Thinning a very thick, bushy mane

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MagicMelon

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Losing the will to live with my mare's mane! She's 1/8 cob and I think its all in her mane! I've shortened it and attempted on several occasions to thin it out with a Smart Tails rake (the closest-together teethed one) which has normally worked for past horses but not with this mare, it now just stands BOLT upright and cannot be tamed! There's short stubby bits everywhere I think from raking it last year and these are the bits growing back. Trying to plait yesterday was an absolute nightmare, ending with golf ball plaits. As we are now in showing season (with another show this weekend), I am at a loss as to what else to try. She won't stand for having her mane pulled, I know that for a fact so am not even going to try. Please someone tell me there is a gadget out there that actually properly thins somehow? Wish I could use hair remover that only takes out a certain amount of hair...!
 
I won't touch my lads mane with a rake as I need to plait, it has to be pulled. His was awful, think full thick mane on both sides of the neck.

I started by plaiting it over, then every day after I'd worked him I'd take out one plait and pull that tiny section. He really hates his mane being pulled so this is the only way I will do it. It's getting there, it looks lovely not plaited now, but I still have to do 1000 tiny plaits when I take him out competing, it's a work in progress.

You need to be strict with yourself and let the raked bits grow out until you can plait them in.

I know pulling isn't pleasant but make sure she's warm from work, then I literally pull a tiny section as fast as I can, then give him a treat and it's done. They don't have time to work themselves into a huge mess about it, I'm talking 20 seconds a day.
 
I use a rake and still manage to plait. :) Rake it from the underside, so that when you plait you don't have little bits sticking up out of the plaits.
 
spotty_pony said:
I use a rake and still manage to plait. :) Rake it from the underside, so that when you plait you don't have little bits sticking up out of the plaits.
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Yeah, I do it from the underside but its sticking up underneath so basically forcing the mane upright :( Ok Keepitugly, will give it a go - just hate pulling, not nice for them :(
 
A trick I was taught by my YO for horses who hate having their mane's pulled and with bushy hair is to pull from the underside, but after back combing, instead of 'pulling' cut with scissors.

Turns out just like it's been pulled, providing you still do the back combing part :P
 
Bav said:
A trick I was taught by my YO for horses who hate having their mane's pulled and with bushy hair is to pull from the underside, but after back combing, instead of 'pulling' cut with scissors.

Turns out just like it's been pulled, providing you still do the back combing part :P
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So are you cutting the hair once back combed or just back combing and then pulling the hair out?
 
Cutting the hair once back combed. I was so sure it would just look like the mane had been cut - but it doesn't! Just back comb the section of hair and instead of wrapping the hair around the comb and pulling, snip the hair as close to the back combed knotty bit as you can. If that makes sense?
 
I have exactly the same problem. Someone suggested that my boy's mane may even have been hogged when he was a youngster in Ireland. It's very thick and now I've thinned it for plaiting it stands bolt upright and people comment on his 'punk' look. Even plaiting it over only makes it stick out at a right angle to his neck which TBH looks worse than bolt upright. Luckily though he is good about having it pulled except at the very top end oh his neck where it's tougher. I think I've learned to live with it sticking up LOL

Sorry I can't offer any useful advice, just to let you know that I feel your pain.
 
If you're really bothered about it sticking up I'd plait it over and put a hood on the horse overnight, it will eventually stay flatter, I've been a professional show groom for years and this is what we do especially on show jumpers that aren't necessarily going to be plaited, the mane must lie properly and look tidy.
 
If you're really bothered about it sticking up I'd plait it over and put a hood on the horse overnight, it will eventually stay flatter, I've been a professional show groom for years and this is what we do especially on show jumpers that aren't necessarily going to be plaited, the mane must lie properly and look tidy.
 
I think the magic gadget is a thinning comb/knife. The folding ones. Rather than pull just comb back and turn the blade and slice. You should do and a different length each time to avoid being in the same position when it has all grown down again together. Alternatively fold mane the wrong way and bring over systematically slicing each layer at 1", 2" etc.
 
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