The Showjumper Secret…

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

How the bl00dy hell do showjumpers get their horses mane to look like they do? It’s so neat and short, yet flat, and perfectly compliments their neck musculature.. I’ve never yet seen an amateur manage to emulate despite many who have tried (myself included - Dex currently looks like a kid on his first day at school ).

There must be a secret these show jumper grooms are keeping from us… but does anyone know what it is?!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Megatek, lots of Mane and Tail. My showing mate was using baby wipes as I was literally going into the ring with Beau.

 

[doodle]

Scissors and hair straighteners.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Interesting. So perhaps on the daily they look more crazy like the ‘normal horse’ and I’ve been tricked by assuming they look like that at home too..

Megatek is the last thing I need, I need less mane.. a lot less.

This pony is what I’m going for:



But what I’ve actually done is just make him look like a knob..



(I didn’t touch his forelock, I know better than that.. that’s just the wind blowing it!)

 

[Dexter]

Interesting. So perhaps on the daily they look more crazy like the ‘normal horse’ and I’ve been tricked by assuming they look like that at home too..

Megatek is the last thing I need, I need less mane.. a lot less.

This pony is what I’m going for:

View attachment 119487

But what I’ve actually done is just make him look like a knob..

View attachment 119488

(I didn’t touch his forelock, I know better than that.. that’s just the wind blowing it!)

Its too thick. If you take out a lot of the thickness it wont be far off. You just need to point cut into the ends as the last step to take the blunt wedge effect end away. But you need to lose a bit first!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Its too thick. If you take out a lot of the thickness it wont be far off. You just need to point cut into the ends as the last step to take the blunt wedge effect end away. But you need to lose a bit first!

What’s the best way to do this? Thinning scissors or rake through the back?

Not keen on pulling personally.

 

[Btomkins]

Honestly I think with the very thick manes, unless you want to pull, you have to just have them a tiny bit longer than the average show jumper.



I trim Zach’s a bit longer than I want then point cut into it so it’s not so blunt. His is a bit grown out in this pic but gives an idea. When freshly done it’s about 1-2 inches shorter than this. Any shorter and it just sticks out.

A rug with a neck will also help it lie flat if wanted.

 

[SilverLinings]

What’s the best way to do this? Thinning scissors or rake through the back?

Not keen on pulling personally.

I have natives (connemaras) and need to thin their manes, and like you I don't like pulling. After years of trying different methods I have found that the best way (easiest for me and looks natural when finished) is to grab a few of the longest hairs at a time, push back/back-comb the rest of the mane around the hairs you are holding and cut those few hairs off (the ones you are holding) with scissors close to the crest. If you work up and down the mane doing this (and it does need to be just a few hairs at a time to avoid the 'bowl-cut' look) then you get a natural thinned look, especially if you avoid cutting all the hairs to the same length (so cut some close to the crest and some a little longer). As you only cut a few hairs at a time then as long as you regularly stand back and look at the whole mane there is no risk of accidentally overdoing it. I have OCD tendencies and have shown ponies in the past and I am happy with the finish I get from this.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Honestly I think with the very thick manes, unless you want to pull, you have to just have them a tiny bit longer than the average show jumper.

View attachment 119490

I trim Zach’s a bit longer than I want then point cut into it so it’s not so blunt. His is a bit grown out in this pic but gives an idea. When freshly done it’s about 1-2 inches shorter than this. Any shorter and it just sticks out.

A rug with a neck will also help it lie flat if wanted.

Now he looks super smart! I think you might be right..

I have natives (connemaras) and need to thin their manes, and like you I don't like pulling. After years of trying different methods I have found that the best way (easiest for me and looks natural when finished) is to grab a few of the longest hairs at a time, push back/back-comb the rest of the mane around the hairs you are holding and cut those few hairs off (the ones you are holding) with scissors close to the crest. If you work up and down the mane doing this (and it does need to be just a few hairs at a time to avoid the 'bowl-cut' look) then you get a natural thinned look, especially if you avoid cutting all the hairs to the same length (so cut some close to the crest and some a little longer). As you only cut a few hairs at a time then as long as you regularly stand back and look at the whole mane there is no risk of accidentally overdoing it. I have OCD tendencies and have shown ponies in the past and I am happy with the finish I get from this.

I’ll give this a go now I’ve already cut it, nothing much to lose, but if I fail then I’ll have to keep it longer I think! It grows super fast thankfully

 

[SilverLinings]

It is a little time consuming, but IMO this method gives the best look of all the methods I've tried. It is also possible to keep on top of it by just doing a few handfuls of the longest hairs every time you groom without it looking like you stopped half way through the job.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Comb it to the wrong side, use a thinning rake to take the thickness out without breaking the top hairs which are now on the underneath of the mane because you have it on the wrong side. Once thinned, get it back on the correct side and tidy the bottom edge of the mane. Comb through some cheap hair gel and you have a tidy short mane.

 

[Dexter]

I have natives (connemaras) and need to thin their manes, and like you I don't like pulling. After years of trying different methods I have found that the best way (easiest for me and looks natural when finished) is to grab a few of the longest hairs at a time, push back/back-comb the rest of the mane around the hairs you are holding and cut those few hairs off (the ones you are holding) with scissors close to the crest. If you work up and down the mane doing this (and it does need to be just a few hairs at a time to avoid the 'bowl-cut' look) then you get a natural thinned look, especially if you avoid cutting all the hairs to the same length (so cut some close to the crest and some a little longer). As you only cut a few hairs at a time then as long as you regularly stand back and look at the whole mane there is no risk of accidentally overdoing it. I have OCD tendencies and have shown ponies in the past and I am happy with the finish I get from this.

Yes this. Don't use a rake it just causes lots of split hairs that stand up all over the place. But I'd cut them all off very short, then when it's done go back and point cut into it to take the blunt wedge look off a bit. Brad Mondo does videos on point cutting people's hair but it's exactly the same principle.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Comb it to the wrong side, use a thinning rake to take the thickness out without breaking the top hairs which are now on the underneath of the mane because you have it on the wrong side. Once thinned, get it back on the correct side and tidy the bottom edge of the mane. Comb through some cheap hair gel and you have a tidy short mane.

When the thinned bits start to grow back do they not stick up on the underside or do they not get cut that short with a thinning rake?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Yes this. Don't use a rake it just causes lots of split hairs that stand up all over the place. But I'd cut them all off very short, then when it's done go back and point cut into it to take the blunt wedge look off a bit. Brad Mondo does videos on point cutting people's hair but it's exactly the same principle.

I point cut it quite a bit but getting him to stand still was the pressing issue

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Scissors and hair straighteners.

Yeah this I have used hair straightners on many manes and tails over the years.

 

[dottylottie]

i flip lilys over to the wrong side and take it to thin it, then flip it all back over and cut into it with thinning scissors if it’s looking a bit wedge like - but she’s welsh so needs to look far more natural than a show jumper

my top tip from that would be don’t bother trying to do it with a greasy mane, i spent more time trying to get it on the other side than i did actually trimming anything lmao

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

You know how you're taught to only use a soft brush on the mane and tail as anything else will pull the hairs out ? Forget that - for a coarse , thick mane/tail a plastic curry comb is your friend !
Flip the mane over on to the wrong side and brush vigorously with a plastic curry comb ( so you're working on what was the underside ) , flip back on to correct side and gently brush flat . Repeat daily . Don't use detangler products , coarser hair pulls out more easily . The night before a show wash the mane , and whilst it is still saturated brush through with detangler and put a lycra hood on . Next morning leave the hood on for as long as possible , ideally keep it on for travelling only taking it off when you tack up before your class . The mane should be flat and shiny . Don't be tempted to faff about with it too much or it will start to floof up - a single comb through with a clean plastic curry comb should be enough .

 

[Ceifer]

I’m an ex showjumping groom. Always used to scissor manes. Good pair of hairdressing scissors.

When I first started I was asked to band a mane. I did it and the head girl collared hold of me and showed me how she did it. She must have used 100 bands. Teeny tiny sections so you couldn’t see the bands.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I’m an ex showjumping groom. Always used to scissor manes. Good pair of hairdressing scissors.

When I first started I was asked to band a mane. I did it and the head girl collared hold of me and showed me how she did it. She must have used 100 bands. Teeny tiny sections so you couldn’t see the bands.

I have been thinking about thinning it and banding it.. I'll give it a go this PM, give me something to do in this rotten weather!

 

[Lady Jane]

Thick manes I comb daily and use the plastic curry comb if muddy. I'm careful with the very top by the ears and the withers as they get thinner more quickly. Then pull a few teeny bits out almost daily. Sometimes I take the ends off the whole length with a thinning knife, again tiny bits at a time so it doesn't look cut

 

[rara007]

Also different horses have different hair textures just like us. I ‘show jumper’ my horses mane but on his mane each hair is thick and heavy so it sits well. I don’t think I’ve had another with such straight non fluffy ‘hair’.