I haven’t been to a dressage show in a long time and have one coming up in April. My horse’s mane is roached but not his forelock. Do I braid his forelock or leave it natural?
Just out of curiosity - why did you roach his mane?
Braid it, unless he’s a stallion, then he may wear it down.
A loose forelock is traditionally for stallions.
I had my guy’s mane roached for showing one year–MAN was it a time saver! He looked good too. I love braiding, and he looks good braided, but SLEEPING was nice too. :lol: 
I would just comb it neatly and tuck it under his browband.
Just out of curiosity - why did you roach his mane?
He is a draft cross and his mane is so thick, pulling it thin is a nightmare. He looks quite nice with a roached mane.
My gelding had a roached mane and I would just braid his forelock. It was quick to do and just made the whole appearance neat and professional.
I’ve shown several horses with roached manes - it is a lovely look for a horse with a nice neck, AND saves the poor horse a lot of mane pulling. My guys all had VERY thick manes and would get sore if they were pulled. Generally, I braided the forelock, although one of my boys often went forelock free.
I don’t suggest a roach for short necked or thin necked horses - it looks awful, but it sure shows off a nice neck :yes:
If your boy has a really thick forelock, do a french style braid in it, and fold it over a few times, but don’t try to roll it into a little ball - then tuck it just under the brow band. If you wear it loose, don’t tuck it under the brow band, it looks “dorky”.
I roach my mare’s mane every year…I wish it was warmer so I could do it right now! Although I leave her forelock out when riding at home, I would suggest braiding. Tucking the forelock would not stay neat and tidy by the end of my rounds.
my mare with roached mane:
http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v80/87/26/515910227/n515910227_406109_2982.jpg
http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v80/87/26/515910227/n515910227_406106_2220.jpg
I love the look of it, and it makes the summer months much neater and cooler. She is very creasty, with a double draft mane so the roaching has been great for her!
l would love to see your roached mane, post pics!
I have seen it shown exactly this way and looks lovely.
Luna, your horse is beautiful. She looks great with a roached mane.
is looks ok but i own PRE ANDALUSIANS and we have to roach there mains and forlocks and it looks more clean when boh of the are roached…
thank you
lexi
Here is my half arab with a roached mane and I competed without it being braided.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Dancinglite/mini-R001-020.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Dancinglite/mini-R001-018.jpg
Bird-Thank you! I like her 
DL2-your horse is lovely, too. I think the forelock on your arab looks fine as it is, but as the owner of a draft cross…well…lets say that I envy the hair you had to work with lol. My mare’s forelock is so thick that it just flies everywhere whilst in motion.
Another 1é2 draft owner chiming in.
I roached my boy last year and then thought I’d let it grow back in over the winter.
Well, lets say it did not go so well!
So…Off with his mane! And we are roached again. Looks MUCH nicer and I could have stuffed a throw pillow with what I took off!
Cinder
I had my mares mane roached, but am letting it grow in for competitions. This thing has been a lifesaver in preventing the unkempt mane it thins it out beautifully and quickly:
http://www.groomersmall.com/coat_kings.htm
I used to spend hours pulling her mane and this sucker thinned it out in about 20 minutes. I even thinned a couple sections too much in my overzealousness. I am in love!
[QUOTE=FriesianX;3092087]
I’ve shown several horses with roached manes - it is a lovely look for a horse with a nice neck, AND saves the poor horse a lot of mane pulling. My guys all had VERY thick manes and would get sore if they were pulled. Generally, I braided the forelock, although one of my boys often went forelock free.
I don’t suggest a roach for short necked or thin necked horses - it looks awful, but it sure shows off a nice neck :yes:
If your boy has a really thick forelock, do a french style braid in it, and fold it over a few times, but don’t try to roll it into a little ball - then tuck it just under the brow band. If you wear it loose, don’t tuck it under the brow band, it looks “dorky”.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I have a thin-necked QH (very little muscling no matter what you do, just how it goes I guess :dead: ), and if you know how to contour properly, a roached mane can make a bad neck look really nice. But I agree, if you don’t contour and just shave it all the same length the whole way down, it’d look pretty bad. :lol:
As for OP; I’d say braid the forelock. A silky Arab forelock under Dressage bridle looks okay… poofy afro Draft forelock, not so much. :lol:
(FWIW; I love poofy forelocks. Not great for showing though. 
)
I have a mars comb for the dogs but never thought about using on a mane. do you just comb it through from the root?
I have been out of the loop for a long time. I remember a long time ago in a magazine someone asking if they could show their horse with a roached mane and the answer was no. When did this change? I think it is a good change, btw.
My boy hates having his very thick/wide mane pulled and I will never do it. Has been roached for years. For showing, his forelock would be braided.
Click on 3 pictures at bottom page to see better views - http://leaheydressage.com/gallery6.htm
I’m just old-fashioned and I think roached manes look terrible. I have horses and ponies with varying thickness of mane and really don’t find it so impossible to maintain them or braid them. And also like that they have them to keep flies off when turned out.
