Holding the hair up vertically from the neck and then cutting it straight across is what I would do (I don't know if that's what you're talking about when you say "vertical scissors"). This will keep a somewhat natural layered look - it'll look better in a few weeks than right after you do this. If you're talking about cutting up into the mane when you say "vertical scissors" I highly warn you against it, you'll only make it look choppier and the thick/thin discrepancy will be greater. Are you using MTG on this guy?
This is what I typically do with my older dude who has a thin mane in the lower half and a impossible to pull mane on the upper half of his neck - he's 26, he'll not compete again but I don't want him to look like he's off the range and it's not worth pissing him off by pulling it.
I was talking about the cutting up into the mane, because at some point I'd been told to never just cut across it or else it would end up looking like a bowl-cut, very unnatural.
So you hold the hair directly up above the neck and cut that way? I can see how that would work. Thanks!
Yes, if you cut straight across with the mane laying down flat it will look like a bowl cut. Holding the hair upwards like a human-stylist will do, leads to a gently layered look. Though I warn you it won't look fantastic right away, give it at least a week for the cut to settle in before you mess around with it more -- so of course don't do it right before something important.
They're kind of pricey, so that's good to know. Was it a problem with the actual calibre of each individual hair or the overall amount of hair? Tucson's mane is still pathetically thin where it needs shortening, but the individual hairs are probably about average thickness. But the mares both have thicker hairs, especially Riv, so I guess if we were to get one we should not try to use it on her -- not that I can see any reason we would, but good to know.
My little mare has a pretty sparse (and sensitive) mane, so I've picked up a few tricks for keeping it nice without thinning the few hairs she has
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agree, I'm on my 2nd solo comb, but only because the first one was subjected to being used on 4-5 horses every month or two, and most of the time pasture dirty :) I use a touch of oil and a old tooth brush to get the grit off of my current one and it's lasted in regular use on 1-2 horses for .... 8 years? not bad :D
I have a pair of nice-ish human hair scissors for doing mane touch ups. I will do straight across cutting (like when the ends of my hair is cut at a salon) to get it to a shortness that I like, then I lay the mane back down and do an up cut (or vertical cut) on the mane to make it look a little more natural.
If the horse has a nice neck and you just want to get things back to a normal look, you could always roach the mane. But you'd probably need to keep roaching all show season long.
Ha, roaching the mane is actually a good and practical suggestion, but then I thought of what my husband's reaction would be and it was even funnier. It's his horse, and he's a bit of a traditionalist.
Understandable! Every time I braid my mare, I think "I could roach it, she's got a great neck!" But the joys of having all-arounder mean that I can band instead :)
I swear, though, my next all-around horse will probably end up with a roach...maybe...if my trainer lets me...
We're not very good about pulling my TB's mane, so when we have to do it for a show or clinic it usually hasn't been maintained and is too long to pull because I'd end up pulling most of it out to get it short enough. I go at it with thinning shears and then pull just a little tiny bit at the ends to neaten-up the bottom. Start about an inch or two longer than where you want to end up and then just cut like regular scissors. That'll give you enough wiggle room to neaten up the ends without taking it too short.
They'll give you that vertical scissor look without having to do the vertical scissors, and you can really whack at the mane because it's pretty hard to cut too much off in one snip like you can with regular scissors.
You can pick up a cheap pair just about anywhere (Sally's, pet stores, Walmart, etc.).
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This is what I typically do with my older dude who has a thin mane in the lower half and a impossible to pull mane on the upper half of his neck - he's 26, he'll not compete again but I don't want him to look like he's off the range and it's not worth pissing him off by pulling it.
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So you hold the hair directly up above the neck and cut that way? I can see how that would work. Thanks!
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Jacks mane was just too much for the one we bought and it fell apart.
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If the horse has a nice neck and you just want to get things back to a normal look, you could always roach the mane. But you'd probably need to keep roaching all show season long.
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I swear, though, my next all-around horse will probably end up with a roach...maybe...if my trainer lets me...
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We're not very good about pulling my TB's mane, so when we have to do it for a show or clinic it usually hasn't been maintained and is too long to pull because I'd end up pulling most of it out to get it short enough. I go at it with thinning shears and then pull just a little tiny bit at the ends to neaten-up the bottom. Start about an inch or two longer than where you want to end up and then just cut like regular scissors. That'll give you enough wiggle room to neaten up the ends without taking it too short.
They'll give you that vertical scissor look without having to do the vertical scissors, and you can really whack at the mane because it's pretty hard to cut too much off in one snip like you can with regular scissors.
You can pick up a cheap pair just about anywhere (Sally's, pet stores, Walmart, etc.).
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