| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Nichole Waller |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 2:02:27 PM
I am a little fussy about Ozzy's mane and tail (he has a white tail) and i do keep it washed fairly regularly and then spray with mane & tail spray to try and keep the knots out.
His mane however i'm fighting a loosing battle with... . I do try to keep the knots out on a daily basis (it tangles really easily) by spraying with mane and tail spray and brushing with a soft brush. But it's getting shorter and shorter which i'm assuming is where i brush it...
I have tried doing a number of plaits and just leaving it but then it breaks up along the top and he ends up with lots of short bits that stick up.
How do you keep your horses manes in order so that they grow lovely and long? Do you Wash, brush and condition them regularly or do you just leave them knotted and natural and then just try and sort them out if you are going to a show...? |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MinHe |
Posted - 15 Jun 2011 : 11:00:50 AM
Try a soft goathair brush - it won't pull as much hair out 
Keren |
| Nichole Waller |
Posted - 15 Jun 2011 : 10:47:25 AM
Thanks for all your great replies. 
I've tried a lot of the things that most of you have mentioned (apart from leaving it alone...!)
Ozzy's mane is sort of fluffy if that makes sense... He does get windtangles quite often and even when i've smothered them in conditioner they are really hard to get out.
His tail is very fine but also coarse to touch. One day of wind and it's full of knots and tangles.
I think i'll give his mane and tail a good wash and condition at the weekend and then try and leave them alone.
The trouble is i ride at least 5 times a week and he is groomed each time i ride, the temptation to brush them is so bad.... I think i'll have to take my urges out by brushing my Welsh x Arabs tail which is lovely and thick.. |
| Qui Gon Jinn |
Posted - 15 Jun 2011 : 10:33:22 AM
I never touch my lot's manes or tails! Occasionally when I wash them, I put conditioner and spray into them to stop them knotting, which doesn't happen often anyway. In winter I use Baby Oil to stop the tangles, but other than that I leave well alone. All of mine have lovely long manes and tails, but they also have quite wirey hair rather than the very fine hair that some arabs have, so perhaps that helps to keep them in good order? |
| Pasch |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 11:47:10 PM
I think I never once brushed or combed Pasch mane and tail because if I did there would be soon nothing left to brush!
I just wash and condition once in a while and let it dry without combing,it comes out perfect.Finger combing only if knotted.Shame he leaves so much of his mane on fences and trees in summer(not by scratching,just by being close as when grooming his "marefriend",he even let some on fly-tape!)
Fee,I think you can stimulate new growth even better by massaging the roots but your girls seem to have thick manes so guess what you do is ok!
Kes,glad to know you won the windtangle battle!We call them fairytangles here.. |
| Fee |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 9:31:32 PM
How do you all manage it to keep your hands off?! I'm always grooming them and brushing their mane and tails and I honestly don't think I could not brush their mane and tails at least daily 
Apart from them wanting brushed all the time and me loving grooming them I also thought that the stimulation of brushing was good for removing old/weak hairs and stimulating new growth as well as keeping it in good condition? Maybe I just console myself with that 'belief'
Fee |
| Kes |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 8:16:12 PM
Kes's mane is very long and his tail is very fine, I don't really ever brush either but I do wash and condition them regularly and only use my fingers to separate the hair. I also use detangler after finding 'windtangles' (I knew I could get that word to stick with someone ) but as also mentioned Avon oil and Cowboy Magic serum.
To get out really big knots, which I had the pleasure of last week. Give them a good wash in shampoo so they are squeaky clean and massage in something really slippery like conditioner, Avon oil etc. After a few minutes the knot is easier to unpick.
Carole. |
| Vik1 |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 8:03:18 PM
Dont have a pure bred arab but our old highlands mane was unruly and very long. She also had bad sweet itch. I used to spray it with mane and tail, then grab it in handful, twist it and get a hair brush (human one) and start brushing from the ends gradually working up the twist. It breaks less hairs that way. I always brush tails like this too. Its all done in jig time.
We also used to only brush her mane and tail once a week or so. |
| complete novice |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 7:28:40 PM
I try and touch it as little as possible, I use a bendy plastic human hair brush that has the bristles well spaced, I use mane & tail spray and try not to brush the same section more than twice, by the time I do his fringe there is usually enough spray on the brush, every couple of weeks is usually enough to keep it tangle free |
| Pheebs |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 6:27:48 PM
Nakeeta's mane/tail just gets a quick brush before a ride/when grooming with a dash of mane and tail spray if its looking a little knotty, but generally I don't fuss over it too much and it always looks lovely to me
Excuse the winter woolies, couldn't find a more recent pic that showed off her mane/tail so this is a couple of months old
Pheebs x |
| s.jade |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 4:59:04 PM
My girl took her entire mane off last summer itching, and it's takenages to grow back....I loosely plait most of mine which keeps the witch knots at bay. When it needs re-doing, rub some baby oil into my hands, comb through with fingers and re-plait (always loose) and they keep really well. |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 4:53:38 PM
Roger has a REALLY fine mane (but lots of it). Luckily, when he rubs it is his neck rather than his mane that he's going for; therefore I often find it "backcombed" but not really damaged. I spray with mane/tail detangler virtually every time I groom (3-4 times per week) and use a body brush with a wide-toothed plastic mane comb every time too. I wash it about once a month in late spring through summer. It is a good length and always has been. I don't use neck covers/high-necked rugs EVER.
Chips mane is thick and long, not quite as fine as Roger's and gets the same treatment (but probably only once per week). Since he's been out with the big boys I've found 2-3 small "windtangles" (phrase taken from another AL post!) which I've teased out easily.
Caryn |
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 4:47:08 PM
I spray with mane & tail every few days, I don't ever really brush or comb it and if it gets big knots and dreadlocks, I use Cowboy magic detangler its a bit like human hair serum I put a drop in my hand then squeeze onto the knot then undo with my fingers, I find brushing and combing it does the worse damage. |
| MinHe |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 4:32:25 PM
I follow Dr June's advice of leaving it alone (apart from really bad tangles) until show time. Continuous grooming pulls more hairs out
Keren |
| Mrs Vlacq |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 3:24:21 PM
Trusty Avon bath oil - keeps the locks from binding up and eases out any tangles, and conditions the skin to keep new growth healthy and strong.... plus it leaves a glossy sheen, smells nice and acts as fly repellent |
| NatH |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 3:23:59 PM
Eqyss products are FAB |
| moatside |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 2:46:12 PM
The only time I touch Pearl's mane is if we are going out - then it gets a touch of C M Detangler and a quick squirt of mane & tail conditioner....
a bit windswept |
| alypie |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 2:14:27 PM
i find that baby oil is a really wonderful thing for keeping mane's healthy. it prevents them from tangling as it is slippy and strengthens the roots and nourishes the hairs. i then only go through the mane with my fingers to prevent breakage. hope this helps. xx |
| joanna_piana |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 2:12:33 PM
When I first got Ishara she had rubbed a huge hole in her mane. Basically I just left it and only brush once in a blue moon or if going out and it grew back nicely. It looked absolutely fabulous last week all long and lovely but went up last night and she's rubbed masses of it out ahhhh But anyway personally I wouldn't brush it if you want it to grow long just leave it apart from special occasions. |
