Pulling The Mane - Doesn't It Hurt?!?!

G'day Horse Lovers,

I was reading an article about pulling a horse's mane today, and I kept thinking "wouldn't that hurt the horse, having the hair jerked out of its mane?!"

So I am asking this question, to find out. Can anybody please help me? Its just awfully strange sounding the way they do it, I mean people don't knowingly hurt their horses or anything, it just sounds like it might hurt and I am wondering.

Thanks in advance and sorry for blabbing in that paragrah, lol.

Gotta Gallop,
H.appy H.ooves

Don't worry...it doesn't hurt :)!! Just sometimes horses get mad at having their necks pulled on!!! None of my horses seem to mind it so... i'm pretty sure it doesn't hurt!!

I am not sure that it doesn't hurt, or at least irritate some of them. Maybe it is just what Nita said, that they don't like having their necks pulled on.

My stallion has a very thick mane, and when he was 3, I pulled it. After that one time, every time I gather his mane as if in preparation to yank out a few strands, he shakes his head so I lose my grip and can't do it. He is very aware of what is coming and doesn't like it. Since then, I just kind of cheat...I use a combo of a razor comb and thinning shears - it is not perfect, but my horse is happier.

What I learned a while ago was that the nerves don't go to the top of the horse's mane but end about an inch from the mane. Not sure if that is true or not. But like everyone else said I don't think it is the pulling of the mane that bothers the horse but the pulling of the kneck over and over again.

Hope this helps!

G'day Horse Lovers,

Thanks for your help everybody, it is much appricited :)

Gotta Gallop,
H.appy H.ooves

I don't pull my horse's mane. For one thing, he is only 3, and has the attention span of a child. He gets really antsy and fidgety when he gets bored or restless, which would make pulling his mane an even more strenuous and frustrating task. For another thing, I can't stand the time it generally takes to pull a mane. So I also use the combination of the thinning scissors and razor comb. It definitely doesn't look as nice as a pulled mane, but who cares? I know he doesn't...and I don't...then again, I'm not heavy into the competitive scene, for which you might have to have a nicer looking mane. Plus, even if it doesn't look great when it is first done, it grows in nicely after a few weeks and looks a bit more evened out.

In the end, you just have to do what is most comfortable for you and your horse, and also take into consideration if you're showing or just doing pleasure riding.

Before pulling a horses mane the trick is too lunge the horse or do it after a ride, as a horse is exercising the heat from his/her body causes the skin's pours to open and relax. You will find the horse is more comfortable during the pulling process as it requires less force and pulling to the skin.

They don't have nerves in their manes, so while some horses are irritated by the pulling sensation, they aren't actually feeling the hair being pulled out. The only time you really need to "pull" a mane is if it's really thick and is too poofy to sit down right at a short length. My horse's mane is thin, so I just use a razor to trim it and it always turns out looking perfect.

This may bit a little of topic, but based on pulling.

I had a little mare and if I pulled her mane she would develope these scabby like growths on her neck.

I do not take great hulking chunks of hair out, only very small at a time, but no matter what, she would get them.

These growths could sometimes get up to 2cm in height and got stuck in her mane as they were quite goopy and the only way to get them out was to cut them out as if I pulled them I of course pulled out the hair that was caught in them, making it worse.

Has this happened to anyone, or has anyone else heard of it happening?