Trimming a bridle track in your horse's mane...

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Erehwemos

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I have always, always done this, right from as early as I can remember. My mum does it, the instructors at Pony Club always did it, and it was generally considered a 'normal' thing to do.

But someone on here (sorry - it wasnt my thread and I cant remember who it was!) once said something about how uncomfortable it must be for the horse when the hair becomes bristly and starts to grow back, and it really made me think. Shortly afterwards, I was having a conversation with another livery at the yard who agreed and said she hates seeing a bridle track cut (she also said it was 'wrong' for a dressage horse, but I'm not sure if that's true or not!!!)

Anyway, since then, I've been letting Ellie's mane grow back, and I am really glad I have done so
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Ellie now has a much thicker forelock, and I must admit that it looks far more comfortable for the headpiece of her bridle to lie on flattened long hair, than on bristles.
But on the other hand, a hogged horse must have a similar kind of sensation and no-one would ever think to question that, so do you really think if makes a difference one way or the other?

Is it one of those things that you're brought up a certain way and never really question the reasons why?
 
It's for plaiting. One, it saves one plait. Two, you don't end up with a plait right where you want the headpiece of the bridle. That said, I don't do them any more even though I plait.
 
We always have a bridle track cut, and with the harness horses it's longer than what you would cut for a rider - however their manes are kept long so the harness wouldn't sit properly without a track being cut.
 
I always cut a bridle path, I hate having to sort the mane out from the forelock whilst trying to put a bridle on. I always clip mine and have never found it to cause any problems to the horse/ponies.
 
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I always cut a bridle path, I hate having to sort the mane out from the forelock whilst trying to put a bridle on. I always clip mine and have never found it to cause any problems to the horse/ponies.

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Same however I just use scissors normally, will use the clippers if already clipping the body.
 
it was my trainer who told me not to do it right where the bridle/headcollar goes, and i posted about it on here. he said to trim it higher so that the mane under the bridle lies flat, not bristly, as the bristly bit + pressure from bridle/headcollar on sensitive area is not good.
i still trim a bridle path but i just do it where nothing sits so there's no downward pressure. this way i don't have to divide mane and forelock every time.
 
I don't do it, never have done and personally don't like it. Some times people 'cut' too much and the horse appears to be missing half its mane. I can see it helps with plaiting and it is often done. It also does make it easier to fit bridles particually if the horse has a thick mane/forelock.
I guess I prefer more natural horses as I hate pulled tails and trimmed whiskers too!
 
We always did the bridle path and the withers when we were kids, but then it was an old school style establishment!

I did cut a bridle path around mid-October it was in the wrong place so we're growing it out, my horse has a mohawk at the moment.
 
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if the pony has a really thick mane can it push the bridle off ? especially a driving bridle ?

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I don't know about pushing the bridle off, but with the pacers they're driven with an overcheck which goes from the top of the headpiece back to the wither and this needs to fit properly - even with a track cut sometimes they seem to have too much hair to fit in/under the headpiece, overcheck and with the blinkers as well!
 
I have cut a bridle path into Motor's Mane for the past 18 years, but recently decided not to, however as his Mane is soooooo thick, then without one, his Bit is too high in his mouth, so I have started to do it again .... He absolutely hates having it done though, as I think he does not trust me with the scissors
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I have never done it - when I first got B she had a stubbly trimmed patch there and I let it grow out without even really thinking about it. She is somewhat unique though in that she has a whorl in her mane right there anyway so there's a perfect divide between forelock and mane.
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It looks very striking on arabs when they trim really far back but I'm still not really a fan.
 
another person who always used to do it, always used to trim bridle, whither area, pull tail etc but think ias i am getting bit older i prefer it slightly more natural, still like my mane pulled (but not so short as i used to do it)and whiskers trimmed but have let forelocks grow back and as you say they have slightly thicker forelocks which imo looks nicer. never even thought about it being uncumfortable when it grows slightly that is very interesting
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i hate them and never do them in my horses' manes.

its not that difficult to divide the mane and forelock for plaiting and i think its much nicer without that bald patch!
 
I used to do it until I saw Kerilli's post, now I don't. It hasn't caused any problems with plaiting and mine haven't got thick enough manes for the hair to be in the way.
My new horse has a rather fetching mohawk at the moment though while his grows out!
 
I always done it, and the wither area.
I'm not so sure now?
I guess if you can "train" the mare and forelock to become seperate, then you wouldn't have to do it.

I suppose if you seperate the mane and forelock, and then loosely plait the forelock and the first part of the mane next to the forelock, then you would train it to be apart... get it?

I use to do it to all the riding school horses as I couldn't stand it when they got tacked up, and all their mane and forelock where caught up in the head piece!!
 
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