Unique growing mane... please help!

[vita_impavida]

I have a rescue mare.

She is a grey, but is completely white. For years I have been thinking she looks like a lipizzaner or an andalusian, but I know as well as any other horse person, how rare both of those breeds are, and that horses like those dont end up almost starved to death like she was.
A very weird thing about her is her mane. The top half by her poll is very thick, with natural wave and grows like a weed. The bottom half on the other hand is as whispy as some appy manes. Its just so thin and doesnt grow long at all. I have tried everything to help it grow since the top half is gorgeous, but to no avail. Also, there is no sign of old trauma to the hair follicles. It looks completely normal, just without hair.
I have never seen anything like it. Its quite odd.

Now. I just got home from seeing the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions perform, and if you havent seen it, you should. :-) My face hurts from smiling so much! Anyway, about an hour into the performance I noticed that one of the horses has the same mane thing! His mane of course was pulled and maintained shorter, but it was obvious the top was much thicker. So, now I started paying attention to the other horses manes, and sure enough almost all of them showed the same thing.

I tried to stay after to see if I could ask one of the handlers or grooms if it is a bred trait, but they were busy getting ready for the next show.

If anyone knows anything about this mane characteristic, or it possibly being a trait to a specific breed, I have been curious for years.

Thanks!

[redhorse5]

You ought to put up some pictures.

[goeslikestink]

use a human hair brush and add abit of baby oil into her mane and tail as a moituriser rub well into the roots then when it grows if you want to you can band it in little sections so trained to hang on one side

but with out papers a grey hrose could be anything just be happy
shes your and you can do xyz with her

[Patty Stiller]

I would have a vet look at it. There are some parasites that can cause this type of partial mane loss. I had a client recently who's horse had the same thing and if I remember correctly, it was thread worms.

[fourmares]

You might be able to do DNA testing now.

[poltroon]

I have a rescue mare.

She is a grey, but is completely white. For years I have been thinking she looks like a lipizzaner or an andalusian, but I know as well as any other horse person, how rare both of those breeds are, and that horses like those dont end up almost starved to death like she was.
A very weird thing about her is her mane. The top half by her poll is very thick, with natural wave and grows like a weed. The bottom half on the other hand is as whispy as some appy manes. Its just so thin and doesnt grow long at all. I have tried everything to help it grow since the top half is gorgeous, but to no avail. Also, there is no sign of old trauma to the hair follicles. It looks completely normal, just without hair.
I have never seen anything like it. Its quite odd.

Now. I just got home from seeing the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions perform, and if you havent seen it, you should. :-) My face hurts from smiling so much! Anyway, about an hour into the performance I noticed that one of the horses has the same mane thing! His mane of course was pulled and maintained shorter, but it was obvious the top was much thicker. So, now I started paying attention to the other horses manes, and sure enough almost all of them showed the same thing.

I tried to stay after to see if I could ask one of the handlers or grooms if it is a bred trait, but they were busy getting ready for the next show.

If anyone knows anything about this mane characteristic, or it possibly being a trait to a specific breed, I have been curious for years.

Thanks!

I rode an appaloosa/draft cross school horse mare for some time who had a mane exactly like that. I was the only person brave enough to braid it for a show. :-)

[goeslikestink]

look here to as sweet-itch can cause mane loss
www.sweet-itch.co.uk and buy the rug best rugs out for sweet itch

[vita_impavida]

I am not sure these links will work, and the pictures arnt the best at showing her mane. I will try to get some in the next few days, but it rained here for the last 3 days, and well, I now have a brown horse, and I dont want to post bad pictures, haha.

This one you can see the top is actually split over both sides and is still thicker than the bottom half, which is only over the one side.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=722410230

This one you can see how long and thick her forelock is. And the top half is just as voluminous.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...d=265159865230

Thank you to everyone that posted! I am looking at all angles, and sincerely appreciate the suggestions!

[vita_impavida]

You might be able to do DNA testing now.

I had thought about that. But really not sure where to processed with it. I did contact the Arabian Horse Association, since that seemed more believable than a Lip, but they said they can only confirm parentage. So, not really a help there.

I plan to contact the United State Lipizzaner Registry tomorrow to see if they have a list of missing horses, and the possibility of DNA. I have had her for probably 5 years now, but it never hurts to ask about old missing horses cases.

[Chall]

Your links don't work.

[vita_impavida]

http://s1017.photobucket.com/albums/af299/smemmo/Sable/?action=view&current=PB300014.jpg


Hopefully this time it worked.

[deltawave]

I have been thinking she looks like a lipizzaner or an andalusian, but I know as well as any other horse person, how rare both of those breeds are, and that horses like those dont end up almost starved to death like she was.

What makes you think one breed is any less at risk for neglect than another? :confused:

[vita_impavida]

Not that they are at a less risk. But more the likely hood that I would get one. Just by the shear fact that there are not to many of them, makes the number that do end up in bad situations smaller, hence the less chance I would end up with one. Haha.

I dont really care what she is, I wanted to breed her anyway because she has extravagant movement and although she isnt super affectionate, she is super easy to work with. I think she is too old now, so she'll just be a pasture buddy. :-)

I was just really curious about it. It just seems so odd especially since the hair follicles area along the mane seem to be untouched.