Are you a mane puller or trimmer? While pulling manes is traditional and leaves a lovely finish, it isn’t for everyone. I for one prefer trimming Scottie’s mane to pulling it.
Fine Manes
Scottie doesn’t have a very thick mane. So I really struggle to pull it as the mane is all a similar length and if I pull all the long bits there is virtually no mane left! Whereas if I trim all the hair to the same length I am left with plenty of thickness!
Kinder?
Now I’m sure a few people will argue against this point. But I also think trimming manes is kinder than pulling. I know plenty of horses who don’t mind their manes (or tails) being pulled. Scottie for one is happy to stand there and have his mane pulled. But I know it’s not very nice to have your hair pulled out by the root and the way some horses respond to this confirms this for me!
Tips for Trimming
So if you are thinking of giving your horses mane a trim rather than pulling, here are my top tips for getting started!
- Cut upwards, not across. Or your horse will end up with a horrible bowl cut.
- Take a little off at a time. Or you will keep getting shorter and shorter.
- It doesn’t have to look perfect! I find that if I get it close to being level I stop as in a few days it looks great. But if I keep fiddling I mess it up.
Other Alternatives
If you are struggling with pulling your horses mane for whatever reason, but also aren’t sure about trimming, there are a few other things you can try.
- Trim & Pull ~ a popular solution is to trim the mane to the right length and then pull the last few bits to tidy it up.
- Solo Comb ~ this is a special comb with a blade so that you can get the pulled look but by cutting the long hair near the root rather than pulling it.
Last Updated on 29/05/2019
