Do you use a thinning blade or actual knife for trimming?
My experience with shaving the mane hairs where they were trapped under a saddle pad/blanket is where the abrading became a irritant to the animal.
It seemed best to either keep them shaved or long, but as soon a the stubble became high enough to "catch" is when trouble happened.
The people I knew who had short and decided to let it grow out did so over the winter when coat fuzzies went with the season and they rode not much because of snow and ice with no indoor arena, the horses got winter to R&R mostly.
By the time the riding of early spring began the mane had been growing out for 6 weeks plus which got it past the awkward stage of bristle stubble and softer with a slight lay-down started.
If you continue to keep close-cropped or shaved and have had no problems already then you are ahead of the game.
But...
that which is seen is
not much stubble to contend with.
Regardless of what saddle style you ride with, tenting your saddle pad/blanket to reduce friction and strangulation of the wither will also reduce the over-stimulation of those hair follicles in that location that can cause sores.
If you decided to pull to thin length and thickness....
Because it is so long I would cut 1/2 the length gone you want to start with...then start to pull or you would makes her very sore.
Then take the hairs, tease them up and out of the way, wrap the comb around a few remaining at a time...apply pressure and hold it....count a slow 5 then pull harder. Not only does it stop the sudden reaction of "ouch" but it almost always helps the body to give & release the hairs not hold them so tightly you could tug her neck upside down and still not have a release.
Poll and wither areas are the hardest to pull with minimal reactions... I find the apply pressure, hold, count then truly pull is easier on the horse.... The exact sequence timing can vary animal to animal in how sensitive they are to the tickle and ouch they get...soon though the ouch is nonexistent when you get their rhythm learned.
I would not shave gone any more length of the mane myself cause it is truly going to be noticed how short
I also continually "snap" longer pieces gone so it is a often thing to feel that twinge and my horses do not fling heads nor give me grief on clean-up day....they are truly used to me pestering their hair all the time...
Looking at her mane though makes me think she is not coarse but finer mane hairs so actually pulling may take to much thick removed....you want her to have a mane so instead I would razor to the length you want. Always work from the underside outward so short is not seen makes it stop the blunt look of a scissoring job the not so skilled leave behind.
You don't want blunt, you want it to softly lay down against the neck.
No matter what that length shall be, the messy look at the bottom needs gone as it does nothing to enhance her appearance imo. It detracts and is a invitation for catching debris and making dreadlocks that indeed tear the hairs gone trying to loosen the snarls.
To me, the first 3 pictures are attractive and well kept longer manes... The last 3 pictures are not attractive and appear scrawny, unkempt and ratty...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but take any of the last 3 pictures and get rid of the thin, scraggly, unkempt bottom edges and that animals appearance now radiates with health, good care and well-being...
Same as a man or woman walking around with a neat appearance of their hair or those who walk around with limp,long and hanging...no shape to it. Which do you think is more appealing to look at?
I found you this,
The Long & Short of Horse Mane Care
Make sure to read the
Shortened or Pulled section carefully as it makes reference to short necks and what mane style is best for appearances..
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