I Didn't Mean To

Leo in June
When I bought my horse, his previous owners had recently shaved a somewhat ridiculous bridle path.  Like, it went up into his forelock and then halfway down his neck back pretty far.  The standard for show saddlebreds is that the bridle path goes as far back as the ears do when they are pressed backwards against the neck.   Leo's went approximately two ear-lengths back.  So not attractive.  

The mohawk diaries
Thankfully, this horse grows hair freakishly fast. Within a month it was almost an inch long.  I have been slowly pulling his mane shorter as the 'bridle path' grows longer, in hopes that eventually the two will meet up happily at a decent length.  The above picture is from the first time I pulled his mane.  I try to do about an inch off every month or so.  I am not a particularly experienced mane-puller, and I don't mind the longer mane, so I've been really cautious about it because I didn't want to accidentally make things worse/way too short.  

I think there was coconut oil smeared over my phone at this point.
I accidentally pulled about 3-4 inches today.  I meant to only do 1, but Leo gets ~really~ into it when you pull his mane, and he was leaning into me and I accidentally took a pretty large amount of hair from one section..in the middle..which of course meant that EVERYTHING ELSE HAD TO BE SHORTENED IMMEDIATELY.

still blurry. 
Honestly, his bridle path has grown out to a length where it's starting to flop over, and I probably could have just pulled everything up to match it, but I was worried that I would get caught in a spiral and make it way too short, so I pulled it to this length and just left it alone.  

not this kind of spiral.
It really doesn't look that bad at all, but I panicked a little at first.  The long unruly mane was starting to grow on me (hehehe), I guess.  Not that it won't grow back, probably in like 2 months given the rate at which this thing's hair grows, but I wasn't ready to pull that much of it yet, dammit!  

COOKIE?????
Oh well.  At least the whole ordeal led to this getting captured on camera!  

What's your best horse hair mishap story?

Comments

  1. EventingSaddlebredStyleOctober 22, 2016 at 6:53 PM

    I struggle with the mane pulling/trimming. I always spend an hour trying to get it even...
    The worst I did was on a barn horse. He wears a cribbing collar and it runs his mane. I was trying to make the bridle path where it got the worst of the rub but not make it too long. It ended up looking like Leo's.
    Stinker had his mane roached prior to me getting him and I had to go through the awkward mohawk phase with him.

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    Replies
    1. kaityOctober 22, 2016 at 7:24 PM

      It's so hard! And so much personal preference, my trainer likes to pull them SUPER short - like the horses with thinner manes all end up with mohawks because of how short she pulls them. I legit considered roaching Leo's for a week or so when it was first starting to grow out because it was just soooo awkward - I figured at least if it was all one length it wouldn't be as bad. Literally everyone at the barn disagreed, though. At least hair always grows back!

      Delete
  2. TrainwreckInTealOctober 22, 2016 at 9:11 PM

    When Topaz first went lame about two years ago I panicked and shaved off her mane (traditional for Spanish mares, so really not a big deal except I love their hair haha). And then when she was sound again within a few months I had to show her the entire next year with it roached! Oops 😂

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    Replies
    1. kaityOctober 22, 2016 at 10:29 PM

      Def just blog-stalked to try and find pictures. :P She's lovely both ways, and #goofymohawkregrowth should definitely be a thing. I'm just glad that they didn't shave Leo's entire forelock, least favorite thing about saddlebreds ever is the long flowy mane and NO FORELOCK.

      Delete
    2. TrainwreckInTealOctober 22, 2016 at 11:18 PM

      Haha she rocked it but it was a pain to constantly retrim and shape. I let it grow out last winter and her new owner is continuing to let it grow I think! I'm sure when the actual FB "on this day" pops up I'll reshare it. Pretty sure it was in November, so coming up soon 😂

      Delete
  3. KateRoseOctober 23, 2016 at 8:28 PM

    I use scissors because I suck at pulling manes... and my hands have slipped more than once and cut things pretty crooked...my poor ponies haha

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    Replies
    1. kaityOctober 28, 2016 at 7:59 PM

      I keep getting tempted to go in and fix it with scissors but I'm terrified lol I'm going to pay my trainer to do it I think.

      Delete
  4. LoveLaughRideOctober 24, 2016 at 7:05 AM

    Dee absolutely hates having her mane pulled, to the point that she is a belligerent cow about it even when tranq'd. So I use a razor to shorten it, it's just not worth the battle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kaityOctober 28, 2016 at 7:59 PM

      Aw man, that sucks! I can't believe she's still like that when tranq'd!

      Delete

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