Mane Taming - Tips for a Tidy Mane
Generally speaking, a thinner mane is easier to tame that a thick one. If you need to, you can pull the manebefore you start the taming process to assist you. Pulling the mane creates a mane that has even thickness, from poll to wither. You may find that only the middle portion of your horse's mane needs to be thinned by pulling.
You have some options to help tame your horse's mane!
The easy ways are to use a damp towel as a "hat" while you groom the rest of your horse. Moisten, and just lay over the mane. Some horses will shake off the towel so this may not be worth it.
You can also use a stiff nylon brush dunked in water to brush the mane down. You can wet the mane down and then add use a nylon hood to hold the mane down as it dries. Doing this day after day will help, but you may need to break out the big guns.
This mane was partially tamed using a bit of Mane Mousse and a stiff nylon grooming brush.
The sure fire way to tame a mane is to but in some braids. Tiny braids work best for short manes that will soon see the show ring. For longer, thicker manes, use bigger braids.
To make tiny braids for short manes, use the smallest section that you can handle, and pull down tight and hard. Throw in a few crossovers of plait, and then secure with a band. You don't need to braid all the way down. If you are lucky, your horse will not rub them out overnight. Leave them in as long as you can - you may need to redo them daily. Some horses need them in for weeks at a time. Be patient and diligent and work at it every day.
You may also find that wider, looser braids do the trick for your particular horse if his mane is thick or long. I personally like the little ones, but your horse may object. Sometimes you need to play around to see what works best. You may have to do a combo of lots of little things - wet the mane, braid it, use a neck cover.
Shapley's Mane Mousse is a great mane taming helper. Used before braiding or even on a daily basis to help the mane lay flat, it's non-sticky formula does the job without attracting piles of dust and creating a sticky mane.
When you are taming a mane, think marathon, not sprint. Every bit counts - and work on it every day!
