Growing out a mane?

My mare that I recently got has a really thin mane and I was wondering if there was any thing I could use to make it grow out and get thicker. She is an eight year old appaloosa. The previous owner said she used to have a thick mane but she rubbed it out. I want to show her this year so it just needs to thick enought to braid. My other horse which is her dad has a REALLY thick mane so I don't know why hers is so thin. What would be best to use to make her mane get thicker and grow out? Thanks!

You can keep it braided to help with length lost due to breakage. Maybe a turn out sheet with a neck to keep it from breaking off if she's rubbing. I've heard MTG is good for growth as well.

To make it thicker? Not sure about that one. If she has a naturally thin mane (which I'm sure you know a lot of Apps are follicularly challanged) there probably isnt much you can do about that.

Well, conditioner will help it a lot. I like using a (people) conditioner called Fructis Sleek and Shine leave-in conditioner. It's works great. My horse's mane is about six inches longer than it was when I got her, and her tail is almost a foot longer. I know it helped because before I started using it her hair didn't grow near as fast. I bang her tail every now and then, also, to keep the split ends from moving up.

I also use this mane comb called a Grooma Rake. Here's a link to it: Grooma Rake - Grooming Tools from SmartPak Equine I can swear by this thing. I love it! It has spinning teeth so it's doesn't pull out hair, and it lasts. When it used to take me at least 45 minutes to brush out her mane, tail, and forelock, it now takes me 10-15 minutes. Brandy's mane is over two feet long, and her tail would drag the ground if I don't cut it, so that gives you an idea of how long it would take to brush! (I always put conditioner in her hair before I comb, btw.)

I recently started putting maintenance braids in my horse's mane and it's growing even more. I take it out every week and then condition and re-braid. So maybe you could try that, too.

I don't know if I can braid it right now because it is so thin but I will try. I'll try the conditioner on her when she is at my house, she still lives with her previous owner because she is still green and I'll also have to try that brush it will work good on my other horses too. Since the guy said that she used to have a thick mane I was hoping that I could get it thick again but I'm not sure if that is possible.

I agree with HorseCrazyTeen about using conditioner. Softer hair is healthier hair and it's less likely to break off. I haven't used that grooma rake brush but that's good info and may be a good product, I'm ordering one today to see if I like it. Good general rule of thumb, if you can feel or hear your brush breaking or pulling out hair, STOP USING IT! I use soft bristled body brush and work out any small tangles or knots by hand. Yea it's a little more tedious but well worth it. Also, I feed BioMane. It's an amazing product that has my horses growing mane and tail like crazy! Their hair is so much healthier and thicker too. I highly recommend it. Biomane.com