnt been told off for getting scissor happy! i guess i will do that again if he gets too hot :D

If i did in hand showing with him would he be marked down for having clipped legs? (i'm just talking tiny local showing)
 
If I had only 1 horse (which I think from your posts you may have) then I would adopt it as his showpiece. When I had a long mane I found cowboy magic to be helpful. What breed is he to produce that sort of mane?
 
paddy555 said:
If I had only 1 horse (which I think from your posts you may have) then I would adopt it as his showpiece. When I had a long mane I found cowboy magic to be helpful. What breed is he to produce that sort of mane?
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Yes, only one horse :)
On his passport he is marked as Cob, Strawberry roan.... I dont think he is a strawberry roan, more a red blagdon.

I tried to trace him back to birth and i believe this is his dad and his mum was a traditional piebald cob. When i first got him a few people said there looks to be a bit of clydsdale in him because of his face and colouring (he is only 15.2) so not to sure about that.

If i clip him he just turns into a grey/white so nothing like the of the stallion below.


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