# Does anyone every roach their horse's mane?



## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

When I first got Jubilee she had burrs in her mane pretty bad and her previous owner chopped some sections out of it. I decided to roach it so that it would grow back evenly, which it has. In my opinion, I've never been a fan of roaching. I only did it because I had to. I love when horses' manes are long and luxurious!


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

Dumas- my new horse is roached...it truly adds to his character! Sexy, maybe not, but cute!

Of course your horses might look sexy with it!

I had an appy that I kept roached just because his mane was a pathetic excuse for a horse's mane. (Typical appy)

I'm a sucker for the long beautiful mane though. The longer the better. I know it's a pain in the patuty to keep brushed but I really think it looks elegant.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

lol... This weekend I think I fell in love with "tank" he is a QH that belongs to a friend of mine...he has his mane roached and I spent all weekend rubbing my hand up and down his short mane...lol....it was like rubbing a velveteen blankie :lol: I think my horses would look like army horses...I don't know if they would let me do it though...they have pretty manes and I think I prefer longer manes It was just kinda cool to see the variety ........


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

when i was in germany there was this huge black horse named Rexle, I don't know what breed he was but he had the big arched neck and was really musculer and so tall, his mane was roached and I thought he was the biggets baddest sexiest looking horse I had ever seen!!!! Althuogh he had a chick that rode him, would have been much much much better with a half naked Dean Cain on his back!!!


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

Farmpony I am ****!!!!!!!!!! Between half naked stable men and Dean Cain, you and Dumas make my day fun!

Let me add to the story, hhhhmmmmm, ok, Tall, black, thick, muscular horse with a roached mane and an oiled down shirtless Dean Cain on his back looking at me blowing kisses. (Just working on a little imagery here!)


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Dumas is sick in this picture but it is a good shot of his mane...its not an impressive mane by any means but it is not too shabby either... It was brushed with nothing put in it the night before.










Another pic that shows his mane....










side shot....










ok... What do you guys think.... to Roach or not to Roach... That is the question!


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Sorry for the double post.... but... I'm gonna do it anyways....  

He IS going to get bathed this summer... I am going to try to get the Yellow out of his tail... I don't think it is supposed to be there. He has some yellow tint to his mane too. I do know that he hasn't had a bath for well over 2 years. I think he would be so pretty if I could get him all washed up.....His dapples are just gorgeous when he's cleanish... I can't wait to see him after he's been washed. OK.. so the point of this post was to ask if you think the yeller will come out... sorry got to rambeling.. blonde moment :roll:


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I still vote for not roach. He has a pretty mane. But whatever you choose, it will grow back. :wink:


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

Not roach...sorry!


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

Afterthought! If he has not been bathed in 2 years I highly doubt he's going to let you get near him with clippers! You could do it with scissors but they must be good and sharp!


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

We are working on all aspects of grooming with him. He is a very good boy and NO I would not be able to get clippers on him...it would have to be done with scissors......I have found that he likes to be held at attention so to speak when you are working on him. He is not the type of horse that like to eat while your doing anything to him. We have been able to brush him all over though, he was scared of the brushes at first but has learned that they are good.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Ahearn, I want Dean to blow the kisses at me me me! I like the slicked down part, that's a tastey addition to the story! 

Ok.. back on track, If you roach it, it will grow back if you hate it... He has a nice thick neck so he won't look like a freak... I'm gonna laugh when you do it though becuase you are going to be sick to your stomache while you are doing it, but I bet he'll look cute. I always let my manes grow out when I'm not showing and then I have to pull, oh I hate pulling, it makes me want to cry! All that pretty mane.....

Dean! Wait up!!! I'm coming with you!!!!!!


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Thanks for the compliment Jubliee Rose...  

I am still undecided. Even if I don't like it, it will grow back and it would probably do Dumas some good to be handled like that. I dunno... I'll run it by my hubby......lol...maybe I can get him up there all oiled down...hmmmmmmmmmmm :wink: move over Dean Cain! :lol:


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

i roached my old horses mane and alot of people were mad at me since he had a "beautiful mane" i think the roached mane look looks great! if you want to do it go for it!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

at my old barn, one of the instructors always roached her horse's mane in the summer. He was older and i guess not having a mane helped him? But he always looked awesome with it roached. Though when jumping when you're normally grab some mane, there wasn't any there (which now that i'm older and stuff, really helped)

You could always give him a longer bridle path to see if you'd like the look at first before cutting it all off


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Good Idea Appy..... I hadn't thought of that and he needs his bridle path cut anyhow... :wink:


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

your welcome Dumas 

Having an app with a short mane has made me very envious of horses with a long mane.
I would roach Vega's but i have no idea how long it will take for it to grow back!


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

lol... Darn appys anyhow.. Love those spots dread that hair! :wink:


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't but when done properly I think it looks great.


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

I roach my Appy's mane, but his mane is a 5 inch mohawk at it's longest, so the shaving makes it look much tidier. We joke that he looks like a General in the ARMY. My paint, we leave his mane long and flowing , but it lays nice and straight on it's own. I think if I ever have another mane that's a struggle to keep tamed and I'm not showing, I'd consider roaching it. It's easy to keep clean-no knots or dreadlocks and mud comes right off.


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## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

oh come on!!!! that's like asking a red neck to cut his mullet off!!!!...don't you dare roch is main


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## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

My trainer would kill me if I tried. I show my horses year-round so they have to have nice pulled manes all the time. However, I think it looks good on some horses. If you do and try and grow it out again be ready for the awkward in between stages.


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## kumquat27 (Jun 3, 2009)

You should sooooo roach it! horses w/ roached manes look great! mayb i should to mine...


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Very few horses can pull off a roach. Most look absolutely BAD with them.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^^ Disagree!! There are lots of horses who look good with a hogged mane :]

I hog my horses manes. I even hogged my arabs mane, which is a big no-no, but he looked awesome! So sporty. And he looked like a punk with a mohawk when it was growing out, lol.

I hog Bundy's mane all the time, and my previous horse Vodka was also hogged all the time. Bundy looks like a spunk with a hogged mane, and it made Vodka look really polished and neat. I don't have pics on this comp, but I have other posts with pics of Bundy with his mane hogged.

Definately an advocate of the hogged mane!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

I've seen *very* few. Even on this forum, but who wants to tell someone their horse looks bad unless they are asking for a critique!!!!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I roach my fjords mane  I think it looks pretty good too.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Fjords definitely look good with roach manes. But they are the exception. There are some drafts that look good. Both breeds have nice thicker necks. But horses with thinner necks just look bad I think.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

*shrugs* the majority of horses I see with hogged manes look great. But I do ride in the ASH world where it is the norm, and they are built well for it. Of course I don't think horses with skinny little necks look good with a hogged mane.

This is what I see regularly:


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Oops, sorry about the size. It was smaller on the website!


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## Deej (May 5, 2009)

I love a roached main on the right horse. I think it makes them look like the TROJAN HORSE.. And it can make some horses necks look stronger.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Of course, it really depends on the horse and on how their neck was shaped. All those horses that Wild_Spot posted had a slightly arched or crested neck. IMHO, that is a necessity for them to pull off a roach. If they lack muscle or if they just have a very flat neck (WP horses for example), or even horses that have prominent withers, they could never pull it off roached close. The only option for an animal with a flat neck is to roach it on a gradient; short at the withers and poll and arched in the middle. That is what we do with our mule teams because it makes their necks look bigger and stronger. Mules are pretty notorious for having a flat neck. ;p



















It is kinda hard to tell from those pix but it is very similar to how Fjord horses' manes are trimmed.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Our mule was roached, but again, had the neck to pull it off.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I prefer a horse with mane, although there are some horses who just look better without it. We had a QH cross when I was growing up who looked fabulous with a roached mane  But for the most part...I'll take a mane, even a short pulled, or banded mane.


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## westonsma (May 19, 2009)

First, I'd have to ask, why? Just for looks? I think my paints and TB look GREAT with roached manes, but I love the wild, "just climbed off the mountain" look. 

You need to ask yourself about your horse's climate and contact with flies. The main reason for the mane (no pun intended... LOL) is firstly their heater and A/C, and secondly, protection from pests. If your horse is in a really hot/cold climate they must have good protection from the elements. If the flies situation is bad, you might reconsider. 

Put up a picture of him on the critiques section and ask there! You might get some different answers!


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