# Huge chunk of mane missing. Should I roach?



## Haileyyy (Mar 10, 2012)

This is EXACTLY what my gelding did. Twice.

The first time I roached it and it looked good and kept him a little cooler in the summer. He has a similar neck to Lemonade, so maybe she will look good with it roached. He looked very tough and manly with a roached mane lol.

This time he rubbed out his mane in January when we got more round bales because of the snow. I was growing his mane out but now it has a 6-7" part that is spiky. I don't want to roach it again but he is looking pretty ridiculous because his mane is growing straight up and is probably 3" long in the shortest parts. This time I am going to wait until his mane lays on his neck and I will trim everything to length. It shouldn't be too much longer now since his mane grows fast.

Whatever you decide, remember it is hair and does grow back. Less than a year later and my gelding's mane where it isn't rubbed out is about as long as Lemonade's mane.


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## LemonZeus (Oct 6, 2013)

You know my pain, Hailey! I've heard roaching it kind of presses a "reset" button and it grows out better afterwards. So if I do that I'm hoping it comes back quickly, I love long manes :-(

I about had a heart attack when I saw it. It's the tiniest little mohawk mane I've ever seen. MTG'd it, and now I'm buying either a mesh slinky or one of those neck covers that comes with fly sheets. Both my horses are on a dry lot for a few weeks while rotating pastures and getting them used to the spring grass. Crossing my fingers she won't do it again!


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## LemonZeus (Oct 6, 2013)

You can barely tell she has a mane in this picture, I'm using it to try to imagine what hogging it off would look like. So maybe she won't look absolutely awful with it roached...


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## kimberlyrae1993 (Mar 20, 2013)

I think it would look nice  Plus is spring so it will help keep her cooler!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Haileyyy (Mar 10, 2012)

My gelding's mane did grow back in a lot thicker once it was cut. I did use MTG a couple times a week for a month or two though. That seemed to help a little. The first time I saw it I wasn't upset, it gave me an excuse to finally roach it. The second time I was so disappointed, like when your kid brings home a bad grade or gets in trouble at school.

She might rub more if she has a slinky or something on. My guy rubs more to get it off than he does before it's on. Maybe you can not use a round bale feeder for a while? Or in moderation? If you can feed square bales so she can't rub that would help a lot.


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## Haileyyy (Mar 10, 2012)

She would look pretty good with it roached, she has a good build for it IMO. If you don't like it just let her mane grow out long again!


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## LemonZeus (Oct 6, 2013)

Alright, I think I'll suck it up and clip her tomorrow, then keep applying MTG.

I don't think a mane cover will make a difference one way or another at this point, since there won't be anything to rub  But once it grows in, she'll be on pasture so she won't have very much interest in hay. I suppose I'll wait and see on that.


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## kimberlyrae1993 (Mar 20, 2013)

Post pictures 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

I think it would look good roached. She kind of has a pathetic mane as it is. LoL. She has a nicely structured neck so I think she'll be able to rock the look.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## towboater (Aug 19, 2013)

Agrees with above post. Roach it.


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## LemonZeus (Oct 6, 2013)

CLaPorte432 said:


> I think it would look good roached. She kind of has a pathetic mane as it is. LoL. She has a nicely structured neck so I think she'll be able to rock the look.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


It's so thin and sad! I've tried everything to make it grow, nutrition, coat supplement, MTG, conditioners, pasture braids. Just doesn't have the genes for it. 

I'll post pictures tomorrow after the deed is done


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## LemonZeus (Oct 6, 2013)

Here it is! The other side doesn't look too great. I went out to fix it up and found out she's deathly afraid of scissors (but not clippers!) So I'll probably cut it shorter.











Side note- I'm having a hard time figuring out if that's muscle or pockets of fat. I want to be aware if there's a possibility of EMS.


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## kimberlyrae1993 (Mar 20, 2013)

I think she looks good!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

She looks great! When it starts growing out it will go straight up like a brush and you can start training it over on one side.
I usually clip a wet towel around the neck for 5 or 10 min a day after combing it all over.


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