The raggedy Spanish mane (pictures)

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BBP

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So for all those who voted for me to pull it, I'm sorry, I just couldn't do it! I started snipping up into the rough ends and realised as I went along how thick and healthy it was once the ends came off. I thought to get it to pulled length and have it look good would be a real mission, so I just did a tidying job in the hope it will grow out to a nice Spanish mane.
Before (3 weeks ago):
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After: (this morning)
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It looks a bit dorky but I think it is better!
Plus I'm plaiting it every time I ride which seems to be helping (and don't tell my hair dresser but I'm using some of my hair oil on it, plus megatek!)
Fingers crossed it ends up gorgeous!
 
Haha, yes I keep thinking I must do that and then I run out of time and forget! I kind of did a rough job and then stopped out of fear I'd get carried away!
 
It's looking great :D
Definitely a visible improvement.

honestly, I found the easiest way to grow my horses mane out was to leave it completely, no combing or brushing.
but then I think I'm lucky in that he's incredibly thick, hairy and his mane seems to grow 3x faster than normal.

A lot of people seem to forget that by combing and brushing you actually do pull the hair out as well, even if not intended. I was told unless you have an exceptionally hairy horse, keep the combing and brushing to an absolute minimum.
 
I'm making the effort not to touch it other than plait it, and when I do that I'm just taking chunks that want to come together rather than trying to detangle bits. The plaiting out of way of reins seems to be really helping so far.

Looking at the bottom picture I must stop calling him fatty...he doesn't look too bad there! Pity he's got so sun bleached this summer 8(
 
You can pull to just take off the length if it is scraggy. If you wrap a small amount around your finger, hold the roots and pull, it will break at the top of your finger. It looks much more natural than trimming. I know you won't want it this short though...

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During

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After - just wish I had got better pictures...

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Thanks :) certainly makes him look less of a donkey :) pulling was hard work as he has a thick welsh double mane :( it's growing lovely and thick now :)
 
Faracat said:
Is he copper deficient?
Click to expand...
I wondered about that.

I got the scissors out to my gelding and his mane now looks like OP's horse. His never seems to grow beyond a certain length I assume the frazzled ends just keep breaking off. Mind you none of mine have manes to the ground and are very rarely (if ever) trimmed.
 
Fides said:
Thanks :) certainly makes him look less of a donkey :) pulling was hard work as he has a thick welsh double mane :( it's growing lovely and thick now :)
Click to expand...

I feel as though I've been incredibly lucky as my horse has a super thick mane that even with rubber reins, brushing at least twice a day and just not looking after it at all it has grown.

I'm willing to share if anyone wants some! lol there's plenty to go around.

it's taken me around 2 years to get it to this length and thickness after it was chopped, in nearly 4 years he has managed to completely outgrow a hog

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I do keep wondering about copper deficiency, but he is on a balancer that contains it and I'm worried about whether I could create a different imbalance by adding more. This is certainly the worst his coat has been since I've had him in terms of least shiny and most orange. He has ongoing liver problems, I don't know what sort of impact they could be having on him.
 
It might be worth getting your grass tested incase you are abnormally low for copper and therefore you could add more.

I'm sorry to hear that your boy has had liver issues. My grey has only recently recovered from liver issues and it was really painful for her - you could tell that she didn't know what to do with herself at times and would lie down with her front legs and stand with the hind legs. :(
 
Spurred on by this thread I have just ordered an analysis of my grass and hay. I sometimes wonder if there is a link between low copper/high iron and his liver. He has never shown a symptom of illness since he was first tested over a year ago, and under vets watchful eye we are riding/jumping as normal and monitoring levels. Everyone else thinks I am being a hypochondriac worrying about 'little' things like orange hair and copper levels.
 
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