I know that many show Arabs have a longer “bridle path” shaved than the average horse… is there a set length ? I see many variations of how far down the neck, the mane is shaved. Does one length give the appearance of a longer neck ? (I have a half Arab with a short neck and a short thin mane :no:.)… Suggestions?
Some people think a longer bridle path makes the neck look longer. I suppose if you’re showing WP or saddleseat and the mane isn’t braided, it makes a difference.
Personally, I’m not a fan of long bridle paths, so I clip all mine long enough to accommodate the bridle and let it go at that. But none of mine have short necks or thin manes. And when I did breed shows, I showed hunter pleasure, so it was braided anyway.
Some people think the longer bridle path makes the throatlatch look narrower, that’s where it comes from. If you’re not showing in breed halter classes, treat the bridle path according to your tastes. Mine are an inch wide if they exist at all.
The “classic” length (from the late 70s) is the length of the ear laid flat along the neck, but Arab halter misses no chance to exaggerate anything that can be exaggerated. :no:
I trim just long enough for the bridle. I do not like a longer bridle path and I don’t do breed shows.
On Arabs the average length/guide most people use is lay the ear back and add a hand.
Have Arabs.
Hate long bridle paths.
Half my Arabs have an ear length bridle path… Measuring keeps it from growing too long. Half of them has pulled manes and and 1-2" bridle path. One is roached;)
Arab owner here. No bridle path at all for mine. I pull his mane though so I probably can’t be taken seriously :winkgrin:.
I have never liked long manes, no matter what breed.
I roached my half-Arab mare’s mane once… after I made her go around for a couple weeks with spikes in it.
No matter what you do, your horse will not be half as embarrassed as my mare was.
Depends on the horse and discipline I think…some western horses, because they are ridden so “round” can look better depending on neck set with a longer bridle path.
But more people are showing with the shorter bridle path so that is nice too. I think mine is a little longer than the length of their ear. My one filly gets really cranky when her hair (forelock or mane) ends up in her ears or around in her face, so I try and take her feelings into account, LOL.
So when I did Arabs… hahah phew way back machine…
For the LONG bridle path, the horse’s neck really needs to be able to support it. I tried to find a decent pic, this was the best I could find with a quick Google search, but I aimed for just below the top of the arch when the neck was arched and then head lowered (I didn’t like the elevator head look, always did the rock back then come down to the whip thing in halter classes). Actually, this kinda shows what I mean too, as far as length on the neck…
But I had this stallion, and I actually grew his bridlepath completely out and it was amazing!!
[QUOTE=starrunner;7757187]
Depends on the horse and discipline I think…some western horses, because they are ridden so “round” can look better depending on neck set with a longer bridle path.
But more people are showing with the shorter bridle path so that is nice too. I think mine is a little longer than the length of their ear. My one filly gets really cranky when her hair (forelock or mane) ends up in her ears or around in her face, so I try and take her feelings into account, LOL.[/QUOTE]
This. What I do is look at how the horse’s neck is shaped when they’re working, and go from there. The lay the ear back or lay the ear back and add a hand could work depending on your personal tastes, but I like to see what is most likely to be flattering for the shape of the individual.
I show my crew in working hunters so pulled manes and inch bridle paths!
Well, my Arab enjoys his long and unruly. The only time it gets ‘thinned’ is when he goes roaming in the burrs. 
He also gets wind-twirls. Sometimes I wonder if he does it just to make me get out there and spend quality time with him.
Seriously though, i don’t keep him trimmed, so his bridle path is non-existant. Ask him - he’s happy. 
We show SHUS and Dressage… I keep just a small bridle path (1-2") and trimmed his mane for dutch braids. He had a very pretty long mane, but he got such bad dreadlocks and it would tangle in the Velcro tab on his fly sheet, I decided it had to go.
Ha! When I saw the title of this thread, I was just sure it was going to be a question about what to do about the darn dreadlocks that Arabians tend to get in their manes.
For bridle path, when I was showing Arabians it was length of the ear laid back.
I never heard one ear length until I moved out of the Morgan & Saddlebred barns - they typically had longer paths than that. Of course, some ASB ears might be pretty long.
thinking about my current mare - very big ears. hee
My half arab mare has big honkin saddlebred ears so if I did ear length it would be all the way down to her withers!
Here’s the length of her bridle path
https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15066572355/
My horses Arabs mane is long, and the bridle path is 1" or so. I show him in dressage with a running braid.
