How to Band a Horse's Mane for a Show

Preparing for a horse show can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Bathing, grooming, tacking up and practicing all take considerable time and effort to do properly. Many different horse show events, such as reining and barrel racing, allow riders to leave a horse with a long, natural mane and tail. However, in a number of sports, such as western pleasure and trail, a horse’s mane is normally banded. Banding a horse’s mane makes the neck appear thinner and longer, and gives the horse a clean, polished appearance.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Comb
• Small scissors
• Hair clips
• Small rubber bands
• Spray bottle
• Hair gel or hair spray

1. Trim your horse’s mane prior to banding. The mane will need to be approximately 4 inches in length for banding to work properly, so trim the hair accordingly. You can also thin the mane by pulling out straggling hairs.

2. Comb the hair thoroughly and dampen it with the spray bottle. Damp hair lays flat and sticks together, making banding much easier.

3. Separate your horse’s mane into small sections, securing the remaining hair with the hair clips. Banding a section at a time helps to keep your bands neat and even.

4. Begin banding your mane at the end of your horse’s bridle path. If your horse has a thick neck, you will want to make each banded section approximately 1/2 inch wide. If your horse’s neck is thinner, you can make your sections slightly wider.

5. Hold a section of hair between your right thumb and forefinger, and slide a rubber band over the hair all the way to the base of the neck. Twist the rubber band once, and pull the hair through the band. Twist the rubber band again, and pull the hair back through.

6. Continue this twisting and pulling until you have completed five twists of the rubber band. Try and keep the band as flat as possible and make sure that it is as close to the base of your horse’s mane as possible.

7. Hold one side of the banded hair in your right hand and one in your left hand and pull the sections slightly apart. This separation pushes the band all the way to the top of the hair, helping your banded section to lie flat against the neck.

8. Work your way down the horse’s mane, banding one small section at a time. Spray the mane down as it becomes dry if necessary.

9. Apply a small amount of gel or hair spray to the mane once you have banded all of the hair. The gel will help keep the hair smooth and flat and give you and your horse a very polished presentation in the ring.

Tips & Warnings

• Band your horse’s mane as close to ring time as possible. The rubber bands can damage the hair if left in too long.
• Do not try and band your horse’s mane until he has been allowed to burn off excess energy. Banding a mane can take considerable time, and a fidgety horse can make the process difficult.