How to pull your horse's mane

Many times we see horses at shows that have the home made 'do it yourself haircut' look. Surely their owner took great care to try and get the mane looking just right with those scissors, but it just doesn't work. In order to get your horse ready for the show with an even, attractive looking mane and tail you will need learn how to pull a horses's mane. Don't dispair, pulling a horse's mane is easier than you think and, if done right, doesn't cause the horse a great deal of discomfort.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• your hands :-)
• a regular hair brush for humans with plastic bristles, eg. a brush that is used for blow drying (from the dollar store is fine)
• spray on detangler (if the mane is very tangled)

1. If your horse's mane is very tangled, use spray on hair detangler and spray lightly all over. I use a detangler that is sold in the equine department of my local farm supply store, but you can use a good detangler that is used for human hair. Use your styling brush to gently brush all hair until it is brushed through all the way. Do not pull too hard, brush the hair from bottom to top, holding on to the upper portion of your strand in order not to cause discomfort to the horse.

2. You should now be looking at a neathly brushed down mane. It is now easy to identify the longest hairs sticking out on the bottom. This is where you want to start. Pick up two to four hairs at a time (yes, no more than than...)between the thumb and the index finger of your left hand (if you are left handed, use your right hand :-). Use the thumb and the index finger of your other hand to push up all hair that is not being held. Twist the hair that you are holding with your left around your index finger a couple of times, hold the crest with your other hand at the point of the roots of this hair and pull out the hair with a swift motion. Once you master this, the whole process of pulling out a few hairs will only take a few seconds.

3. Move along the mane, always selecting the longest hair. While you do this, imagine in your mind what you'd like the mane of the horse to look like. Would you like to see a natural outline or a straight outline? Move along this outline.

Tips & Warnings

• This process requires patience by you and by your horse! Therefore, take a little break every now and then, praise your horse lavishly and feed him a treat, but only when he looks straight ahead, not when he turns towards you or he will continue looking for the treats while you are trying to work... So, good horse looking straigth head = treat.
• Is your horses's mane extremely long or full and you want to thin and shorten it considerably? Cut off the first 2 inches or so with a pair of scissors. Then pull the mane to the right length.
• Have fun with this and - als always - use this as a training exercise for your horse: learning to stand patiently, learning to not search for treats, learning to be polite etc.
• Stay way from thinning scissors, if at all possible. These scissors tend to create lots of short little hairs that stick out and are hard to braid.
• Pay attention to your horse. Is he running out of patience or is the process beginning to be uncomfortable? Stop and continue the next day.
• Some folks like to purchase linament and a pulling comb, pour on the linament and pull away, pulling thick strands of hair at a time. My opinion: If it is so painful, that you need linament, think of a gentler method. Rather take your time and make this an enjoyable and gentle procedure that the horse will not learn to hate.

Resources

• see more horse grooming tips here

[milleeenaaa]

on 7/8/2008 do you know also how to pull a horses tail? i have been looking everywhere on a good article about how to pull a horses tail. have you heard it before or done it before?

[derbyka]

on 6/30/2008 Good suggestions. I've been working with horses for years and have never been able to find good info on pulling. Thanks