Mane experts, help!! -- what to do about pulling hacked mane sections????

[greengirl]

Hi! I’m a new rider and am attempting my first mane pulling in preparation for hunter braiding. I think I messed up my horse’s mane, though and need some expert advice! :no:

I cut his thick mane when it was flopped over to the left side of his neck, where it naturally lies, and started pulling that way. It was looking great! Then, I was told that his mane needs to be on the right side. Well, when I combed it over to that side, all of the previously underside hairs, which are now on the top, bump up because they are much shorter than the longer hairs that now lie underneath.

The clumps of shorter top hairs are about as thick as my pinky finger and run along the top edge of the mane. They are about 3" long and sort of want to stand up because they are so short and maybe because of a cowlick effect. The remaining hairs are about 5" long and lie pretty flat. I think it will be hard to braid the 3" hairs into the longer ones.

What should I do about thinning? Should I remove all of those shorter hairs, which would mean removing thick sections all along the top of his mane? Can I try using one of those foldable thinning knives?

If I were to remove all the short hairs, I would have more than enough hair to braid with, but the mere thought of pulling out such large sections (small sections at a time, of course) all along the top just seems wrong! Plus, I am thinking that the grow out would be a spiky, eraser-head mess!

Egads, I am at such a loss for what to do.

Mane experts, I need your sage advice!

– never braided before greengirl –

[ElisLove]

I think, if I’m understanding what you’re saying, that since his mane is now such a mess I would keep the mane to the left for this season where the mistakes will hopefully be hidden better. Then over the winter you can allow it to grow out and change it to the right side.
Having it to the right is the most correct, but people do show at A rated shows with it braided to the left. I would, however, switch it the right for the next summer.

[greengirl]

Thank you, and additional questions on using a dematting rake…

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7527596]
I think, if I’m understanding what you’re saying, that since his mane is now such a mess I would keep the mane to the left for this season where the mistakes will hopefully be hidden better. Then over the winter you can allow it to grow out and change it to the right side.
Having it to the right is the most correct, but people do show at A rated shows with it braided to the left. I would, however, switch it the right for the next summer.[/QUOTE]

ElisLove, thank you for your advice! That makes great sense to me. It looks really nice on the left side, so why not just go with it?

I just purchased a dematting rake and am going to thin the mane with that, in addition to a bit of pulling. Is it best to rake the mane while it is lying on the opposite side you want it to finally lie on? Also, is it true that using a tool like that might thin the mane, but may not necessarily make it easier to braid because it may still leave a bulk of hair at the root area?

[Laurierace]

Can you hire someone experienced to pull the mane for you while showing you what to do in the process? It sounds like you are going to do more harm than good yourself. Buy a bottle of quick braid and spray the mane and brush it flat daily.

[comingback]

I second Laurierace’s advice regarding asking for help from an experienced person. I also think you should train the mane to the correct side. I just use a wet brush everyday, and sometimes throw in training braids if the mane really is not wanting to cooperate.

Do not cut/thin the short pieces. You will only have to wait for them to grow in later, and they will be more of a pain. It will not be a problem to braid them into the longer pieces. Heck, I’ve braided manes that were only 3 inches long total (although I do not recommend that length ).

My suggestion…take some time to train the mane to the correct side, which will help it all lie flat so you can really get a good idea of what is happening.

When you do pull, you will be grabbing the long pieces, teasing the hair back so you are holding a small amount of hair and then pulling. This should end up pulling mostly from the underside since that is the longest hair at this point. Over a period of time (like weeks) you can eventually get the mane to a similar length as the short hairs grow and the long hairs are pulled.

This article has some good information on shortening/pulling/training manes. http://www.luckybraids.com/pdf/PullingDemystified.pdf

[Twigster]

I would definitely start training to the correct side! And pull, don’t thin with a comb or rake as you will have a mess halfway through the show season.

I’m assuming you have some time? I would pull a little bit along the whole mane every couple days until it starts to get to the right thickness. And then focus on the thicker areas to even it out. You won’t big your horse, or your fingers, and you can watch your progress to get as neat a job as possible.

[Zuri]

Don’t feel badly. A woman went to a hunter show and afterwards, cut the braids out with scissors. :eek: The mane looks like bric a brac. :o

[greengirl]

Thank you, everyone, for your advice. I’ve started training the mane to lie on the right side and will pull a little bit every time I ride. I am definitely a bit of a wimp when it comes to pulling. I pull just a few hairs at a time, so it will take me some time to get it thinned out. Thankfully, my horse doesn’t seem bothered by it!

I have a schooling show this weekend and we’re going to try braiding for it, just for practice. This should be interesting!