Hi everyone, Is there a difference when braiding a cut vs pulled mane? When all the hair strands are the same length, are there fewer flyaways when braiding?
I’d argue it’s easier to braid a pulled mane. That said, I don’t pull manes unless they’re very very thick, so I braid my horse’s cut mane and it works just fine. I brush the mane out straight, then cut it at a 45* angle working from poll to withers, then I go back and cut at a 45* angle from withers to poll. Then clean it up a little as needed.
What do you mean by “cut?” Do you mean trimming the length of an otherwise moderate/manageable mane, or do you mean cutting out (instead of pulling) hairs from a thick mane to make it thin enough to braid?
If a mane is VERY thin, cutting it with scissors will be OK for making decent braids. But most manes are too thick for this, and need to be tapered as the braid gets to it’s end, so pulling is often the better option as it results in different lengths of hairs in the mane. Smaller hairs do not escape the braid if a product is used to stick it all together… sometimes water, or gel of some sort works- which you need depends a lot on the individual horse’s mane type. The hair needs to be a bit sticky for the braid to be tight. Do NOT use “showsheen” on a mane that is going to be braided, everything will fall apart if you do.
I mean cutting it straight across and thinning out the ends. I’ve tried thinning the entire mane with a solo comb but the cut ends stick out and look messier than pulled ends if that makes sense.
The Solo Comb / Solo Rake make a mess of the mane.
They just chop of hair randomly, leaving different lengths of hair and making it horrible to braid.
My Granddaughters schoolie pony had her mane ‘shortened’ / ‘thinned’ with a Solo Rake and it was an awful mess to braid.
The only thing that keeps those random chunks of hair down is using ‘Braid Aid’ while you are braiding and then gel. LOTS of gel on the braids.
Our pony has enough mane for 5 big horses and I pull it. A lot. Thankfully he is a brave boy who will stand quietly while I do it.
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As a braider, I want to gather all the Solo Comb concoctions and light them collectively on fire. I just braided a horse who had his mane “neatened up” with such a device (ended up super short and thick and uneven), and I was screaming bloody murder the entire time. Actual homicide.
I have always cut the mane. I wet it, brush it to the off side…off meaning the side where it normally lays…and cut it. Then comb it back to “normal” side, let it dry and do finish trim. If I do this a few weeks before braiding, normal combing provides a nice taper of the ends. Besides, I also like braids that are thick to the end as they are easier to handle.
I had a barn to braid that had someone who didn’t understand the purpose of pulling pull their manes. Pull to arrive at the desired thickness, no more. If some of the mane is still too long those sections should be cut in a fashion that results in a tapered edge.
The method I use is to grab a few hairs as if I am going to pull them, back comb the rest as if I were going to pull, then cut the “pull hairs” on a 45 degree angle just above the desired finished length. This can be done with scissors or a Solocomb. Instead of holding the Solocomb parallel to the crest, drop the handle so the device is at a 45 degree angle and then push the button to cut the hairs. I personally prefer to use scissors and a comb.
I do what RedHorses described, using scissors and a comb. With some practice you learn how to hang on to the scissors while doing the backcombing part and hang on to the comb while scissoring.
My horse has moderate mane - not too thick or thin. I used clippers to keep it tidy and braid-ready. I brush it out thoroughly and decide what length I’m shortening it to, then I trim it with the clippers. To make it look less “scissor cut”, I comb out mane again and clip slightly upwards from the underside of the mane out towards me. That slightly tapers the ends and makes it look pulled. I always get tons of compliments on my horse’s mane. It lays nice and flat when not braided and is easy to braid for shows. Oh, best part…it takes about 30 min. to do from start to finish. I do this about 3-4 times/year.
