Suggestions on mane management!

Huggy

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Nov 11, 2018
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20190221_112101.jpg I adore Hogans mane and take as much care of it as I can, using detangler and the gentlest brushing possible. However, when I ride, it starts to tangle in the reins, not badly, but enough that I have to detangle again after a ride. I'm noticing that it's getting ever so slightly shorter, and really don't want to lose too much - it's SO spectacular! I'm not a fan of plaiting - kind of defeats the purpose of a glorious mane, but would appreciate any advice from owners who have solved this problem. I have thought about bunches, ie just banding sections of it, say, 3 inches apart, which does kind of still show off his locks!
 
Beautiful mane that is. My friend who’s Fresian has a glorious mane just plaits the bottom section while she’s riding to keep it out of the way and stop it getting tangled, just a normal plait like you’d do in your own hair.
 
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Gorgeous mane! Sorry no advice! My girl used to have a glorious mane but old age / box rest / rubbing have left her with short stumpy locks:(
I do like Canter mane and tail tho.
 
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A running/arab plait can help when you ride & you can do it as high or low as you like. I keep Little Un's mane long too & I found plain leather reins don't tangle in it or break it. My preference is Jeffries Havana showing reins because the inside of them is raw leather so the actually give surprisingly good grip without gloves, which is helped more by going for a thinner rein so it sits well in my hand.

I have to confess that this time of year I give up keeping it pretty though, I just try to get out any major lumps of mud & go out looking like a scruff! Yours has put me to shame, I may have to tackle it sometime soon.
 
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Gorgeous mane!
I always pop some loose plaits in for riding with manes like this to stop the tangling in the reins. I also find it has keep them abit cooler when exercises.
 
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I keep Jess' mane long but it's not as thick. I avoid any rubber grip reins like the plague as that seems to pick it up even more, I prefer continental reins over plain for the grip. I also avoid brushing right before riding as it seems to fluff it up and make it catch more.
 
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Gorgeous mane! Sorry no advice! My girl used to have a glorious mane but old age / box rest / rubbing have left her with short stumpy locks:(
I do like Canter mane and tail tho.
I've been using 'Silky' I think it's called. I did Used to use canter mane and tail on Ramsey and it worked beautifully. Someone recommended this silky for a coarser, thicker mane. It does work quite well.
 
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Gorgeous mane!
I always pop some loose plaits in for riding with manes like this to stop the tangling in the reins. I also find it has keep them abit cooler when exercises.
Will have to give It a go, especially if it's warmer - it's like a little oven underneath, even now, before spring.
 
I keep Jess' mane long but it's not as thick. I avoid any rubber grip reins like the plague as that seems to pick it up even more, I prefer continental reins over plain for the grip. I also avoid brushing right before riding as it seems to fluff it up and make it catch more.
Yes the reins don't help - a friend bought me a beautiful chunky bridle, which suits him, but the reins are quite heavy rubber grip. Will maybe try my old leather fine reins. His mane is VERY thick!!
 
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A running/arab plait can help when you ride & you can do it as high or low as you like. I keep Little Un's mane long too & I found plain leather reins don't tangle in it or break it. My preference is Jeffries Havana showing reins because the inside of them is raw leather so the actually give surprisingly good grip without gloves, which is helped more by going for a thinner rein so it sits well in my hand.

I have to confess that this time of year I give up keeping it pretty though, I just try to get out any major lumps of mud & go out looking like a scruff! Yours has put me to shame, I may have to tackle it sometime soon.
Have to confess have wimped out of the running plait - beautiful, but looks complicated! Would it work with a massively thick mane, do you think? Agree about the reins - will try my old leather ones.
 
Beautiful mane that is. My friend who’s Fresian has a glorious mane just plaits the bottom section while she’s riding to keep it out of the way and stop it getting tangled, just a normal plait like you’d do in your own hair.
Will try the plaiting bottom section - that should still make his mane look eye-catching. Oh, my vanity doesn't help!
 
If you want to preserve Hogan's mane (which is fab btw), leave it. Brush it as rarely as you have to. For every brush, you take out hair and you are not helping it. We do manes, up here, and rarely brush, or wash, or touch.
 

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@Huggy it really is very simple, a chunky one only takes a couple of minutes to do & they work just fine with thick manes. Far easier & quicker than putting normal plaits in, or even plaiting it & leaving the plaits hanging down.
 
I found that when I chopped my lads mane back in October it was fine to start with, then as it grew it sat heavy in the reins and tangled more. But as its grown longer it now isn't sitting on the reins and less tangling when riding. So I say let it grow. Stop brushing so your not thinning it out.
I do kind of have to drop the reins completely to get them under the length then pull reins out to the side before shorten to have contact to ride off.
 
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If you want to preserve Hogan's mane (which is fab btw), leave it. Brush it as rarely as you have to. For every brush, you take out hair and you are not helping it. We do manes, up here, and rarely brush, or wash, or touch.
Oh my goodness! The 2nd pic is like a wella advert! It's glorious! Yes, I think because he's been in the field for 2 years, that was why it was so magnificent when I got him. Sometimes when I bring him in, it's all in sort of ringlets - reaļly hard to untangle!.
 
@Huggy it really is very simple, a chunky one only takes a couple of minutes to do & they work just fine with thick manes. Far easier & quicker than putting normal plaits in, or even plaiting it & leaving the plaits hanging down.
Just watched a YouTube vid on how do do - certainly looks simple, but this is the mum who deprived her daughter because I couldn't master a French plait! I'm going to give it a go, along with other suggestions. Might be fun to post pics and see which one everyone likes! Be interesting to see if he suits any of them - Ramsey did look fab all plaited up for shows, even though I'm not a fan.
 
I found that when I chopped my lads mane back in October it was fine to start with, then as it grew it sat heavy in the reins and tangled more. But as its grown longer it now isn't sitting on the reins and less tangling when riding. So I say let it grow. Stop brushing so your not thinning it out.
I do kind of have to drop the reins completely to get them under the length then pull reins out to the side before shorten to have contact to ride off.
Have to do that too when setting off! The consensus seems to be leave alone as much as possible, and some kind of plaiting when riding. Watch this space.....
 
The consensus seems to be leave alone as much as possible, and some kind of plaiting when riding. Watch this space.....

Agree with this too :) Raf's mane is very fine (I have mane envy) so I don't brush it at all, I do it by hand using Cowboy Magic serum once a week or so, but it would be a very laborious task on such a thick mane like Hogan's. I have to plait it to ride otherwise it catches in the reins (definitely don't use rubber reins) or else it blows back and I sit on it. I usually do an Arab plait - which isn't at all difficult btw - or sometimes if his mane is too tangled for me to start separating it into strands all the way down I just do the bottom bit in long plaits. Either works and doesn't take long. However, when I recently borrowed a long-maned little trad to ride I did an arab plait in her mane and actually found it quite a struggle with such a long thick mane, because the plait was so bulky I couldn't keep it high on the neck and I kind of ran out of depth before I'd got to the end of it. Practise makes perfect though :p Looking forward to the 'after' pics :D
 
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Agree with this too :) Raf's mane is very fine (I have mane envy) so I don't brush it at all, I do it by hand using Cowboy Magic serum once a week or so, but it would be a very laborious task on such a thick mane like Hogan's. I have to plait it to ride otherwise it catches in the reins (definitely don't use rubber reins) or else it blows back and I sit on it. I usually do an Arab plait - which isn't at all difficult btw - or sometimes if his mane is too tangled for me to start separating it into strands all the way down I just do the bottom bit in long plaits. Either works and doesn't take long. However, when I recently borrowed a long-maned little trad to ride I did an arab plait in her mane and actually found it quite a struggle with such a long thick mane, because the plait was so bulky I couldn't keep it high on the neck and I kind of ran out of depth before I'd got to the end of it. Practise makes perfect though :p Looking forward to the 'after' pics :D
Well I have a good list so far - some form of plaiting, don't mess with it too much, and NO rubber reins! The after pics will probably provide some comic relief if my attempts at French plaiting my daughter's hair is anything to go by.:p
 
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