How to Pull a Horse's Mane

Stock breeds show with short manes. Hunters jumpers and dressage horses show with braided manes - which requires the mane to be short. While some people think you should just cut the mane to the length you want, that's not correct. Learn to properly pull a mane to help your horse look his best.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Trimming shears (optional)
  • Comb
  • Gloves
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Instructions

    • 1

      Halter your horse and take him to the wash rack.

    • 2

      Tie your horse in the wash rack and wash his mane with shampoo.

    • 3

      Let the mane dry.

    • 4

      Start in the middle of your horse's mane and grab a three inch section.

    • 5

      Use your comb to comb the section of mane backwards - towards your horse's neck. This will cause most of the hair to "bunch" up near your horse's neck.

    • 6

      Wrap the remaining long hairs around the comb and pull firmly. The goal is to pull the hair out by the roots. You'll need to do just a few hairs at a time.

    • 7

      Comb the "bunched" up mane down and repeat until the mane is the desired length.

    • 8

      Once the section is the correct length, move to the next section and repeat all the steps.

Tips & Warnings

  • If your horse has a particularly thick or long mane, you can thin it and shorten it with mane trimming shears before pulling it. That'll save you some effort.

  • You may want to wear gloves as you pull the mane to prevent cutting your hands.

  • If you haven't pulled a mane before, practice weeks or months before its time to go to a show.

  • Some horses do not like having their mane pulled and may need to be sedated.

  • Don't use scissors to cut straight across the mane. It looks unnatural and short, thick manes will stand out, instead of laying flat.

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Comments

  • daviddoheny Jun 10, 2008
    If you use a tool like the ManePuller, you won't get blisters on your fingers.

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