What Do You Do With Your Horse. . . ?

[meegz]

Hi everyone,
I tried pulling my new horses mane today (Moose) put i could tell she disliked it quite a bit and decided there was no point in persevering as she'd just get stressed out and that's obviously not fair on her.
Anyway what i wanted to ask is what do you use for your horses mane, what does everyone think of solo-combes?
I'm not meaning to affend anyone that does but im not too keen on cutting with scissors as i don't like the way it looks. Basically i'm trying to find something that looks natural but is easy and quite quick,

Thanx
Meegan :)

[JOJOBA]

We use the combs with the blade in for our TB. If you rub them up and down the mane (kind of like back combing?) then you get a nice natural looking line. He's sensitive about having his mane pulled and gets all twitchy if we pull properly. Id never use scissors - seen how that looks before! :p
My other horse has a natural mane - it'd probably blunt the blades trying to pull it! :p It's like wire, I doubt scissors would get through!

xxx

[Merlinz gal]

i pull merlinz mane normally but last time i went a little ott :( but its growin fast now:D
because he is funny around his ears i use a solo comb

for his tail tho i hold my hands up and plead guilty
i use scissors but a) i am too frightened to pull incase i get kicked b) its gotta be painfull for the horse c) it doesnt look that bad everyone thnk i pulled it:D

[JOJOBA]

I use scissors on my native's tail, we dont have to do anything to our TB's tail - there's practically none!

xxx

[Drummers mum]

Stay au natural, then you don't have to worry, lol! :p

[JOJOBA]

If I let Hector's tail grow to floor length then it gets clogged up with mud which them lies wet against his heels all night and makes his mudfever sore.
I rmember when it was long, having to stand him with his tail in hot water to defrost an iceball the size of a football that had frozen in the end! :D
Sadly he has his tail cut, and his legs clipped. I leave his mane au natural though - it's down to his shoulder now (and lies on both sides! :p) and Im currently growing out his bridlepath.

xxx

[MeMe]

Im an outright puller Im afraid.

If its really thick/long etc and would be hard to pull, I will cut it to a length and then pull it properly from there to desired length and thickness.

Alough on occasion I've had a horse with a really wispy mane and pulling would end up with it with none, I have used scissors.

[Brewers Pride]

I pulled Big D's mane last year after we'd been out hacking - he didn't even notice what I was doing and the hair came out quite easily. Tried it again a couple of weeks later to tidy up a bit but he was cold and the hair would not come out; my fingers killed.

I've since bought a solo comb which is so much easier but, be warned, you can get carried away and end up with a shorter mane than you wanted!

In future I'll either use the solo comb (if I can control myself) or pull in the traditional way when he's warm.

[~Bethan~]

we used to hog paddy's mane becaus he was a working cob, but now we just let noth him and Charlie keep natural! we use a soft mane brush, a mane/tail comb and when we show the compulsory mane and tail. it's much easier than pulling i find.

[galadriel]

I use scissors. I know, I'm a heretic.

[kedwards]

I pull Bud's. The first time I did it, I tried to do all at once, and he got grumpy. Since then, I started just doing a little at a time, so that the whole thing would be spread over several days. Now that he's used to it, he practically falls asleep while I'm pulling.

[Bay Mare]

Saff doesn't even seem to notice that you're doing anything when you're pulling (strange mare ;) ). I don't really like Solo combs if the horse will tolerate pulling because they don't really thin the mane out in the long term and it can end up really bushy unless you're meticulolus at keeping up with it. For horses that won't tolerate pulling, though, they're fine.

I'm not good enough with scissors to trim the mane this way and I've seen some right messes from people who have! One of my old instructors was an ex-hairdresser and you couldn't tell when she did it though :)

I haven't tried to pull her tail but I do cut the bottom.

There's always the option of leaving it long though it depends on what you're going to do with your horse as to whether you'll need to plait or whatever.

If you are going to try pulling it's a good idea to do it after exercise or when it's warmer as the hairs will come out easier.

[Pickles]

Apparently pulling after exercise is better as the pores are open so the hairs pull out easier.

I pull "little and often" so it's never a big job.

On the tail front I was taught to trim with scissors, is it possible to shorten the length of a tail by pulling alone?

[virtuallyhorses]

Depends on your horse's mane - I just cut Imps with ordinary scissors much to everyones horror :eek: :eek: - but it looks fine because he has such a naturally fine mane. With other horse's I guess it would look awful

[KarinUS]

I cut it to length with scissors (although I do it the way they do your hair in expensive salons- kind of cutting straight into it rather than straight across like our moms used to cut our bangs and made us look like dorks... :rolleyes: )
And then I thin it with a cheapo version of the solo comb (comb with blade in it- cost $5).
Looks good to me! But I only do it before a show when we have to. No show? Then the mane stays long and the pony stays scruffy.

[Tharg]

Did any one see the trade secrets program on horses ages ago?, they had mane pulling on it and one woman uses walnut oil to numb the mane before pulling(wear gloves!), perhaps this will help.

[Tharg]

I`ve made 100 posts !!!!! :D :D :p :p


I need to get out more! :p

[Alle]

My mare has a thicker mane at the top close to her head, but it's thin as it gets to the withers. If it's gotten long, I'll cut the length with scissors, and do a little pulling on the thicker section. On the thin section I use the scissors, but not cutting straight across. which looks weird. :) Sevigny is just one of those girls that doesn't look good in long hair...it all just gets thin ans scraggly looking :eek: , so I tend to keep it on the shortish side.

[Caz&Irena]

Although my horse is anglo/arab she looks mostly arab so I leave her mane to grow and only tidy up with grooming scissors. I love a long flowing mane but I do trim her tail to keep it out of the mud.......not too short tho' :D

[eventerbabe]

mine are both left pretty natural but i do the odd tidy up with a solo comb, i hate pulling. my horse is terrified coz the dealers i got him from pulled his mane so badly he's pretty much mentally scarred for life as far as pulling is concerned.

[Yann]

Rio sports the wild horse look:D

[Bozzy]

My mare has a thicker mane at the top close to her head, but it's thin as it gets to the withers.

That's just like my horses mane. I put it down to him wearing a high/full neck rug at this time of year. I pull the top half and use a solo comb on the bottom half. As long as he has hay then he doesn't really even notice!!

I use the solo comb on the top of his tail and trim the bottom of it.

[Purdey33]

I used the Solo Comb on mine last Summer - but it's best to cut as few hairs as possible to get a natural pulled mane effect (I got a bit carried away the first time at the 'ease' of using the comb!). :o

However this year, now their manes have grown back, I like the 'long' look again so will just trim the ends with my Solo Comb this year :)

[kayjayhorses]

I pull my horses mane after they have been ridden as their body temp is higher the pores are open and the hair is released easier. Also as they have been ridden it takes the edge off of their livelyness (hope this is a word otherwise I have just invented a new one).

Might be a good idea to do a little bit at a time until your horse gets used to it, if its possible do it over a couple of days and maybe it wont be such a big deal.

[aliw]

What is the RRP for a solo comb please?