Really unruly forelocks… ie pony manes I pull a bit.
My mares forelock is pretty thin. I blunt cut for a thicker appearance.
My mare’s forelock gets long, but not particularly thick. Usually once a year or so, I’ll trim it a bit, trimming up the way you’d trim the bottom of a tail so it doesn’t look banged. If it’s not trimmed, hers gets a bit too long to braid neatly.
[QUOTE=kashmere;8566546]
Whatever you decide on, could you please make a toupee for my mare out of the leftovers? She has one little wispy sad strand that often sticks straight up. We are jealous of your flowing locks.[/QUOTE]
Haha - I do a mane “comb over” for this problem. I don’t cut a bridle path and am letting that grow into our oh so sparse forelock. For braiding I just extend the start of the braid.
Are you braiding it?? If so I totally get the desire to avoid the “Unicorn” look with a giant knott on their heads :lol: but I would maybe let the braider do it if possible. DEFINITELY DON’T CUT STRAIGHT ACROSS :eek: :lol:
I feel like I have maybe pulled a forelock back in the day, but it was a draft/TB cross who was going to be braided for eq, and she had enough mane, tail, and forelock for four horses (seriously the thickest I have ever pulled or delt with), which would not have braided nicely! I wouldn’t suggest that route for many, but IFRC she didn’t mind (not much bothered her though) and the braids looked much more respecatble. Even if I had cut in the “V” with her (did that with others), she would have been a bit strange looking due to how thick her forelock was 
For ones that will be braided, you can thin it by pulling like you would the rest of the mane.
I trim the approximately 3 forelock hairs my horse has that grow long once they get near eye level because that looks pretty goofy compared to the tiny tuft that is the bulk of his natural forelock.
I’ve always pulled the forelock, just as I would the mane. Except I try and do a subtle V, so pull the sides a bit more than the middle. If ALL of it needs to be shorter, I pull with clipper blades. It ‘cuts’ the hair without making a perfectly straight line. Tends to look a bit more natural.
My guy has a lot of hair for a thoroughbred and thus far I’ve just let it be. https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1lkKTIe3Bvg/VtUYo-jAeNI/AAAAAAAABMo/V5Z2_VouCE0/s320/20160228_155607.jpg But we don’t do any rated shows that require braiding.
I really wish I did not have to. I’ve never had to with my QH mare but my new guys is just insane! This is him https://instagram.com/p/BCvhmLvTOR9I6k0x56B1krun9cPO5IyrYyUlSM0/
Thank you all!
Instead of cutting across, keep the scissors vertical (parallel with the hair) and snip tiny bits at a time as you move across.
Cutting straight across will make your horse look like Justin Bieber!
If thickness is the real problem, not length, use a thinning knife
Why do you want to thin it? to make it easier to plait for shows?
Personally if super thick i just wouldn’t plait it for dressage shows. I did that with my last horse and was never penalised for it (he used to get quite cranky about having his super thick forelock plaited)
[QUOTE=donutbacardi;8567900]
I really wish I did not have to. I’ve never had to with my QH mare but my new guys is just insane! This is him https://instagram.com/p/BCvhmLvTOR9I6k0x56B1krun9cPO5IyrYyUlSM0/
Thank you all![/QUOTE]
I think your pony’s forelock is insanely cute!!:yes:Use a thinning knife a little bit, and trim up like others have said. PLEASE don’t blunt cut it! :no: He will look like a Stooge!
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[QUOTE=Boo;8567922]
Why do you want to thin it? to make it easier to plait for shows?
Personally if super thick i just wouldn’t plait it for dressage shows. I did that with my last horse and was never penalised for it (he used to get quite cranky about having his super thick forelock plaited)[/QUOTE]
I don’t like it in his eyes. He just had an issue with getting hay in his eye and his forelock got in there too. I think it’s so cute but just in the way sadly.
DONT touch it! beautiful forelock!
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[QUOTE=donutbacardi;8568135]
I don’t like it in his eyes. He just had an issue with getting hay in his eye and his forelock got in there too. I think it’s so cute but just in the way sadly.[/QUOTE]
Isn’t it there to protect his eyes anyway? He’ll shake it out if it’s in the way. Just tuck it into the browband to keep it out of the way when you don’t want him shaking his head under saddle.
Some horses need their fore locks trimmed. Some don’t. if I have one that needs a trim, I do it just like trimming a hunter tail: cut vertically into the bottom.
[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8568998]
Isn’t it there to protect his eyes anyway? He’ll shake it out if it’s in the way. Just tuck it into the browband to keep it out of the way when you don’t want him shaking his head under saddle.[/QUOTE]
Have you actually had a horse that grows enough forelock to bother their eyes? I have a horse who will rub his eye blind if the forelock goes past the bony ridge “eyebrow” above his eye. I kept wondering why he kept getting scrapes along his eye and eyebrow and figured it out one day while I saw him standing there with ears pinned head-tossing wildly in the center of the paddock - couldn’t have been bugs because it was January – his forelock kept getting into his eyes and irritating him and he was really chucking his head up and down… I just cut very short now - the risks of gouging out an eye are very real, especially since he tends to do it on the wooden wall of his paddock, fence posts, the water trough…
Yeah - but his always sort of parted itself down the middle and swept back behind his eyes. He’s the one I’d braid and tuck into the browband when we rode.
If the forelock needs to be cut it needs to be just. Just be gentle!
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8567905]
Instead of cutting across, keep the scissors vertical (parallel with the hair) and snip tiny bits at a time as you move across.
Cutting straight across will make your horse look like Justin Bieber!
If thickness is the real problem, not length, use a thinning knife[/QUOTE]
I second this! There are thinning shears that you can buy such as these if thickness is the issue. Otherwise, cut the hair vertically, scissors parallel to the hair
We had a horse that had headshaking sydnrome and, during diagnosis, the vet cut his forelock straight across (he thought the hair might be irritating him) and he looked every bit the part of Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber. The name stuck!
Did ya trim it OP? I learned from our old show manager to twist the forelock and cut down at an angle. You can also pull it if it’s super long/thick. I trimmed my TBs forelock. Had a crazy long forelock and at the time a super short pulled mane. Looked unkempt.
