Horse Mane Tips: 5 Ways To Tame Your Horse's Mane

Your horse’s mane can often times be a knotted and windblown mess. But thankfully, there are horse mane tips to keep those flowing strands in check. What do you do to tame the mane and get it ready for the show ring?

Here are five tips which can help you to tame your horse’s mane.

Pull Your Horse’s Mane

If you compete your horse in an English discipline, then chances are that his mane will need to be pulled. If you don’t yet know how to pull a horse’s mane, there are many how-to videos available online which can help you learn.

When preparing to pull your horse’s mane, make sure that the mane is brushed but not conditioned. Conditioner can make it difficult to grasp the mane. Start pulling your horse’s name during a time when your horse is calm and quiet – don’t try to pull a mane right before your horse is expecting a meal. Be prepared for the task to take two or three sessions before the mane is good to go.

Thin the Mane

If you don’t pull your horse’s mane for your discipline, it still may benefit you to thin the mane out a bit. Thinning a very thick mane can make it easier to get all of the mane to lie on one side of your horse’s neck.

Thinning the mane is an easy horse mane tip, and there are many tools available to help with the thinning process. The simplest tool is a mane razor, which allows you to easily razor out small sections of your horse’s mane for a natural appearance.

Braid to Train the Mane

If your horse’s mane flops over on both sides of his neck, braiding the mane can help to train it to lie on one side. Braid the rebellious sections of your horse’s mane over onto the correct side of his neck. Make sure that you pull down as you make the braids, so that they don’t flop back over. You may need to keep the mane braided for a week or so before the mane is retrained, but make sure to let the braids out and re-braid them every two or three days to avoid hair breakage.

Use a Neck Cover

A neck cover, such as a Sleazy, can be useful in getting your horse’s mane to lie flat on one side of his neck. Mist the mane slightly with water before applying the Sleazy, and make sure that the mane lies correctly beneath the cover.

Care for the Mane Every Day

Part of taming your horse’s mane is just regular maintenance. By caring for your horse’s mane every single day, you can keep it in good, presentable condition so that you’ll be ready for the show ring when the time comes.