Solo Comb - please enlighten me!

[*Sez*]

Please can someone tell me the difference between using a solo comb to pull a mane and a pair of scissors? :confused: I pull the "old fashioned" way, and cannnot fathom Solo combs at all! Salsa's mane was done with one before I bought him, and it looked awful - really thick and almost triangular, like it had just been cut short and not thinned at all. As far as I can tell, a Solo comb doesn't pull hairs out, as normal pulling does, but just slices them shorter, which would explain why Salsa's mane looked like it has just been cut short rather than neatly pulled - so why is a Solo comb considered a better way to tidy up, shorten and "thin" a mane?

[joey_olop]

I used to have one & never did manage to work it properly:D They are good for doing tails but I personally wouldnt use it on a mane.

Alot of people I know use them as they think pulling a mane causes pain where as a solo comb dosnt, hope that helps :)

[Mehitabel]

there's a fine art to solocombing a mane well - i mangled a fair few as i was learning, but now you can't tell the difference between one i've solocombed and pulled naturally.
it doesn't thin them very well - to thin, you have to backcomb right to the root and cut there, so that can grow out spikey if not done with care. i prefer to leave them unbrushed for a while and then comb through with a mane comb to get a fair bit out.

you must backcomb like a normal pulling though - and also take only a very few hairs at a time, and not in a clump - so i will take about 10 hairs from about 2 inches of mane. that's what really makes the difference - not chopping a big chunk together. all our ponies are solocombed now, manes and tails, and they look indistinguishable in the ring from 'real' pulled manes. it takes longer - i can whiz through a mane pulling it in 10 minutes if the horse doesn't mind, but a solocomb takes over half an hour. worth it if they're anxious about haivng pulling done though.

[Jessey]

I agree, on the rare occasions I tidy my guys manes up I will sometimes use a solo comb and some times pull, done well they both look the same. The difference I found is you can't realy thin a mane with the solo comb, so if I am trying to thicken a mane up (bo is great at rubbing one bit out :rolleyes: ) I use the solo comb, If the mane needs thinning out I pull :D

J x

[*Sez*]

At the moment, Salsa's mane has an odd look to it, as if someone started pulling it at the poll and abandoned it. It's about three inches long for about a quarter of his mane, and the rest is very long, so I'd like to tidy it all up and pull it so that it is even. Would a solo comb be worth while to "trim" off the ends of the rest to bring up the length a bit, and then normal pulling to actually tidy it up? He can be a bit funny about it being pulled, so I thought that if I started with it almost level, it would be quicker and easier! :D

[Jessey]

You could probably do the whole lot, as Mehitabel said, just like pulling go through the combing straight, selecting the long bit (just a few hairs) and back comb and just when you would pull - snipp instead :D
Best thing, try it a little on the longer bit - if you can get it finnish up like that, if not finnish up by pulling :D

[Laura+Phantom]

I've found them excellent on thin manes like on my old British Riding Pony, but on my New Forest - forget it! He has sooo much mane, i'd rather get him hot and sweaty and pull it properly (so the hair comes out easier).

[Nookster]

Have any of you guys used the smart tails tool?

I am utterly terrible at pulling mane or tails and wanted to for showing purposes. I especially couldn’t plait tails.
I tried a solo comb and had no luck what so ever so went routing on the net for an alternative and found this tool. I took a chance after reading the site. At £14.99 I couldn’t complain

Its brilliant in my opinion and really simple. No sore hands or horse and done ten times as fast. The judge at my last show commented on his tail and how professional it looked.

Quite a few people at the yard have enquired how I do my boys mane and tail also and have been surprised when I have showed them. I even demonstrated to another livery on their horse. Who used to say when she pulled her tail it bled.

Don’t know if it might be useful for anyone here.

Can be found
http://www.clippersharp.com/maneandtailthinners.php

[Laura+Phantom]

I used that on Phantom's tail and it did look smart, but now it's grown out it looks like a bottlebrush! I guess it does this if you pull properly anyway, but he looks funny :)

[Mehitabel]

yes, i am a recent convert to them for tails - marvellous inventions!

[jenren!!]

I've heard of them - they look useful. I for one get confused with the pulling manes lark. Aramis hated having hers pulled. My mate used to brave it and use a rubber glove - and she always used to do it too short :p.

To be honest i'd just spend an hour using the traditional good old mane comb. You have to be careful with a solo comb, but to be honest pulling a mane is basically just thinning it. If you wanna shorten it you might as well just cut it with scissors. In my experience a solo-combed mane looks like its been cut with scissors, not much difference. Best to keep a mane as natural as you can, if for show purposes, just plait it up.

[Nookster]

Have you tried manes with it? I use it on my boy and people think i pulled it

[Mehitabel]

In my experience a solo-combed mane looks like its been cut with scissors, not much difference. Best to keep a mane as natural as you can, if for show purposes, just plait it up.

you haven't seen it done well then! it is difficult to do well, i freely admit, but perfectly possible and much nicer for a horse who is sensitive. petal hated having her mane pulled and always used to rub it out afterwards as it was sore, and needs it pulled but not plaited for showing.

[kirstie]

When i needed to pull amba's mane last year since it was a frizz bomb and far too thick :D , i thought i'd invest in a solo comb, as amba doesn't really like me using a metal comb so i thought i try with a SC, it turns out she doesn't like them either, however, RI managed to shorten her quite nicely without annoying her too much, but i tend to just leave her mane now, i need it to grow some more, it just looks daft being short. :)

[jenren!!]

you haven't seen it done well then! it is difficult to do well, i freely admit, but perfectly possible and much nicer for a horse who is sensitive. petal hated having her mane pulled and always used to rub it out afterwards as it was sore, and needs it pulled but not plaited for showing.
To be honest i dont think i have seen it done well ! Most people do it wrong and make their manes look rediculous and then down goes the solo comb's reputation!

[Sexy Sietske]

I wanted to pull my hossies mane but its quite thin and he tries to eat me when I'm combing the knots out (big girl!!!:rolleyes: ) So if i was to use the solo comb what step by step instructions would you recommend :p also how do you pull a tail and do you leave a bit long at the top (like seen on that link) because i think that looks a bit silly (the big girl has also either previously had tailed pulled or rubbed it out because it looks a mess but he is only a baby so I am unsure :confused: )

Sorry to hijack the thread I will make another one if its realy worth it ;)

[Mehitabel]

1) comb the mane out.
2) take solocomb and a small section of mane - abotu an inch wide. backcomb until you have about 10 hairs left from the width of the section: you don''t want a little clump of hairs together (that's the important bit).
3) snip where you want the length.
4) repeat on the same section of mane, until it's all done. then move on down te name gradually.

[girl-friday]

heheh, my sister used a solo comb on her mares forelock once and she looked like she had had a bowl cut

[*Sez*]

I suppose, as with any mane pulling, you need to only grasp the very longest hairs initially and pull/solo comb those, and then do the next longest hairs and really take your time over it. It's when you try to pull a large clump that it starts to look really daft :D .

Went and got one and had a little play on the longer hairs, and it actually looked pretty natural, so when I have a bit more time, I will do the whole mane :)

[martini55]

There is definitely a knack to it, and I don't think I'm great at it but I was rubbish at pulling manes anyway :rolleyes:. I don't show so it's not important for me and I normally only neaten up martini's mane when the ends are all tatty. But what Mehitabel says is key. One of the big mistakes I first made was taking too many hairs at once; that's when it ends up looking like you have attacked it with scissors. If you take your time and literally only do a few hairs at a time you can get good results.

[Nik-n-Kia]

I used ti to thin out my last horse's mane as she was TB but had a thicker mane that tended to split and break.

It looked as though I had pulled it but I hadn't as Meggy tended to kill anyone who pulled her hair out :rolleyes:

I think it just depends on how peeps use it!!!

Nikki xxxx

[Nookster]

also how do you pull a tail and do you leave a bit long at the top (like seen on that link) because i think that looks a bit silly (the big girl has also either previously had tailed pulled or rubbed it out because it looks a mess but he is only a baby so I am unsure :confused: )


I pull my boys tail using the smart tail. I don't leave it as long as shown i take it shorter with the tool. But not like the shaven look i see some people have.

[lamprellsarah]

they are fantastic, the more you do the better you become i have had one for years and have always found them great to use.
but it was only in the last year i have totally got the knack for it and can do most manes in about 30 / 45 mins.

i now have the job of doing all my friends!

[Sexy Sietske]

Arn' youscared of making a mess of it :eek: :o

[*Sez*]

I made a start on it tonight. I washed and towel dried his mane (so pleased it was quite a mild evening up here! :D ), combed it all through and made a start, and I have to say I was very impressed. I think his last owner took large chunks out, whereas I did it as if I were actually pulling the hairs, but razored them off instead. The small bit that I got done didn't look half bad, although I made sure that I trimmed it a little long so that when it dried completely it wouldn't be too short! :)

I'm going to Solo comb the rest tomorrow, and if it looks a bit too thick, I will pull some of the underneath as normal to thin it. Thanks for all your advice! :D

[katenco]

1) comb the mane out.
2) take solocomb and a small section of mane - abotu an inch wide. backcomb until you have about 10 hairs left from the width of the section: you don''t want a little clump of hairs together (that's the important bit).
3) snip where you want the length.
4) repeat on the same section of mane, until it's all done. then move on down te name gradually.

Excelleny step by step guide there! There is a nack to it, but practise makes perfect, once you've got it right, solocombs are great!