*First Open Show This Sunday... questions about manes*

[Horsiezz]

So I plan on taking my AQHA mare to her first open show on Sunday. Its a pleasure show. I will be puttting her in walk/trot classes, trail class, and walk/trot western pleasure. The thing is though... I dont want to pull her mane! Since its just an open show, do you think it will be much of a big deal to leave it long? Thanks!

 

[currycomb]

depends on the level of competition at the open show. you could band just to keep it laying flat and close to her neck, or if it is really pretty, just let it flow.

 

[Horsiezz]

The reason I want to keep it long is because I plan on doing some other events this year like a few hunter paces and getting her started on some Cutting... and i just like it long. She has really pretty highlights in it too... & it takes sooooo long for her mane to grow to this... and it isnt even that much! Her mane,forlock,tail... just doesnt grow that thick or long.
Heres another recent picture of her in the field... shes the grulla in the front.

 

[goodhors]

I tend to think a short mane makes the neck look better on a show horse. I can see the
neck shape, muscling, if horse is actually using his neck in his work. Lots of mane length in a contrast
color seems to make the horse "appear" unbalanced, since both sides look different as he moves.

Then there is the safety feature of not getting a long mane tangled in reins when things are
happening quickly. Trying to shorten/take up reins fast, with long mane getting grabbed, is not going to
happen the way you want it to.

For me, short mane is easier to keep neat, clean, makes my horses look better. No hair length flopping
about to make a counter-point to the gait, but always a step behind in motion. You get a "double movement"
that can be unattractive to the eye in a riding class.

Some disciplines are more geared towards the short or long mane, as part of their "look". You want to
consider that as you decide which activities to pursue. Hunt look of neat and crisp, is less sharp with a long
mane. Hands will be into the mane with shorter reins and contact. Cutting and reining with flying hair, long manes
and tails, shows more "action" as the horses moves. But any of the Roping folks would hack that long
mane right off, to remove a chance of tangling hair in reins and ropes, making you lose time on your runs.

In the end, length is your choice. I have had good show luck with a shorter, neat mane. More of a "Classic" look
for all riding styles if you want to do more than one specialty. Depending on
the horse, banding to keep mane hair laying smoothly might be best. My Chestnut horse had a thin, light colored
mane that laid down well without banding, enhanced her neck with about a 3 1/2" length. Our present Bay horses
are large, have long necks, so manes are about 4 1/2" long, to have enough to lay down when banded. Manes are wide and thick,
so even with thinning, they ususally look like a Mohawk or brush bristles standing up on their necks! These horses must be banded
for each outing to compete, to keep the manes neat and laying correctly on the necks. Black shiny manes
always contrast well on Bay horses.

Sorry, I just have not seen a great mane on a dun, buckskin or grulla horse. Hair is usually very soft, more a matte color,
breaks easily, bleaches in the sun so usually not the solid, dark mane color of other
horses. Brown bleaching shows up more on the dark longer hair, not a color contrast I care for, but many folks
love the various colors on their manes. "Yellow horses" are quite popular in all the breeds. Back in the day,
we had a buckskin gelding. He was used for Huntseat, so mane was kept short, mane and tail braided at
English shows for the neat and crisp appearance expected of a Hunter horse. He didn't show much bleaching
because we kept his mane trimmed so short, banged off his tail which was expected to hit mid-cannon when braided
back then. Could be that softer mane hair, quick fading color is a genetic trait with the yellow color horses.

 

[Horsiezz]

Thanks for the replies but I am just leaving it long. I don't care what people say, shes an all around horse and doesn't need a short mane!!! I looked at some pictures taken at the show and there was an arab with a long mane doing western pleasure. So I think I'm just going to go for it. Its the last open show for the year and the only one I'm doing so why not.

 

[chubbydog811]

You could just braid it...Or do like currycomb said and band it so it at least lays flat.
There is a really cool braid that I would love to do (I too LOVE short/roached mains, so I never get the chance to do it) - it's the one that starts behind their ears and continues all the way down their neck...Like a giant french braid. BEAUTIFUL! And you can show off her neck without cutting off her main

 

[michickenwrangler]

Thanks for the replies but I am just leaving it long. I don't care what people say, shes an all around horse and doesn't need a short mane!!! I looked at some pictures taken at the show and there was an arab with a long mane doing western pleasure. So I think I'm just going to go for it. Its the last open show for the year and the only one I'm doing so why not.

Each breed does it's own thing for each discipline. Typically the "saddle" (TWH, Saddlebreds) or "pleasure" (Arabs, Morgans) are shown with long manes in western pleasure. The stock type horses (QH, Paints, Appys) are shown with pulled and banded manes.

You can do what you want, but the judge may say something to you about it. Part of what is judged in Equitation classes is turnout and grooming even though it is an under saddle class.

 

[goodhors]

Thanks for the replies but I am just leaving it long. I don't care what people say, shes an all around horse and doesn't need a short mane!!! I looked at some pictures taken at the show and there was an arab with a long mane doing western pleasure. So I think I'm just going to go for it. Its the last open show for the year and the only one I'm doing so why not.

Each breed does it's own thing for each discipline. Typically the "saddle" (TWH, Saddlebreds) or "pleasure" (Arabs, Morgans) are shown with long manes in western pleasure. The stock type horses (QH, Paints, Appys) are shown with pulled and banded manes.

You can do what you want, but the judge may say something to you about it. Part of what is judged in Equitation classes is turnout and grooming even though it is an under saddle class.

Comparing what mane length the Arab or Saddle horse breeds wear in Western Classes, to the QH or stock horse LOOKING animal, is like comparing melons and apples. Both are fruit, but nothing else is similar in how they are presented to the Judge. Those breeds don't move like QH's either, part of the body mechanics, judged by different criteria.

If you already planned on leaving mane long to show, why ask us? I offered what wins in my experience with AQHA horses, in Western ridden classes. Long manes on QH?
Not often seen in the winners lineup.

Showing has a DEEP set of "understood, not written" rules about how the horse should look for each particular class. Styles change and evolve over time, so a horse shown
from the 1990's is "out of style" now, wrong presentation to use. You have to be way beyond just "good" to win if "horse doesn't look right" for the
Judged classes. This would cover the English classes as well as the Western classes. Horses in the ribbons are as close alike as the
Judge can get them, with what is in front of him/her. Those winners most closely meet the presentation and performance expected in the rules.

 

[Horsiezz]

We got 4th in Trail and 5th in Walk/Trot Western Pleasure! There was lot of other horses that had long manes. I put ShowSheen on it to slick it down, she did great!

 

[GLENMAR]