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A smart, tidy mane can go a long way in improving the overall look of your horse, plus, it’s easier for you to manage and maintain on a daily basis. But how exactly should you go about pulling a mane, and what are some of the pro’s top tips? Here is how to pull a horse’s mane…
How to pull a horse’s mane
1. Consider thickness
Sara Parrott and her partner Craig Elenor show a range of types and breeds of horses and ponies, many of which require well-pulled manes for plaiting purposes.
“We opt for the traditional method separating the hair, backcombing small sections and pulling from the root if dealing with a thick mane,” explains Sara. “If a pony has a thinner mane like many of the Welsh breeds do we would still backcomb the hair, but use kitchen scissors to thin it out, as traditional pulling might take out too much.”
Whether you’re a dab hand at showing or considering doing it for the first time, the following expert advice on how to show a horse in-hand from judges and producers will set you up for success.
Whether you’re showing a specific breed or a youngster, there are in-hand classes for all types of horses and ponies.
“There’s probably a class for every breed or type if you look at schedules,” says Emma Edwards-Brady, a judge for the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) and the British Skewbald and Piebald Association (BSPA).
“Youngstock can be shown in hunter, hack and riding horse classes as well as sport horse breeding sections. Native breeds are also shown in-hand, as are foreign breeds, miniatures and veterans too,” adds Emma, who has successfully shown youngstock in-hand from her family’s Runnon Stud.