# Roaching Manes: Pros and Cons



## EquineBovine (Sep 6, 2012)

My friend has a lovely shire X who had a bloody awful, thick, untameable mane. So we roached it. ALL of it. 
She looked AWESOME! Had the neck and head to carry it off. She let it grow out but kept on top of it this time as in brushing dailying and untangling. Looks lovely now.
Other than that I can't offer more help. I'd like to roach my clydie's mane as its long and yuck and uneven.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I think that for a horse to have a hogged mane it needs to have a good crest to it. Do not see many hogged manes in the U.K. Mostly on cobs and polo ponies. 

Personally I love a hogged mane on the right horse. 

With hogged horses I would redo them roughly every two or three weeks. It doesn't take long. 

The 'difficulty' in making a hogged mane look good is how it is blended into the neck hair. 

Disadvantages are mostly for the horse, no f protection from weather or flies. For the rider - nothing to hang onto! 

As for growing out a lot depends on how fast that horse grows his hair but generall at least a year before it can be decently pulled to a normal mane.


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

He's not especially cresty, but I think he does have a pretty nice neck. Well-muscled, anyway. Apparently it's common to leave the hair shortest at the pole and base of the neck with more length in the middle to give the appearance of a rounded crest on flatter necks. Might be the style for him...

That's pretty much what I figured too on disadvantages. I would think those are fairly easy to remedy with a fly sheet (and spray), and neck strap though. Lack of fly protection might be tradeoff for him not sweating like crazy under the mane in the summer though.


----------



## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

I keep our Belgian roached. His mane was so heavy he was always sweaty underneath. He has a glorious crested neck and the roach accentuates it and really makes him look and feel stunning. I touch it up every 2 months. 

If your horse has a neck area that isn't very cresty, don't clip that as close. The coarse hair stands up so you can shape it like trimming a hedge and create an optical illusion of thickness on his profile.


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I hogged (British word for roached; I'm Australian so we use a lot of British terminology) a horse that didn't have a super cresty neck. His neck was NICE, it just wasn't like... draft or pony cresty. 

I just clipped the whole thing off. He looked nice. I felt like as it grew out it looked untidy, but I did quite like how he looked with no mane. You DO have to keep a fly sheet on them in summer and in winter time they look a bit odd if you clip the mane to the skin and don't touch the neck.

The biggest pro is, NO BRUSHING OUT TANGLES. And no braiding. 

Pictured below, a freshly re-done mane (it was growing out and messy but not long enough to braid and as you can see I had a show...) vs grown out almost to the point of falling over. Same horse 

Edit; don't know why my pics aren't showing? When I 'go advanced' on the edit page they're there???

Edit2; never mind lol


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I roached them for several people but did not own the horses personally...
First horse had a so think mane it was pitiful, then he rubbed out the center....off it went!
Second horse had such terrible knots, dread-locks would of been a gift, owner spent 5 hours and got about 2" free...went back next morning to do more and the knots were back...off it went!
Third horse just had such a heavy mane, he was also a cushings horse so the mane went with the coat when he needed clipped...

Only downfall I truly saw was no fly protection for face, neck nor sun protection you don't realize they benefit from.
Fly sheet and mask took care of that.
The one horse did to me look poor roached as he had a really poor shaped neck and it had no illusion of anything once fully exposed.

For your horse....
Scraggly can be overcome with a good shortening done.
Remove the broken ends, the thin and let the healthy hair shine forth.
Horses just like humans benefit from having hair care of trims done.
I love a long mane on my paint horse, but when the bottom looks ratty, thin and is always a rats nest of snarls, I trim it off.
It looks better, fuller and the snarls stop because the "split ends" are now gone...healthy hair remains.
Before taking all off, try shortening it to 1/2 way so you get to the healthy part again and see if it helps...no harm done but some time invested.
If it still looks bad, then take it all off, _but remember_ if the horse doesn't grow mane decently it can take a year to get it long enough to just stand up _forget about lying over._
The worst though is, it might not come back as you have it now...it happens, rarely but it can happen.

Good luck.
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

Thank you all for your replies!

@horselovinguy How would you generally shorten a mane like that? I've seen people use scissors to cut manes to that effect, and they usually look pretty awful. I also don't really like pulled manes, which is why I was wondering about roaching. Though I have considered pulling as well, even if I don't like it. I'm not really worried about it coming back slowly. Hair growth takes time, so if it takes a year, not a big deal. His hair grows relatively fast, so I think he'd have some mane back pretty quickly.


----------



## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Will add I always left a tuff of hair at the withers and the entire forelock. 

Pulling is the best way to shorten a mane, especially a thick one. Best to do it on at least on a weekly basis after working/riding when the pores are open. Pulls out much easier and a little at a time is better than pulling a bunch infrequently. 

Horses with thin manes can be cut, but need to feather the edges so it does not look banged. 

Driving horses often have roached manes, and they are traditionally arched in the middle. Riding horses more common to have all one length or only slight arch. Exceptions would be horses like Fjords whose mane is like a crown! 

Three gaited Saddlebreds traditionally were identified from five gaited by a roached mane, but I don't see that done here much. 

Growth of the hair is individual. I have a QH mare whose forelock never grows. It is short & fuzzy always...

The mane does provide protection from sun and pests, so the horse would need a fly sheet with neck cover. For hardiness I prefer the Kensington ones. They are quite stiff at first but soften on the horse. Here in the humid south, my horses seem to sweat less under the sheet. It has UV protection too so that is most likely the reason.


----------



## Kaifyre (Jun 16, 2016)

Oooh subbing! I've been contemplating roaching Thunder the Shire's mane, it's sooo thick and dreadlock-y and even if I brush it out every day it nearly always reverts back to dreadlock form by sundown. I love his long thick mane though, it suits him, and I'm not sure if he'd look decent with a roached mane. 

-- Kai


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

InexcessiveThings said:


> How would you generally shorten a mane like that? I've seen people use scissors to cut manes to that effect, and they usually look pretty awful. I also don't really like pulled manes, which is why I was wondering about roaching.


If it is long, you can cut it with a scissor always from the underside and leaving the top, the outside part you see, longer so it lies well against the neck.
You can also use a razoring comb... always, _*always*_ take the cut from the underside of the mane against your thumb to pull against and slice the hair. This leaves shorter against the neck, the bluntness softened and it will lay nicer...you're layering hair just like you do in many human haircuts to achieve a softer appearance than blunt and hard edges.
A comb like this...








https://www.statelinetack.com/item/folding-mane-stripping-comb/BJA10/

Pulling the mane will also remove only dead ends if done carefully and leave the healthy behind.
There is nothing saying a pulled mane must be braiding length of 4" and thin, but _can_ be any length or thickness wanted ...
Pulling just removes a lot of dead and cleans it up.

I would_ not _roach a mane on my horses myself just because it _*is*_ a body protector from flies and the sun...
Both where I live are not to be forgotten or taken lightly on any animal...

I do have some horses with pulled manes, some left long as their neck is wide and some in between in length.
All of mine though do get the dead ends removed and snarls then seem to be lessened as needed.
Each horse and their mane care is individual to them.
In fact my one guy today has a grooming appointment with me. 
His mane has become messy dead ends and he pays the price of terrible knots...:frown_color:
He also looks better when it is about 3" shorter in length. 
It looks thicker on his neck and not just hang, but has bounce and life to it, just like our hair when freshly cut...a asset to our looks! 
_I've been lazy :icon_rolleyes:_
Indeed, time for me to get moving and get started on him...:smile:
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Kaifyre said:


> Oooh subbing! I've been contemplating roaching Thunder the Shire's mane, it's sooo thick and dreadlock-y and even if I brush it out every day it nearly always reverts back to dreadlock form by sundown. I love his long thick mane though, it suits him, and I'm not sure if he'd look decent with a roached mane.
> -- Kai


Consider removing some of the thick...
Fully brush out his mane...flip it to the wrong side of his neck and take a determined amount off of the underneath "thick"...
Now flip his mane back to the side it lays on naturally...mane is considerably lighter and less thick.
The removed is not visible but what is left is thinner, more manageable and lighter on the horse.
It is what we did when I grew up an had a pair of Percheron that competed in pulling, did parades and wedding venue needing to be clean, neat and spiffy looking...
Those horses had the thickest mane and tails I have ever encountered. 
They had long tails...once I finally got them knot free, they had braided tails that were a dream to maintain...till then...a nightmare to prepare for any outing.:frown_color:
The manes were then able to be braided in running braids with flowers cascading for weddings as were the tails braided with flowers woven in...gorgeous on a black team. 

Just some other ideas...
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo.._


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

Everyone is very helpful!

Are clippers or some sort of very sharp shears/scissors preferrable? I would think clippers would give the cleanest lines and make for a nicer end-product.

And is it necessary to shave it right down to the skin the first time you roach to have the hair to grow straight up? Or can you leave a small amount of hair (like maybe a 1/2 inch or something)? 

Here's a couple photos of the dude in question and how his mane is currently if anyone wants to give an opinion on how he'd look roached. He could stand to have a bit more topline, and yes, his neck is pretty flat. Hard to get a photo without him looking at me, so that's the best I've got at the moment.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I used clippers when I roached manes....fast and easy.
Make sure you have a game-plan though firmly in place and the horse stands quietly for clipping or you can gouge off more than you planned easily.
Clippers are probably also safer than using a scissor that have edges that can truly cut/pierce or slice skin open deeply.
Caution....and patience is needed in abundance. :smile:

_OK...now can see pictures..._

I would not roach that mane.
I would shorten it to 1/2 that length and see if you like the difference.
To me, he has a weak neck that removing his mane is going to emphasize that fact...he has no muscling in his neck, no crest...
I really think if you take out the hanging limp length you will like the change in look.
:runninghorse2:....


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I have only roached one mane. My daughter's arab when we first got him, his mane was rubbed and horrible looking. It appeared worked over by a drunk rat! She said no leave it, I can fix it! I gave it a week, I didn't see no improvement, so I grabbed the clippers and shaved it off. He looked pretty good, and it grew back nicely the next season.


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

horselovinguy said:


> I used clippers when I roached manes....fast and easy.
> Make sure you have a game-plan though firmly in place and the horse stands quietly for clipping or you can gouge off more than you planned easily.
> Clippers are probably also safer than using a scissor that have edges that can truly cut/pierce or slice skin open deeply.
> Caution....and patience is needed in abundance. :smile:
> :runninghorse2:....


Basically my thoughts. I wouldn't want to risk injuring myself or the horse. I'm just wanting to cover my bases here before I dive into anything. Patience is definitely in order for any sort of clipping. He got a trace clip for the first time this winter which went pretty well, so I think shaving off the mane would likely not be eventful.


----------



## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm not sure roaching would be a benefit to him aesthetically and it would be detrimental to fly and mosquito control. 

I would shorten his mane to about 4" in length. Would make his neck look better especially where it ties into the withers.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

When I roached I took off the entire mane but left the forelock...
These were _*not *_my horses, so was following direction of owners and what they wanted.
I think someone here mentioned leaving the part that may sit under the saddle pad/blanket alone and that makes sense to me.
So, a "tail" left by the wither so no rub raw and a forelock.
You can always remove them later is you not like the finished appearance, but remove to much and make the horse miserable uncomfortable and regret is not a word you want to know about.
If the horse was good for his body clip then he should be decently good for his mane....
Hopefully not "ticklish" spots here... :icon_rolleyes:
Sharp clean blades as mane hair is very different than muzzle whiskers. Thick and can be hard cutting, go slow so the clipper not bog down. 
I would take off the heavy length in stages too...the less weight hanging the better the clipper can cut the hairs evenly.
:runninghorse2:...


----------



## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

I think George looks good in a mohawk, but I'm too lazy to maintain it. These days, it is what it is 
Had to dig thru the archives to find an old foto:


----------



## Loner (Dec 21, 2017)

I have seen Ponies that were roached but not completely (More of a flat top) It looked good on them.Myself Like the long mane.But also understand not every one has the time to keep up with it like I do.Retired is GREAT.


----------



## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

I have roached Nav the last three summers or so, and it works on him because he has a NECK. His mane also likes to flop on both sides at different points and looks a little strange long. 

That said, I feel like most times after I roach it, I appreciate it for a while but then feel a little regretful about how long it will take to grow back out! His mane grows slowly, so it takes quite a while. I've only ever used scissors to do it, but clippers would probably be much faster/easier so you might use those if you go for it, I just don't have access to them. 

For your guy, I think I'd start by doing a trim to get his mane a little shorter and that would help a lot with the scraggly look, but you wouldn't have to wait an entire year for it to grow back out if you don't love it.


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

You're not the first person to now suggest trimming to me. I have thought about it, but the problem is, if I leave any more length than a few inches it will most likely just keep turning into dreadlocks in the wind, which is my main motivation for roaching it. And I really don't like the look of a mane three or four inches long... I do have a pair of clippers which should be fine if I replace the dull blades with new ones, since they sound like the way to go.

Trimming might still be okay, but I do love the look of a nicely done roach. It's just hair, and will grow back, so I don't think I'd be too heartbroken. :smile:


----------



## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

One con is that of you do decide to grow their mane back, it sometimes will lay cattywampus on their neck and in different directions. It'll also be scraggly for a while. My grandma nearly always roached her mare's manes for the summer and by the time winter came around, they were grown out again. I've personally never done it, because I like long manes and my horses don't have thick hair. (My poor paint only grows a tail to his hocks lol)


----------



## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I didn’t read all of the replies. I’ll go back later and look at them. I roach Bones’s mane. I don’t even think much about it anymore. I think he looks really good, and because his mane was so thin and pitiful it really just looks like it’s on the other side, so most people don’t even notice that it’s roached. Occasionally I get asked about it; I did branding this last weekend, but after I say look at his forelock they usually just laugh and leave it alone.

The only time I let it bother me a bit was going to show him cutting. It is definitely an oddity that his mane is roached in my world. I like it though. Even more funny is that we have a fjord colt that we let grow out his mane. Lol.


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Just an update here, for anyone who might care to know:

After much thought and reading through everyone's replies, I decided to go for it. I chopped his mane about two-and-a-half weeks ago. Cut it all off. The mane I hadn't touched in seven years. All two feet of it. :shock:

I had to resort to scissors despite my preference for clippers, because he apparently is really ticklish or doesn't like the feeling of the clippers on the top of his neck (though he'll stand stock still for me to trace clip him) and wouldn't stop shaking his head every few seconds with them. So rather than risk gouging out huge amounts of hair I didn't want to, I opted for scissors and a comb. I also found his mane is overall a lot thicker than it seemed. Left the forelock and wither tuft.

Not perfect, but I think it actually turned out pretty well using a comb and scissors. So far I'm really liking it and I think he looks pretty handsome with it. I'll be keeping the mowhawk for now and experimenting with shape as it grows.

So here it is:


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_I like it...._
I think it makes a difference though that you did not clean shave to the root but left some length and shape appearing.
Now to maintain the look...


----------



## ThoroughbredBug (Jan 18, 2017)

I honestly really like how it looks! I "roached" (more like a mohawk) my gelding for about 2 years while we were eventing heavily. Had it trimmed down to about 1.5"-2" most days. I did the front to back rounded look, a little shorter at the poll and withers. But I also rounded it over the sides, which really made it a mohawk lol 

The main con was fly control, but his fly sheet had a neck anyways so no big deal. And the biggest pro was not worrying about him keeping braids in from thurs or fri through a show till sunday evening! No more fussing about flyaways or shape of braids or lopsided knots or standing on tired feet for 30 minutes taking them out afterwards while he fusses about wanting dinner and his own stall. No more breaking hairs in a tight braid and taking them out just to see all these awkward snapped-off hairs and him looking like a wild gremlin.

His mane was overall a lot healthier roached I feel. I've let it grow out now, to about 4" and it does lie all to one side, just like normal, as if it were never buzzed off. Never had to do braids or anything to 'train' it back to the side flat (lucky me right?). I do want to roach it again, just for the aesthetic, but I'm at a dressage barn now and if I show with them I would like to be able to do a dozen nice big dressage braids. He grew back fast though so I could always roach it this fall and have a mane again for next show season.


----------



## InexcessiveThings (Oct 22, 2016)

horselovinguy said:


> _I like it...._
> I think it makes a difference though that you did not clean shave to the root but left some length and shape appearing.
> Now to maintain the look...


That is the trick, isn't it? Keeping it looking nice and neat. 

@ThoroughbredBug That's basically my thought. I can let it grow out over winter if I want to be able to braid it again. But so far I'm really enjoying the lack of maintenance and no mane tangled into dreadlocks or getting wrapped around my reins or stuck in the velcro on my gloves. It's not in the way anymore, which is nice.


----------



## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

I think it looks great, @InexcessiveThings! Good job!

I have a buttermilk buckskin mare who can get a beautiful mane down past her shoulders... IF it is maintained and she is in a treeless electric fence. Since she isn't, if left uncut her mane gets thinner spots in it as she is a horse and rubs on the trees when she itches. 

At the end of spring I take scissors to her mane and cut it down to about 1-3 inches, curved with her neck profile. She looks like the cutest little Trojan warhorse or Fjord. Especially since she is only 14.1 and has some stocky to her. 

I cut it maybe 2-3 times until November-ish, depending on my desires and how close I cut it the previous times. Then she grows back out over winter. We tried electric clippers the first time, but it wasn't worth the work of getting the cord out and cleaning them, it is so easy to do with scissors.

I have never noticed any sort of sun or bug problems for her. But she has a run in shelter, along with trees to go under and to rub on, so maybe that is why. Not to mention her 2 brothers to help scratch itches trees can't get. Of course she is the only one of the 3 who rubs her mane off in spots. Probably in part because even though she can get a long mane, being half appy and half quarterhorse, her mane isn't terribly thick in spots.

I attached 2 pics of her. One with her braids, though it is some 6 years old. And the other is from maybe 2 weeks ago with her most recent roach. Not the best pic, but the roach was done maybe a week or 2 prior.


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Love the roach, op!!

And that buckskin mare is stunning too, @GracielaGata 
#eyecandy <3


----------



## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Zexious said:


> Love the roach, op!!
> 
> And that buckskin mare is stunning too, @GracielaGata
> #eyecandy <3


Hehe, thanks! Yeah, she is my accidental eye candy heart horse. I had no idea what value people put in her color when I bought her as I was brand new to horses, and it was her brain and personality matching to mine that clicked. 
That 2nd photo was from when I took her on an actual trail jog, while her brothers stayed home and grazed, because she is a bit tubby and I wanted to run too instead of ride her. 
She just went along with it and seemed really happy out there jogging the trails with me.  I probably looked like a nutball with the 2 dogs running loose and me jogging with her in hand as we raced the dogs down the trail!


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

To be fair, no good horse is a bad color !


----------



## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

So true, so true.


----------

