Roached Manes- How do we feel about them in the show ring?

[slp2]

Finally—my horse has found her people!!! :winkgrin: My trak / Tb mare must have had some zebra or Fyord mixed up in her pedigree—because her mane is stiff, coarse, and sticks straight up (even when it is 3-4 inches long!) After a couple years of battling it into braids—I gave up and started roaching it. It’s not roached down to her neck—I make a curve and have about 1 - 1.5 inches long sticking up. It’s so low maintenance for showing (if I have an early morning test, I am enjoying an adult beverage while others are frantically braiding!) Once, at first glance, a BNT asked me if she was a stallion–because of her neck + mane.

I shape it with scissors—but you could use clippers too. However, I am dealing with a mane that sticks up on it’s own (I have not had to “train” it to do that).

However, my young horse has a “regular” mane that lies down, so my carefree days of no braiding are gone. Ah well—at least if I take both of them to a show, I only have to braid one!

Not sure if this will work (I don’t have a photobucket account)—but here’s a pic from us in a schooling show that shows it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208146831887267&set=pb.1195061789.-2207520000.1473130111.&type=3&theater

[Ceylon_Star]

Here are a few examples of my cob with his roach, at varying lengths:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13925687_1186967294688574_2829859470579027666_o.jpg

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13680007_1187224411329529_1508342052772801196_o.jpg

(much longer than I let it go, but this was in the process of letting it grow out again [briefly] when his rider desperately wanted to be able to braid for showing) https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/1888891_688707144514594_301560377_o.jpg

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1001043_564288306956479_793233786_n.jpg?oh=59cb1f020e33d7f922e906bde0ec352f&oe=587FF0B2

And just to compare to him with a full mane:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/536047_366209626764349_2127501529_n.jpg?oh=ab2c95bc5a26514ffc72f7bea0fb8a96&oe=5839A2F4

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/526760_406373396081305_406211415_n.jpg?oh=1ab7300cfc1660cd7120ec6235a72652&oe=58466366

and him braided:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/10495823_776805682371406_5521806054306139429_o.jpg

His english bridle is a nice flat bridle with plaited reins, with a baucher for dressage. Matches our 42 year old brown Passier and balding girth beautifully

[hanohorse]

I roached my event horse’s mane as he grew enough hair for three necks and hated having his mane pulled. I used clippers to sculpt the top and sides. He looked pretty good and we received complements for it, BUT one dressage judge did penalize us for the look. When i had finished my test and was leaving on a loose rein, the judge stood up and called out to me “what is with your horse’s mane?” I started to explane but the judge said "whatever’ and waved me off. Seemed very rude! This was a large event with well over a hundred competitors and when I checked the dressage scores, I had the worst of the whole show! Now we have never won the dressage phase and usually end up middle of the pack, we are average, but wow! Only happened the one time, so crabby judge maybe?

[LilyandBaron]

My Andy x Paint cross had a horrifically shabby mane when I got him. He also has HAIR for days like an Andy. AND he’s buckskin/white pinto, so I did the roach inspired by a Fjord. Even though he’s not Fjord, with his color, most people wonder if he’s a mix. And he gets loads of attention and compliments for his mane. WAY easier, but also really adorable. I just use scissors and trim it up regularly similar to a Fjord look - slightly shorter because when it gets too long, it looks like a dust mop. It’s super practical for my time, but he would also get super sweaty under the mane when I first got him, even in temperate CA. I sometimes debate letting it grow so I could do some of the fancy braids the furry horses do, but then I realize I am way too lazy for that, and he looks awesome as is.

[Draftmare]

I show my mare western dressage with a roached mane. She got the draft mane and tail, and her mane is so thick that trying to do anything else with it was pretty much impossible. I did it earlier this spring, and I don’t think I will ever go back to anything else. I roach hers with scissors, and leave it about two inches long. Longer than that and the middle part does start to flop over a tad.

https://goo.gl/photos/U9DuCtJ7ysRi3hrQ6
https://goo.gl/photos/MY7ey9VP4cNcbJit9
https://goo.gl/photos/mBKgRS41CToEHDus6

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8830977]
Mounting from the ground:

I had an ah-ha moment watching a lesson from the vantage point of a viewing lounge above the horses. Several of them had saddles that were definitely crooked and twisted from being mounted by someone using the back of the saddle to pull themselves up.

From then on we have always used a mounting step.

Or, secondly, grab the saddle by the waist and heave ho. A necessary skill in case one got an unexpected dismount out hunting or somewhere.

But we got a bit of flack from the instructor once when I legged my daughter up - but we continued as I feel I’m not a greenie, and besides, my horse, my money, my tack, my daughter. We help each other like that.[/QUOTE]

For the mounting issue I leave a small “grab spot” at her withers in the mane. Western it’s not an issue since I can put one had on the horn, but english I just always feel a bit safer havaing that chunk of hair.

[Synthesis]

Here’s my mare with her roached mane freshly trimmed up. I like her best with a tightly roached mane and just add a neckstrap for jumping. Roached her mane last winter and never looked back.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154496715551350&set=pb.542201349.-2207520000.1473165335.&type=3&theater

[dressurrider]

I showed my grand prix horse with a roached mane. If they have a thick neck, close roach, if they have a ewe or thin neck leave and shape the roach to improve look.