# Trimming a bridle path on an arabian.



## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

One of my rescue arabs seems to never have had a bridle path trimmed...his mane goes all the way up to his forelock. 

Should I trim it, or leave it?
If I should trim it, how long of a path should I make? What is the 'style' these days?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

I heard but am not sure if this is right correct me if i'm wrong that when you lay the horses ear backwards the bridle path should not exceed that length. not sure if it is different for arabians because I have heard for arabians that they cut the bridle path longer to show off their neck...again correct me if I'm wrong please


----------



## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

Phantomcolt18 said:


> I heard but am not sure if this is right correct me if i'm wrong that when you lay the horses ear backwards the bridle path should not exceed that length. not sure if it is different for arabians because I have heard for arabians that they cut the bridle path longer to show off their neck...again correct me if I'm wrong please


I heard the same thing, but thought it was different for arabs!!

Thanks, I'll keep watching this thread.


----------



## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I'd trim it if you plan on riding, using a halter, or showing. For regular at-home, you can trim a path approximately 6" long. The style is really whatever is proportional for the horse. Mine is 14.1, almost 3 years old and has a bridle path around 6" long.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I generally go by the ear length rule of thumb, but with my Arabian, I keep hers just a bit longer. I used to see Arabians with their bridle paths cut about a quarter of the way down their neck, and a rare few with the bridle path half way down the neck, but I've been hearing now that they aren't making them quite as extreme these days. I think it depends on what you want, whether or not you are showing, and what looks best on your horse if you are showing. For me no matter what the horse, I want at least enough to make it nice and easy to put the halter and bridles on the horse.


----------



## CharliGirl (Nov 16, 2009)

I trim a 1-2" bridle path on my pinto arab. The more natural looking, the better in my book!


----------



## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

Although I've not had an Arabian I have a QH and have had a TWH and 5-gaited Saddlebred. I never showed any of them, but for their bridle paths I did do the ear-length path. Which would be about 6 maybe 7 inches long.


----------



## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

Thank you all. 
I will do the ear thing, I suppose. His mane is so wild it lays on both sides of his neck, so perhaps there was a bridle path at one point and it grew out in the opposite direction of the rest of his mane? Who knows.


----------



## Cheyennes mom (Aug 6, 2010)

I say trim it, but I don't know what's popular for arabs. How we measure the bridle path where I ride is we take one of the horse's ears and lay it back on her neck and the bridle path is as long as the ear. That's how I've learned.


----------



## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I've heard at Arab regional shows that people will make them longer if their horse has a thicker or shorter neck to make it look longer and thinner. If the horse has a thin or long neck they will make the bridlepath shorter so the neck looks a little thicker or shorter. 

When I bought my mare her bridlepath was almost halfway the length of her neck. I thought that was excessive. They do minis that way too.


----------



## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I always thought Jullyen El Jamaal looked good without a bridlepath.


Varian Arabians - Stallions: *Jullyen El Jamaal


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I've never heard the ear length one, I'll have to check my guys and see how long I trim them. I generally just do a couple of inches, just to make it easier to tack up, but my Arab came with around 6 - 8" of a path, so I just re trim her that length.


----------



## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

Here's an idea of his neck. 

I don't have a lot of good pics of it. :/


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Handsome boy, for some reason I would trim his path ...well look at the second photo, take a line straight up from where his neck meets his gullet, well from that V straight up to his mane line, I would trim to where that line crosses his mane.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't really like super long bridle paths on my horses. I ususally just trim one wide enough so that I can comfortably fit my bridle up there without having to separate the hair. I would guess about 2 inches long. If you aren't going to be showing, then you can cut it however long you want to.


----------



## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

We've always done the ear length bridle paths also. 

Oh and he is ADORABLE! Love his snip!


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I like my bridle path to be as small as is necessary only to fit the piece of tack there with out having to a lump under. 
None of this ear length stuff.

All the Arabians that I know have a longer bridle path.


----------



## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

Such a pretty boy! Looking at his pictures, I'd give him a med-long bridle path if you want to take him to Arab shows. If you want to do local shows only, I'd give him a shorter bridle path. For example, for a local show (using the third picture you have in that post) trim his bridle path back to where his mane starts on his left side. For class A Arab type shows, trim it back 1-2" more. What style do you ride him?


----------



## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

Thank you for the compliments, he is my rescue horse. He is a great big sweetheart with a lot of personality.

No showing just trail rides, but we have to look good, right? 

Thanks for the opinions, I will post our 'after' pictures when we do it.


----------



## Azale1 (Jul 5, 2010)

The reason for having the typically seen longer bridle paths on Arabs is to show off the throat latch area more and make it look more refined. But now the Arab world is beginning to lean more towards a natural look and only clipping an inch just enough room for halter and bridle to fit.


----------

