My Arab gelding has a pretty thick and long mane so he gets a bridle path to avoid pulling out/rubbing in that area from halters and headstalls. I also personally think it looks cleaner and better in any discipline. He goes western, dressage, and hunter. 
My filly had one when I bought her. Her mane is pretty thick so I’ve kept it. It looks good too.
I like a bridle path because it just gives the halter, bridle, fly mask, etc somewhere to sit. My gelding’s mane is roached right now but hoping to let it grow back out. Will probably give him a bit shorter of a bridle path though.
I do like a bridle path. Makes life easier. One of my horses gets his mane roached. Talk about low maintenence!
I do trim my horse’s bridle path…it is just a personal preference, (unless there are rules in English events; I’ve never been there) and I do it so it makes haltering,bridling (etc,) easier and hassle-free, as I have rope halters, and sometimes the mane would get tangled in the tying/knot of the halter. It also, (IMO) makes it look cleaner, although that is just for my horse; I don’t usually look at other horses that close. I’m sure it’s whatever you like!
I kept one on a QH/ Arab I used to lease but only during show season so I wouldn’t have to deal with it all year. I didn’t really care whether she had one, but my friend said it would look nice and show off her Arab-y, crested neck.
Yes, but only big enough for the bridle/halter. Just for cleanliness sake, not getting long hair tangled.
There was a time where I did the “as long as the folded down ear” and it kept getting longer when I would neaten it. Grew it all out and then trimmed just the short one.
I try to keep my horses’ bridlepaths trimmed back nicely. This year I didn’t have time, so they are au natural
My paint gelding usually has his entire mane roached off completely in the spring… As did the project Percheron I had. His mane was INSANE.
I feel that in a training horse’s desensitizing program, there should be an introduction to the clippers. I have come across MANY a horse that was terrified of clippers.
