horse hates solo comb

[max72]

my horse has developed a real dislike for any work done on her mane - I have a solo comb and use that instead of pulling and she even hates that! I don't see how it could cause her pain - anyone else have this problem? any suggestions? she used to be totally OK with this when she was younger but has become progressively unhappy about having her mane worked on. combing is OK - even when it pulls out some hairs with the comb.

[HalfArabian]

Could your horse have some stiffness in her neck? Maybe have her evaluated by a Vet or Chrio? I had a TB that I couldn't pull her mane and I put the human product Ambusol(sp) for tooth pain on her neck.

K

[Woodsperson]

Will she tolerate clippers? On my retired horse I comb out the mane, tease it out a little bit and use the clippers to trim. It is definitely not show quality, but looks pretty good. If you do a little bit of pulling, you can get it to show quality.

[stormdancer753]

Make it fun!

If you make it a habit to let everything be fun, instead of a chore, the horse will see it the same way. My horse was a beast about mane-pulling: approach his neck, and he would pull back instantly (and usually break something ... before purchasing him wayyy back when, this is how he broke his back!).

Anyway, we have little silly games that we play together. I'll rub his mane or neck, or scratch his ears, in between trimming. If they're not mouthy, a few treats wouldn't be unwarranted. Play with a towel, a brush, anything! Just laugh a little, try not to be serious, and don't think that it's all going to magically change in one session. Try a couple snips with the solo comb, and let it be done for the day. Eventually they'll wind up looking forward to it!

Woodsperson--The clippers are a great idea, I'll have to try that!

[FindersKeepers]

Personally, I'm not a believer in the "they can't feel it when you rip out their hair" But regardless...

Take your time, just do a chunk of mane at a time, and let her go. If you make her stand for 45 minutes while you do it, she's going to be miserable.

Also, it very well could be stiffness, and/or pain in her neck. Try giving her a gram of bute before you try. If its just some dicomfort in her neck, that might make her more comfortable, and more willing to cooperate.

[LSM1212]

I'd also suggest doing this after the horse has been ridden or worked in some way/shape/form.

Makes pulling easier (hair slides right out) but it also makes using the solo comb easier too.

:D

[max72]

thanks for the ideas. I didn't think the solo comb method would hurt or even really feel like pulling. I'll try some of these. Sometimes she is fidgety for the first few cuts and then realizes it isn't pulling and she gets quieter. I try to do a tiny bit at a time, after riding. maybe the clipper trick will work, she's fine with them.

[LSM1212]

thanks for the ideas. I didn't think the solo comb method would hurt or even really feel like pulling. I'll try some of these. Sometimes she is fidgety for the first few cuts and then realizes it isn't pulling and she gets quieter. I try to do a tiny bit at a time, after riding. maybe the clipper trick will work, she's fine with them.

No, the solo comb doesn't hurt. But if she's had a bad experience in the past with mane pulling, once you do the "backcomb" movement before you do the cut, they fidget at first until they realize it's not "pulling". Ask me how I know. :) My guy just shakes his head from side to side, etc. So I start in the middle somewhere and after a few "strokes" he settles down. I do have to pull some of the middle section. As it gets really thick. But he's more biddable about it if he's warm. :D

[Doodlebug1]

my mare hates Solo Combs too - and this weekend I found the solution....

It was absolutely genius, recommended to me by my tack store owner. Try using:
http://www.simpsons-online.co.uk/acatalog/e_rakes.html

The directions tell you to comb over the mane to the wrong side and then use the rake to thin. I didn't do this. I had the mane over the correct side and then raked through from underneath.

As the directions tell you, this only thins the mane, it doesn't shorten it. To shorten I used scissors but cutting upwards rather than horizontally so that it doesn't look cut (try it and you'll know what I mean).

Meant to also say that the 'course' rake was ideal and they are available from tack shops but also regular pet stores for long haired cats/dogs etc.

I'd be happy to put up 'before and after' pics if that would help.

[max72]

I've never seen anything like that before. Anyone know if they are sold in the US? I'd love to see a picture actually, if it isn't too much trouble.

[Doodlebug1]

That's fine. During the week i only get to see my horses in the dark before and after work :( I have one more horse to tidy up on Sat so will take pictures and post on Saturday.

[LSM1212]

I tried the rake also. I have Border Collies and it's a tool we use on them to thin out their backend hair.

Just be very careful that you don't "thin" too much. Ask me how I know. ;)

[Dune]

These funny mares. I have one that HATES to have her mane pulled. OK, fine, I'll just use the scissors to thin/shorten it. A lot of times I can start with that and then pull a little bit in the middle of the mane where it's thick and she doesn't even notice. Well, this last time I went to thin it with the scissors, she started carrying on about how much it hurt. (Mind you, she certainly doesn't care when I brush it and hairs are pulled out because of small tangles...doesn't care a bit, even likes it. I do that everyday.) So I just said, fine, if you are going to act like that when I'm not even hurting you, I might as well just go ahead and pull it to get the look I really want. Well, after several pulls, she settles right down. Go figure. :confused:

[TinkerBells]

I think they're just being vain :lol::lol::lol:
Just kidding ... good idea about using Anbesol to numb the root area before pulling!

[ladipus]

you could try using a hoof or bot knife to sort of razor the mane-tease it up as if you were going to pull it,but then instead just saw it off w/ the knife or clipper blades work well too

[Doodlebug1]

Sorry!! Here they are (http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/habgooe/ManesEtc?authkey=_uVwJY2hm04&feat=email#)(finally!!)

Doodle is generally pretty good, so his mane is normally pulled regularly - though having found my new toy, his got raked too this time.

The mare is truly terrible with anything close to backcombing with the intention either to pull or Solocomb - and 17.1hh. Her mane before I started was not as bad as Toby's but had a good 7 months of growth.

Toby is also bad to pull. His mane would do a Shetland pony proud - it is so thick and springy and truly awful. He came to me with a deep hatred of anything near his mane. He has got better over the years (I will have had him 20 years next month) but since he's been retired (last three years) as you can tell, I've let his mane grow....

That was until I offered before and after pics and realised I didn't have any good 'before' ones of the other two - so I spruced him up. I haven't made his mane as thin as the others as it really is just for cosmetics, I'll never need to plait him.

Any questions give me a shout. I'll happily send you a comb over if you decide to go ahead but can't find one in the US..

[max72]

thanks a million for posting your pictures!

I am going to have to try it if I can track down such a tool. for my mare, it is also the backcombing that she hates most. she's only 16.1 but then i'm only 5' so it is comical to try to work on her when she acts like a pushy giraffe.

[Ambrey]

That rake looks just like what my friend uses. I've borrowed it before and it's fabulous. It's also sold as the Mars Coat King.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&refid=store&item=140272847202&category=20751&viewitem=&salenotsupported

Not at all cheap- she said she got hers cheaper at Equine Affair one year and I'm holding out slight hope that I'll be able to find one next weekend when we go. I have a pony that has tons of mane and hates pulling :(

[max72]

you're right, kind of pricey. if it was going to do the trick, though, it would be worth it I think. so does this kind of tool really pull out the hair to thin or cut it?

[Doodlebug1]

It's not really designed to physically pull out the mane (though cos I hadn't combed it that well, it did pull out some which the horses didn't mind at all), it cuts it.

Because of the design though it cuts pretty close to where a Solo Comb would cut if we had well behaved horses! I think (though I haven't had it long enough to know) that it is slightly better than a solo comb as a SC cuts an inch or so of hair at a time which means when it grows out you get rows of hair all growing up vertically. Because of the tines on this you aren't uniformally cutting adjacent hairs, so I think the mane can be trained over a lot more easily when it starts to grow out.

I too was shocked at how expensive it was, but I am pretty much fed up of arguing with my horse over backcombing. It was really recommended by the people in the tack store who are all horse owners and normally give good advice, so (after trying it on a bit of my hair in the store :eek:) I purchased it (cost was around $16). Definitely no regrets so far!