Thinning/shortening a mane using a mane rake - experiences?

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Has anyone successfully used a mane rake on a thick. unruly horse mane? My 6 year old cob cross will not accept his mane being pulled without vet sedation, and I am reluctant to pay out for vet sedation every 3 months which is what he needs.....

Just to explain, the back combing is what he reacts to so no use cutting with scissors instead of pulling :( And yes he really does need vet sedation, Spacefaer will confirm what happened when we tried with Dormosedan gel.....!!!!
 
Don't do it! I had a detailed conversation with the company that sell the mane rakes about how to successfully do it. They said run the rake through the mane a little bit, frequently in the underside of the mane. Turned into a hideous mess to plait. Yes it's thin, but the roots are thick which you can't get into a plait so just leaves spikes. I can pull it if I have someone twitch her thankfully. So going back to that.

Have you asked Emma how she did it? I don't think she had him vet sedated?
 
Well I'm not sure she actually had his mane pulled that much but whatever she did definitely involved vet sedation! Little horror.... !!
 
Tried the rake on Baggins tail, he didn't like it and i couldn't particularly get on with it so I use scissors to tidy top and my advice for mane is to hog (hogged tonight, took me ten mins tops with cordless clippers!,) not much help I suspect!!
 
meesha said:
Tried the rake on Baggins tail, he didn't like it and i couldn't particularly get on with it so I use scissors to tidy top and my advice for mane is to hog (hogged tonight, took me ten mins tops with cordless clippers!,) not much help I suspect!!
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Believe me I am sorely tempted :D :D He doesn't object to clippers..... trouble is he has such a cute face I can't quite bring myself to do it :) :)
 
I use the mane rake but I brush the mans over onto the wrong side and rake it from that side and then brush the mane back over.

Have you tried a solo comb?
 
eggs said:
I use the mane rake but I brush the mans over onto the wrong side and rake it from that side and then brush the mane back over.

Have you tried a solo comb?
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I think this is what the instructions say you should do??

I have used it on my cobs to thin out their manes a bit; my trad cob has sweet itch so pulling anything on him isn't that good an idea coz all it does it makes him even more itchy.
 
I use the mane rake, and it works well for me and the horse who, like yours, has to be sedated, we rarely have to plait, so has never bothered us in this aspect, for the sake of a less stressy horse and bank balance its worth it in my opinion! my friend also uses it on her horse who she plaits and it hasn't 'affected' her plaits
 
I use one similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roma-Mane...hash=item2ef36cb416:m:mxvcAddj1zgO6Ry3U7HrEfw - it has a craft knife blade inside (you could, with practise, just use the blade, I knew and old fashioned stud groom who invariably did, or a sharp penknife).
The trick is to thin through from the underside by combing and thinning underneath a thick mane. I have used it on numerous horses and ponies but never really on a mega thick cob mane, can't see why it wouldn't do the job though
 
I use a rake on my cob. Unfortunately she has a double mane so pulling wouldn't be an option, I would have to pull three quarters of her mane out to have a thin mane lying on one side. She has a thick mane on both sides. I rake lots of it out and when I have got it to where I want it I level the ends with one of those little combs with a razor blade in it. It's works well for us because we haven't needed to plait yet. I would have to hogg if I needed to be tidy but I'm not keen because I like a forelock.
 
I use a combination of solo comb and thinning rake on my horses. I get a nice, short, thin mane that looks the same as a pulled mane UNLESS you want to plait! Then, as previously mentioned, you get spikes. But I'm not competing nowadays so as long as they look neatly trimmed I use the pain free methods. (My gelding's mane gets thick, luckily he needs sedating for his teeth so I pull it when he's sedated once a year!).
 
I use one on my mare and we plait for eventing at least once or twice a month. Yes you do get spikes if you get carried away with it, but unless you stick your face right in the mane you can't tell. I have no problems plaiting a mane that has been raked and it saves my horses from getting upset.
Here is a video on how to use them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiOiCpycHGA - you can use the Smart Tails on the mane if you want. The only difference is the width of the blades.
 
Thank you for all the replies - I asked on Facebook as well, the general consensus seems to be using a combination of rake/sharp scissors and tact :) I will see how we go, thank you all :) :)
 
It's very tedious but have you tried pulling a bit at a time after exercise so the horse is warm and the pores are open? My horse is much happier that way - I just do 5 minutes or so while he's eating some hay and usually get away with a bit longer if he's quiet.
 
My horse hates his mane being pulled so what I do is whenever he gets hot out exercising, I run my hand through his mane and thin it whilst I'm riding him - just a little bit a day. Mane is then thinned and it takes 2 secs to shorten it with a comb or scissors or whatever. I use a comb but if it's already thinned then it takes no time at all
 
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