Grooming help needed!

[Nathan Luszcz]

Deacon's mane is pretty thick (thicker than my big boy's, that's for sure). Any advice how to thin it out gracefully? I generally pull my qh's mane, but it looks great anyways, doesn't need much help. Thanks!

 

[MiLo Minis]

What I generally do if a mane is too thick is clip some off from underneath when I am clipping the horse. If it is still too thick I pull it to thin it out more. If it is only a bit thick to begin with then I just pull it.

 

[nootka]

I, too, would undercut it...makes a prettier picture overall if the mane is not overwhelmingly thick.

A couple of my minis don't need this, but the ones out of my mare, Cherry Bomb, sure do...they have enough mane for three horses. (Tail, too!)

Liz

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I used to undercut but I have gone back to pulling the mane as it grows out so much better.

I also do not, ever, clip those long "bridle spaces" The length of the ear folded back plus a little depending on the horse, that is all.

If you are not familiar with pulling a horses mane properly get one of those rake like "Matt Breakers" they sell for dogs and just comb the horses mane out when it is a true, dirty mess. They do not work so well on a clean mane unless you are au fait with pulling proper.

Do not use them on a tail as it will strip it out!!!!

 

[Jill]

I also under cut it.

 

[MiLo Minis]

I would think pulling a Minis entire mane would give them an awful sore neck! They have a lot more hair than a full size horse does. As far as clipping the bridle path and the length of it all depends on the horse and the shape and length of its neck - whether you want to show it or hide it! Use your own discretion clipping a little at a time, stand back and take a look until you get it where it looks the best.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Hmm... I was hoping there was a trick to pulling it. I'm not touching clippers to his mane without someone who knows what they are doing standing next to me, lol. I just have a 2" bridle path now, I'll keep it simple until I need something else. My big guy's bridle path seems to grow every time I clip it, so its going "au natural" until it shrinks a little

When undercutting, why doesn't that new hair grow straight up? How do you get it to lay nicely? When you do it correctly, can you tell that the horse used to have a very thick mane or does it look completely natural? Thanks a bunch for the comments!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

The undercut mane does grow straight up unless you go on cutting and cutting it back. This is why I pull.

Anyone who has ever had anything to do with pulling manes will tell you that a correctly pulled mane will NEVER make a horses neck sore- why on EARTH would you even THINK I would do anything like that if that were the result?? Honestly I despair sometimes of the really silly responses I get to old, OLD well known tried and tested things in showing and general horse care.

Added to which I also added that, if you are nor sure about this, use a Matt breaker but, No, go ahead flame away I am getting really tired of even answering posts these days it seems too many people who have never tried things and do not even know what they are talking about half the time want to hop on and slate the answers.

Make the neck sore??

YES Of course, I just LOVE making my bl**dy horses necks sore, that's the only reason I do it, so I can see them hobbling around with sore necks!!!!!

:

 

[chevycouple]

Geez Rabbitfizz...I don't think that was said to be rude. I think that was a nieve question but seriously...think about it...if this was your first time hearing about mane pulling wouldn't you think it hurt. Or someone who has no experience with it. Anyway...back to the mane pulling. When I start a horse I do maybe 3" per session starting at the withers. This way they don't get sore or uncomfortable. It is a new feeling to them. It may take me a long time to finish but my horse's tend to still enjoy me after. Also there are those "easy" mane pulling comb things that you can buy in catalogs. I haven't personally used them but some people I know have used them and would never go back to the traditional method. they say its SO quick.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Rabbit that reply was NOT intended to be rude. And neither was it naive. I showed english for many years and have pulled plenty of manes in my time. If you were to go through and pull an entire Miniature mane they would indeed get sore and plenty peeved with you. I know they are a little less sensitive than a Thorobred for example and although those hairs come out fairly easily they still pull - hence it is called "pulling a mane". I don't reply to a post if I don't know what I am talking about, for those things I post a question.

 

[Relic]

This is one of our stallions he has a LOT of hair and it looks like poop growing out unless your always on top of it and clipping the under side and the forelock..

half the mane and most of the forelock shaved and laying nice and flat

 

[JeanH]

Horses (no matter the size) do not have nerve endings in their mane and tail hair, so no, it will NOT make them sore. It is not like pulling your own hair. You only pull a few hairs at a time - not a big wad. It is the pressure they react to not the "pain". That's why you only pull a few hairs at time.

Once you under cut a mane, you will always have to keep it trimmed or it will stand up straight when growing out and will flip your mane over to the wrong side. Also, you run the risk of slipping and accidently cutting a chunk out of the middle or gradually clipping so much back that you will be left no choice but to let it grow out which will takes months.

In addition to showing miniatures, shetlands and hackneys, I showed my paint mare. She had more hair than most ponies, and we had to keep her mane thinned by pulling so that when she was banned for show, the bans would lay flat. It was a process that took hours standing on a stool. Sass stood there, with her back leg cocked, totally relaxed with the whole process.

Just a picture of the paint - unfortnately it's really hard to see her mane in this picture:

 

[runamuk]

Hmm... I was hoping there was a trick to pulling it. I'm not touching clippers to his mane without someone who knows what they are doing standing next to me, lol. I just have a 2" bridle path now, I'll keep it simple until I need something else. My big guy's bridle path seems to grow every time I clip it, so its going "au natural" until it shrinks a little

When undercutting, why doesn't that new hair grow straight up? How do you get it to lay nicely? When you do it correctly, can you tell that the horse used to have a very thick mane or does it look completely natural? Thanks a bunch for the comments!

It is standard to undercut and unless you keep undercutting you do develop a lovely mowhawk during grow out.

For simple thinning just pull as you would for your full sized horse............if you are dealing with huge amounts of excess spread the pulling out over several days..............I often thin my mini's mane in this manner and never a sore neck in fact my gelding thrives on all the extra attention and grooming time

:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

As said, horses do not normally have nerve endings under the skin but two inches deep.

Thus, however thick their mane, they do not get sore.

That is why people in all other disciplines pull the manes rather than merely slicing it off.

I also pull my horses manes, as I have always done with the show ponies but thankfully did not have to do with the Arabs.

Until I started going on American sites I had never heard of undercutting the mane.

I preferr the look of the pulled mane, so shall continue to do it.

I am not sure why undercutting Minis manes started, I hope it never gets too popular over here, at the moment we are about half and half.

I am not a sadist, to go around ripping out my horses manes because I know it hurts them, and I enjoy doing it.

Milo presents herself as someone who knows what she is doing- knowing that pulling a mane does not hurt the horse, nor make it sore is very, very basic stuff.

So basic I did not think it needed explaining.

 

[MiLo Minis]

And AS ALWAYS you are right Rabbit! And that is why when pulling a mane people are suggesting you spread it out over several days and why some horses hit the roof if they even see a pulling comb! Perhaps it doesn't bother your horses because from the pictures I have seen of them you don't thin the mane as much as is exhibited here in North America but we are removing what amounts to 8 or 10 inches long and as much as an inch wide of hair. I do pull my Minis manes to thin them somewhat after underclipping if needed or to tidy the bottom line of them as I stated in my earlier reply and I DO NOT have a problem with you pulling your horses manes if you so choose to do so. I do have a problem with you blowing things out of proportion the way you do and suggesting that your way is THE ONLY WAY!!! Lets just agree to disagree and drop the whole thing. I have had horses for over 35 years now and feel I do all right by mine too.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I've always pulled manes before, but with the goal to shorten rather than thin. Usually any thinning I do is undesired. Any tips on how to pull mane AND forelock with the aim of thinning and NOT shortening? Do you just try to take the shortest hairs? Do you aim for one side of the other, or the middle, or anything?

 

[runamuk]

I've always pulled manes before, but with the goal to shorten rather than thin. Usually any thinning I do is undesired. Any tips on how to pull mane AND forelock with the aim of thinning and NOT shortening? Do you just try to take the shortest hairs? Do you aim for one side of the other, or the middle, or anything?

well here is what I do......I pull as much of the short stuff leaving the longer hair (I love long full manes).......then if that hasn't thinned it enough .....I attempt to not take any of the longest hairs and pull from the underside of the mane......as for the forelock it is just as easy to tidy that with the clippers when doing a bridle path ..yess you get the hair standing on end if you let it grow out but if you keep bridle paths up it's pretty simple to tidy around the forelock as well..............the other option is to pull all the softer "fluffy" hair in the forelock...............

either that helps or you are now much more confused

: :bgrin

 

[Bluebell]

I would pull the mane. I have never used a pulling comb. I do it the old way. Take a few strands between 2 fingers, slide them up to the mane growth and pull downward. I too have undercut a mane and will not do that again.