Training Your Manes

1. Rule of thumb, a horse’s mane should always be on the left side of the horse (handlers side). There are some cases of cowlicks, or parts in the hair that just do not look as good as one side or the other. Just remember the mane is “preferred” to go to the left side.
2. To begin training the mane over, every day and every time you brush your horse, take a soft (horse hair) body brush, wet it with water and brush the mane over. This will start to train the mane to break over correctly.
3. Make sure your manes are clean. Shampoo the mane before braiding, take care of the mane just as you would the tail.
4. If your mane is about 6-8 inches long, braid the mane in small braids about ½ of length of the mane. Some people can braid easier if the mane is wet. Braid whatever way is easiest, wet or dry. Do this for the entire length of the neck, but leave the mane on the withers, do not braid about the last 3 inches of mane. You want to have your braids tight, but not too tight. If the braids are really tight, the horse will rub the mane out.
5. Leave the braids in about 5-10 days if possible. Depending upon the horse and its sensitivity…take the braids out when you notice the horse beginning to itch or rub the mane.
6. This needs to be done about 3x a month until the mane begins to take shape and lay flat against the neck.
7. Training the mane does take time, so be patient and you will see results.
8. These steps will make your horse have a professional, clean, and neat neck appearance.
9. This will also help when you are ready to show the horse and it needs to be banded or braided.