PrintQ. Kelly, Christiana, Tenn.
I have a young draft cross that I am bringing along to compete in eventing. I work very hard, from a grooming/trimming perspective, to keep him neat and tidy, but can't do ANYTHING with his mane. This is the thickest mane I've ever dealt with, and the consistency of the hair is very, very coarse.
I can pull it all day and never get it thin enough where it will lay neatly. I have tried pulling it short, pulling it and leaving it a bit longer, thinning shears (never again!), conditioning it a lot, training braids, you name it. His mane always looks like a family of mice had a party in there. What can I do to have a neat mane?
I also have concerns about braiding it, because it is so thick. Any training braids that I have done looked horrible. Any tips there? I had considered roaching it, but my instructor wasn't comfortable with that, so our current compromise is a neatly trimmed "mohawk." Help!
A. Dear Kelly,
The trick to a “Trojan Mane,” as we say, is two-fold. First, you need to thin it. The key is not how much, but how often. Leave it 6 inches long or so. It will need the length to wrap around itself for braiding. Plus, the length will help it fall to one side.
If you pull too much at once, you make it short and thick, which is worse. Plus, if in a while half the mane is 2” long, the braids won’t lie straight. Hair that should be anchoring the braid will be pushing the braids out of line. So, you want it growing back in many tiers.
That means pulling a little bit all the time. Roaching is the very worst thing you can do. It will grow back much thicker and like a wire brush. If you use scissors, the mane will always be too blunt to hold a knot. The best thing to do is pull regularly. If you do it after the horse works, his pores will be open and resistance low.
Actually, I like your mice family image. I might use that one! If the hair is coarse, drying it out will make it rougher. So, be sure to use a soothing, non-irritating shampoo without salt or petroleum elements. Don’t worry about how training braids look. They are an at-home tool. Work on pulling regularly and you should be on track to a beautiful and manageable mane.
Q. Barbara, Charlotteville, Va.
My Hanoverian mare is lovely, but boy does she have big ears (think Rocher). Braids make things look even worse. Can you suggest a more flattering ‘do’ for her?
A. Dear Barbara,
If your horse has lop ears like Rocher, you should thank your lucky stars! Lop ears have long been considered an indication of great intelligence. Plus, they are endearing.
One way to make them look smaller is to trim straight across the tip instead of following the outline closely. It will make them appear a bit shorter.
If you are showing in braidable disciplines, you should braid. It is the tradition for being most effective at creating the optical illusion to make the neck look long and round. And, with a killer braid job, no one will be looking at her ears!
