Horse Mane

HORSE MANE

Shampoo your horse's coat the day before a show and not on the day itself, so that the hair has chance to settle again. A mane that has only been freshly shampooed will not be easy to plait up.

Plaiting your horse's mane is important to the appearance of your horse. Smaller numbers of large plaits will make a thin neck appear more muscular. Large plaits in the dip of the neck will disguise the shape where required. Increasing the number of plaits and making them small will make a thick neck appear less so.

If it is necessary to pull hairs from your horse's mane, this is best done while the horse is warm, for example after exercise, so that the pores open and the hair will come out more easily. Always take hairs from under the mane and not from on top.

Before pulling your horse's mane, a small amount of oil of cloves applied to the mane will slightly numb your horse's neck to make it less irritating or painful for your horse. If using this method, wear gloves to avoid your fingers being numbed as well.

When pulling your horse's mane, try to pull the hairs upwards rather than outwards as this will be less painful for your horse. To help make this more easy to achieve, try standing on something secure so that you can more easily get into the right position.