One of mine will take a nap during his pulling sessions! Other horses are more irritated by a pulling session, no worry, lots of ideas to help. Some horses do not need their mane pulled, only shortened. The purpose of pulling is to thin the hair, and shortening it is a secondary consequence of pulling.
Some horses have thin manes for the most part, but the middle portion is thick. You may just need to pull the mane in the middle to even it out for consistent braids. If you never braid, you may never need to pull!
Placing your hand parallel to the neck, take hold of a few hairs along the bottom of the mane. Holding your thumb against the comb and hairs, quickly pull the comb away. You can pull in an upwards or downwards direction; some say pulling up is more comfortable for the horse.
If the horse already has a thin mane, just pull enough to tidy it up and even the bottom. The pulling process will go more smoothly if the horse is used to having his mane combed regularly. Dampen the mane and comb it down on the left side every day. Not only will this get the horse accustomed to the comb, it will also train the mane to lay on the correct side.
Stand on a stool if your horse is tall. Take an inch-wide section of hair in your left hand and hold it toward the ends.
Take those remaining hairs, wrap them around the comb a couple times and pull straight down to remove them at the roots. Some horses prefer you to pull straight up and some in between.
Play around to find what works best for you and your horse. I find that working up or down the neck and then back again is easier on horses than spending a lot of time in one area.
Once you have finished one pass of the mane, brush it out with your mane-and-tail brush and start over. Expect to go back and forth several times. After you have finished, take scissors or a detached clipper blade and trim the ends of the uneven hairs that are left to give the mane a polished but natural look.
If your horse has a particularly thick mane, keep your fingers and him happy by pulling only a little at a time.
If your horse is extra-sensitive, it is essential that you pull his mane on a dry, warm day right after he has been exercised. You can get a topical lidocaine gel or spray from your vet and administer it right at the base of the mane to reduce any pain or irritation that your horse may feel. If your horse fidgets, bites, rears or behaves undesirably, go back to basics. Can he stand patiently in the cross-ties for a long period of time?
Does he respect your personal space when leading and handling him? Mane-pulling does not need to be painful or traumatic. Just take your time, practice and get help if you need it. The website provides everything from grooming tips to job listings and blogs. It hosts weekly contests for the best tips, tricks and tools submitted by website guests. Liv now works full-time on her website and enjoys her Grand Prix dressage horse, Miguel, and hunter, Comet.
0コメント