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Question about how the mane falls

3K views 27 replies 14 participants last post by  ManicDaisy 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

I havent been around for a while. Spent the last few months trying to rescue and rehab a horse, just to 1. Find out she was way sicker and older than I thought, and 2. have her laminitis flair up the day before Christmas...and have to put her down. :/

That said—now I have friends offering me horses left and right, as I’ve earned a reputation as a steady, reliable horse-care person.

As such, I’m looking at this one guy: Appaloosa/quarter horse. Broke, age 11, small, no health or behaviour problems (Finally!) The only thing I can see “wrong” with him is his mane goes off in different directions.

Maybe this is not a problem? I thought I read somewhere that a mane that didnt all lie to one side could mean that there was something wrong with a horse’s musculature?

I’m also going to have the vet do a health check, and I’m going to ride him Saturday, etc... Gonna look at other horses. Not gonna jump in this time!!

But I did wonder about the mane thing. Is a right-and-left mane a sign for worry? Or just part of the range of normal conformation?

Thanks for the info.
 
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#4 ·
I think it's normal, too. I've had a few that were like that and they were fine horses.

I bet if you start a thread asking how to train a mane to lay on one side you'll get replies. I've done it on horses I knew I was going to sell (tip: don't roach/hog the mane or you'll be starting over! Says a past client)

I'm kind of curious about how my new horse's mane is going to come in. He was roached. And right now it is a very thick 3" long. I don't see how it will ever lay to one side!
 
#6 ·
Dippity-Doo and a good comb through daily. About roaching the mane...JC's mane stuck up and grew every which way when I got him as a 2 year old. The above method worked on him beautifully and he grew out a well behaved mane except for an occasional errant lock up by his poll. That only required banding it for a couple of days for a reminder of how it was supposed to lay. No pictures of his bad hair but you can see it grew back in nice.

left (hair) side

Horse Bridle Rein Trail riding Equestrianism


right side

Horse Mammal Vertebrate Pasture Grazing


And then there was Este...

To be continued because it won't add the new pictures and will hopefully work if I make a new post.
 
#9 ·
I've found just finger combing and firmly laying it over, over and over again at the base it eventually goes to the side you want. I do that with the babies if their manes are unruly. Gives them attention and encourages the mane to lay flat.
 
#10 · (Edited)
My gelding ices mane does the splits. It's really thick and I've been brushing it over almost every day.
For several years to no avail ,one shake of his head an its back to on both sides of neck.

I roached it off one summer came in full of cockle burs. It was one solid mass of burrs,a year later when it grew back.

Still massive thick still flops on both sides of neck. I've long given up on trying to get his mane to lay on one side.

He's a great trail horse so who cares about his mane doing the splits.
 
#11 ·
My mare has a very thick mane, and for the most part it stays on one side. There are some errant chunks up by her poll that wander to the wrong side. During show season I just make sure to braid her mane - it behaves for a while if I do that (at least long enough to look pretty for a show).

I can't recall where, but I did hear a while back that if a horse's mane fell on both sides that it was a sign they had something out and an adjustment (chiro) would help. I didn't put much merit into it though.

My older gelding has never had a problem with his mane (it always lies on one side) and I know his body is a hot mess.....LOL
 
#14 ·
So sorry for your loss :hug: I had to put down my Herbie right before Christmas too, and it was devastating.

If the horse has thick hair, would not worry about it going on both sides of the neck. Only way to control it would be thinning the mane, and training it to one side.

If the split mane was the only thing you didn't like, you are fortunate indeed! No horse is perfect :wink:
 
#16 ·
Hoof problems, that's what I've heard & has been true for my herd.
When I manage to get my ponies to have even hooves, none a little off, not excessively long, not lopsided and such, then the mane slowly flops back onto all one side, or evenly on both sides for my ridden gelding.
I have one project pony who has a club foot. When I first got her, the other front was tilted forward, evenly with the club. Her mane was even. After fixing the tilted foot, mane splits.
Can't say its true for all, but cannot say it's just hokum all together. A lot of odd things connect together and have an affect on each other & we're always learning of new ones.
 
#18 ·
The mane falls where the mane falls, and I'm too lazy to fool with it other than brushing and combing out.
It would be an issue if I was showing but the only thing my girl is shown is a trail. I'm thankful just to have enough to grab...just in case.

Sorry, I'm no help.
 
#19 ·
Sorry to @ManicDaisy and @AnitaAnne, tough to put one down.

I too read somewhere that if part of the mane switches over it could mean some issue in feet or an imbalance.
Have no idea how true it is.
I used to ride a a lil pinto rez pony with a big thick mane. Twice a year his mane would start to switch sides. Fall and Spring. Starting from the wither towards the poll but never really switching at the poll because it was so thick it just splayed out.

I have a mare with a beautiful long mane and the part closer to the wither is switched over but it only started doing it this winter when I began blanketing.

Something to consider, the Apps I have owned or ridden had funky manes and they did whatever they wanted.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for all the replies.

Yes, it was sad about the mare, but she was such a lost cause already by the time I got her. I never managed to get her to the point where she wasn’t limping a little. Even in easycloud boots.

I don’t think it’s realistic to try and manage chronic laminitis in a situation where there are no boarding facilities, and only pasture. Not if it’s an older horse with a compromised immune system. And there was only so much money I was willing to spend anyway on a horse past her natural lifespan.

As for the mane... he’s probably fine. Here’s a pic of the guy. He’s a sweet, stocky little man.
 

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#25 ·
Yeah shorter daylight hours trigger coat growth. Here colder temps also probably have to do with coat growth.

Yes ice is a cute boy,I live in Minnesota so horses need a decent winter coat.

So glad you have a nice horse he's very nice looking boy. Have fun riding tomorrow.

I had a quarter horse gelding who lived to be 32 year's old. My mom when she was into the horses. Had an Appaloosa mare who died at 24 years old. Literally dropped dead one day,was fine that morning dead by that afternoon.

My mom saw her stumbled almost fell let out several whinnies and dropped dead in less then 5 minutes.

Every horse is different some live longer than others. Just like people some live really long lives some not.
 
#23 ·
@AnitaAnne

I hear you about no horse being perfect!!

I’ve just had so many experiences with problem horses since I got into this world. Old, sick, lame, green... I feel like Goldilocks, looking for the horse that is “just right.”

My best options are this guy, and a little quarter horse that’s gonna retire early from being a trail horse. But the latter is closer to 15, while this guy is 11. And Appaloosas have a longer lifespan, on average, than quarter horses.

Besides, this guy is at the same ranch as the other horses I care for, so I’ve been able to go over and spend time w him in his pasture. He’s SO calm. Curious, friendly... Stands stock-still to be groomed.

He’s gotten great reviews from previous owner, from the farrier, he’s used as a lesson horse for kids... It’s kind of a no-brainer.

I’m gonna ride him tomorrow. :)
 
#27 ·
My sister's QH stallion was 35 when he passed. Her appendix QH gelding barrel horse died at 37. The stallion was 15.1h. The gelding was 16.2h. She currently has at least 3 percherons, still working carriage horses, that are in their mid-20s. I always assume a horse well cared for will live to 30, at least. I don't think size or breed are factors. Use and care are.
 
#28 ·
I can see this. A problem around here is that so many horses are poorly cared for. Both I’m looking at now have been reasonably well cared for. (Guy in the picture was out to pasture for a bit and got a bit fat. But nothing too serious.)

Many of the horses here spend years neglected, and when they do have medical problems, it can be hard to get them good and timely treatment. We have no indoor boarding facilities. They are all on pasture. The grass doesnt contain much in the way of minerals. There is no such thing as “stall rest” as there are no stalls.

Then there are some horses who have diseases, like humans do. My aunt died age 35 of lupus. Many die young of cancer, diabetes, etc...

Nothing is ever a guarantee.
 
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