[katestephenson45]

Now before speak my case, i'm sure most of you are gasping in horror at the thought of a blunt "dutch boy" style mane and forelock, but hear me out, i actually find the look nice. Personally, i went against the crowd and trimmed my horse's forelock, mane, and tail with a pair of hairdresser scissors, and yes, it didn't look exactly "natural", but i have to say, i liked it on my horse:
http://equusphoto.deviantart.com/gal...et=96#/d4dty8z

Does anyone share my crazy fondness for this look? I do eventing with some jumper shows thrown in, so i personally think it's fine, though what do you guys think?

[merrygoround]

The mane I can deal with, the tail too, so long as it's not too short. The forelock----No!!!!

[2tempe]

I'm w/ Merrygoround. I do my mare's mane w/ scissors, though I dont try for a perfect edge. Tail is blunt cut, but she is a dressage horse! My theory on the mane is that whatever makes me happy is fine; she is braided at shows anyway so no one knows that I "cheat".

[sterling2000]

It truly depends upon the horse and how the cuts are blended. The tail is good, and the mane can also look nice if it's not too short and can still be braided. However, unless that forelock is thin and long, cutting it really cannot improve how it looks. I had a younger barn friend who cut her pony's forelock. It looked horrendous, because the pony had a mondo thick forelock! She couldn't do ANYTHING to fix it, either. So be careful with the scissors! Or be ready with an ear bonnet!

[mvp]

One of the purposes of the banged tail is to make a flimsy one look fuller. Yours has plenty, so you can go either way.

As for the main, I like the "jumper flap"-- blunt and of even thickness throughout. It moves as a piece. But you can't see scissor marks on it. At close range, each hair is a slightly different length.

If your horse's main has this, OP, I can't tell. IMO, his mane is longer than the Jumper Flap.

[katestephenson45]

One of the purposes of the banged tail is to make a flimsy one look fuller. Yours has plenty, so you can go either way.

As for the main, I like the "jumper flap"-- blunt and of even thickness throughout. It moves as a piece. But you can't see scissor marks on it. At close range, each hair is a slightly different length.

If your horse's main has this, OP, I can't tell. IMO, his mane is longer than the Jumper Flap.

I do like the jumper flap look a lot, and i've heard various methods on how to go about doing it, is there one method that you think is best/easiest?

[Superminion]

I cut Willow's tail short, just to keep it out of the mud. When it thaws then freezes AGAIN this week, I'd just prefer one less mess.

I do her mane with scissors as well, it's quicker and you can't tell that it's blunt when it's braided. I don't touch her forelock though.

[Sticky Situation]

I am guilty of "cheating" and cutting manes with scissors ... I used to pull them the old-fashioned way, but my older gelding (who is otherwise extremely tolerant) HATED it ... So I eventually gave up and started using scissors instead. I never touch their forelocks, though, and I usually just trim the very bottoms of their tails.

[spacytracy]

Forgive my stupidity, but I've always cut my gelding's tail because he grows it until its dragging. So it gets trimmed as needed. What other ways are there to shorten the tail?

[2DogsFarm]

I am all for shortcuts and ease of care.

I regularly "pull" manes with a clipper blade & I defy you to tell it is not comb-pulled.

My TWH with the trolldoll mane got roached and looked mighty handsome.

I scissor-clip feathery fetlocks in Winter so they don't get all clumped with ice = scratches.

But that straight-across forelock is just not a flattering look on any horse.
Period.
2dogs out.

[Danier]

I never touch the forelock! I've seen too many horses with thin sparse or non existent that I will never take for granted the long full forelock my mare has
Tails for sure, mine is banged. As for manes, it depends on the horse, I think different things look better on different manes.
My mare has a crazy thick mane, I used to use scissiors. (She does not tolerate pulling at all) last summer I just hacked off half of the thickness from the under side, but now it's decided to switch sides we had a nice fohawk going on for awhile, but its all lies flat now. I'm just giving up on it for now, we don't plan to show any tine soon so whatever.

[Beethoven]

Razor the mane! Easy and looks more natural. Loved the banged look on a tail. Leave the forelock alone! Leave it alone! lol

I love me some long forelocks!

[cowboymom]

Tail I sort of like, the mane I can live with, but the forelock makes him look like Moe from the Three Stooges! 2 out of 3 ain't too bad but I'd let the forelock go back to how it was!

[katestephenson45]

Tail I sort of like, the mane I can live with, but the forelock makes him look like Moe from the Three Stooges! 2 out of 3 ain't too bad but I'd let the forelock go back to how it was!

hahaha yeah this photo does make it look a bit stupid :P Its grown out by now:
http://equusphoto.tumblr.com/image/40918404687

[twelvegates]

Found this reference on COTH about 18 months ago, and it really is an easier way than pulling (can't say I've fallen in love with the "Moe" bangs in the pic though.)

http://www.getmyfix.org/1596/5-minute-clinic-11/

[gumshoe]

OMG. NO.

[katestephenson45]

Found this reference on COTH about 18 months ago, and it really is an easier way than pulling (can't say I've fallen in love with the "Moe" bangs in the pic though.)

http://www.getmyfix.org/1596/5-minute-clinic-11/

Oh this looks like a good tutorial, and the blunt forelock they show is definetly not a look i like, at least not on that horse, though on my own horse it did/does look much nicer

[EqTrainer]

Bless his heart.

[deltawave]

Banged tails are normal in the eventing world and in the fall I bang 'em to just below the hocks to keep tails out of the mud. They need doing again (midway down the cannon) by the time show season rolls around again.

If you're too lazy to pull, it's possible to do a halfway decent job with scissors, razors and gadgets. But nothing beats a nicely pulled mane if the minimalist, not-too-thick-or-long look is what you're after. And I'm not a snob--only one of mine gets pulled, the other two are roached because their manes are way too thick, coarse, and kinky to keep up with.

Forelocks, IMO--take what Mother Nature has given the horse and leave them alone!!

[pony baloney]

My horse's tail was banged hock-height short two months ago to keep it mud-free in the winter. I had so much hair that I kept it and make a hairpiece for his forelock, or should we say, "onelock". It's pathetically thin and short. Gotta take a picture of him wearing his toupe----he looks 20 years younger!

I'm hoping his tail will grow as long as it usually does because it is quite short this time.

The banged mane, it just doesn't look right, especially if it's thick. Pulled with the ends thinned looks much more natural. Banged forelocks look cute on thick cobby horses.