Why pull a mane?

My very outspoken, 86-year-old neighbor said that I need to pull my horses mane and thin out her tail. Uh, no thanks! He acted like something was wrong with her having a thick mane and tail! I do not agree at all.

I love my horse's long, thick mane and tail. I have to trim her tail to keep it off the ground. They really don't tangle much at all and I think they're just gorgeous! So why would you want them to be thin or short?

Why do people "pull" their horses manes? I know that you have to do that for certain shows and things, but how did that get started? What's the rationale?

Well, you can't braid a horse's mane when it is long and thick, so you pull it to shorten it so that you can braid it for shows. You braid the mane for a couple of reasons
1. Courtusy to the judge.
2. So the judge can see how the horse carries its neck, which is a big thing in dressage and hunters.
I also like being able to grab that little bit of mane when I jump, becuase I find it hard to untangle my hands from a long mane, so having that short peice of hair to grab if need be is alot easier for me!

It is my personal belief that someone decided it looked better, and therefore it's standard. My girls are a Paint and a QH, both of which should have pulled manes by "breed standards" but I don't give a rat's tush. I'm with you, their manes and tails are beautiful, and I think you'd have to be clinically insane to mess with them.

I can still braid their manes in such a way that shows off their neck. And besides, they have a whole other side to look at.

Comes down to personal preference.

Has nothing to do with breed standards. It is more about what discipline you are showing in. Event like WP and Halter have pulled banded manes. When you do reining reined cow horse speed events and cow events they normally have very long thick manes. All are QH

Here are the things I have heard

1) people pull manes to make it easier to braid
2) So that when they are riding, long thick manes do not get in the way
3) makes a neck look Bigger, Thicker (also shows the judge how the horse carries the neck)
4) easier to maintain

Some people just have there preference, if they don't show... and some horses don't look good with a long mane. My mare's mane gets slightly long, but can get scraggly... I've pulled her twice, and she looks good with a pulled mane, but even better with a hogged/mohawk mane.

My gelding, I think he looks great with a long mane... but he'd probably look ok with a pulled mane.

It does have to do with breed standards, that doesn't mean it can't vary with discipline. You expect TB's to have pulled manes, I can't remember the last TB I saw without it pulled, but not a Morgan or an Arab or a Friesian. Kind of like Arabs have really LONG bridle paths, and say, the QH is only to the end of the ear folded back. And kind of like some breeds you trim up the feathers, but you'd be considered insane to trim up the feathers of a draft. It's also like keeping a Fjords mane in a mohawk. Just like show dogs need to be "trimmed up" just so. Breed standards all the way. Because someone a long time ago decided it looked better that way.

^do you want me to send you a pic of my TB mare with a long mane? It's down to her shoulder!

I don't like running braids on some horses, it doesn't flatter the neck as button braids to for some. It's a personal preferance

Personal preference I say. I LOVE Zu's mane long. It's getting so long right now, so happy. It's super thick too, same with his tail. I'm going to let it grow until it gets too hot (we're in FL) than I'll pull it just for his sake, to keep him cool.