pulling a 6month long mane & I have a show in a week (h

I'm new to pulling manes since the lesson horse I used to ride always had a thin mane. But now I have discovered my own horse's mane is thick and long. I have a dressage show next weekend and only have two nights where I can go out and really spend time on her mane. So my questions are would it be better to use thinning shears or actually pull her mane or a combination of both, And also should I pull or cut without washing her mane, since the weather up here isn't bath worthy conditions and it is still to cold to give her a full bath should I just wet her mane and use quic braid or some form of detangler without completely washing and try to keep her as dry as possible? Thanks for your help.

I don't know about pulling because my mare has a thin mane and I just use scissors to shorten it.

Unless your horse is gray or has dandruff/ large particles of dirt in the mane, Id keep the horse as dry as possible. I just use water to hold the plaits but quick plait is supposed to work well. Just don't use conditioner because it makes the hair fluffy and hard to handle, and it wont stay settled in the plaits to well.

I'd also recommend keeping it as dry as possible. ;) You could use some thinning shears, but idk 'cause I never used them before.

If its long cut it first then pull it.

Pull the mane AFTER you ride. When the horse is warm or been worked, the poors are bigger and the mane pulls easier... do you have one of those tiny silver combs? They are awesome.

Good avice. Very good idea to do it after your horse has had a workout, will be easier for him and you 8)

Just how thick is it? If it takes you a while to pull it and you simply don't have time, I'd say resort to a combo of pulling and the shears. But avoid that option unless absolutely necessary. :) It's so much easier to keep show length if you pull it, esp if it's really thick. Do NOT pull it after washing it! The hairs break easier and it's easiest to grip chunks when it's dirty.

Another thing I've tried is just combing it in all directions deep by the roots (like, straight from ear to poll, and flip it over to the other side and comb it, then back to the normal side again, etc). You can also get your hands in there and just massage away for a bit. My horse really enjoyed this massaging. Anyways, my point here: all this will get out those tiny down-like hairs (possibly some others too) and really lessen the bulk of the mane. Pulling would be ideal, but in a short amount of time, this method helps partially. Again, after a workout would be best and not slippery conditioned either.

I have combed it the other way several times after I've ridden her and it helps a little. I know she doesn't mind if you pull her mane for too long but I know the way her mane is it will take way longer than I've ever made her stand for any amount of braiding or grooming. To answer how thick and long her mane is, it is about 7 inches long and thick (not anything like a friesian) but with mud and dirt from being outside all the time. It sounds like I'll have to comb, cut, then pull. I have wednesday and friday to try and get her ready. I never was expecting to go to a show this early but its experience for her so I got pushed into going last minute. Thanks for all your good advice it won't go to waste.