Roached manes and neck collars

[Jules]

My gelding has scrubbed out half his mane today - waaahhhhhhhhh!!!!

I left him out this afternoon without his rug and hood. He rubbed some of his tail out too, but not too bad.

The mane is an unsightly disaster.

I am thinking I will roach it all, which will then mean roaching my mares mane as they are driven as a pair. I know they will grow back in and be ugly for awhile, but at least they can look ugly together?

What do you think about driving them in full neck collars with a freshly roached mane? Does anyone think that would be uncomfortable for them? I realise that long manes would get intermittently pulled by a collar, just wondering what peoples opinions or experiences are with collar use and a freshly roached mane?

 

[diamond c]

I drive donkeys so of coarse I keep their manes roached,but thats the way all the drafts do it. I would think that it would be more uncomfortable with a long mane, and in the summer it would be very hot under the coller.

 

[Jules]

okay, that is encouraging, I may just be able to stop the tears over my geldings mane! lol

Clippers are now out and oiled...

 

[disneyhorse]

I have seen ingrown hairs with a full collar and roached mane. You can shave all and leave some at the wither and trim it very short, just in case. But this was in a draft horse that worked a fair amount, so if you are just pleasure driving every now and then it may not matter.

 

[paintponylvr]

A lot of the draft horses here are roached. I've thinned manes out and kept them braided - putting my collars on and trying to braid it in such a way that it isn't braided right under the collar... Otherwise I kind of "part" the manes under the collar so that part is pulled forward and part backward from under the collar. I haven't had any problems with the amount of time mine have been in collars during each work out.