I've owned horses for nearly ten years now, but I'm still a complete beginner when it comes to manes and tails. In the past I've been lucky enough to have a mare who had a thin mare that was little maintenance and a thick tail that I managed quite well.
However, both my experience with ginger mares have always been mammoths with hair, thick bushy manes with thin tails that just hang there. Admittedly, I've never wanted to take to them with scissors to get them short enough to then pull to the desired thickness (the manes) but whenever I did I felt like the Mother who cut their kid's hair using a bowl and blunt scissors - though this has slowly improved...but their tails have always had me stumped as they just never looked good!
Honey, bless her, well she is all out of order. I -want- to learn how to maintain a nice tail and mane year round, and not give up because I've failed to use my tools in a manner to flatter. I've watched many videos and gained helpful hints and figure whilst I'm not showing, I can learn to try a little more. I recently got her mane shorter for pulling so I'm not too phased by that... but I have no clue how to pull her tail/shape it in order to flatter. My instructor clips hers (I know not everyone enjoys that) and I do like the look and have used it in the past and find it very easy to maintain. But wonder if this would be my best option and then whilst it grows (hers does grow relatively well) shape it as I go?
Man I feel a little ashamed at how I'm just not sure what to do
Here's a couple of pictures to explain...
![Image]()
I don't like how it has flyaways all around the base of the tail underneath... it looks really untidy, adds to the fact that her tail is so thin and would like to have a neat tail. As you can see, mane is ridiculously thick, and I need to pull it!
![Image]()
I want to show her later in the year (much later haha) and so I'd like to get my not so okay skills up to being at least do-able for low level events. Is it acheievable? Hahah! Any handy hints?
However, both my experience with ginger mares have always been mammoths with hair, thick bushy manes with thin tails that just hang there. Admittedly, I've never wanted to take to them with scissors to get them short enough to then pull to the desired thickness (the manes) but whenever I did I felt like the Mother who cut their kid's hair using a bowl and blunt scissors - though this has slowly improved...but their tails have always had me stumped as they just never looked good!
Honey, bless her, well she is all out of order. I -want- to learn how to maintain a nice tail and mane year round, and not give up because I've failed to use my tools in a manner to flatter. I've watched many videos and gained helpful hints and figure whilst I'm not showing, I can learn to try a little more. I recently got her mane shorter for pulling so I'm not too phased by that... but I have no clue how to pull her tail/shape it in order to flatter. My instructor clips hers (I know not everyone enjoys that) and I do like the look and have used it in the past and find it very easy to maintain. But wonder if this would be my best option and then whilst it grows (hers does grow relatively well) shape it as I go?
Man I feel a little ashamed at how I'm just not sure what to do
Here's a couple of pictures to explain...
I don't like how it has flyaways all around the base of the tail underneath... it looks really untidy, adds to the fact that her tail is so thin and would like to have a neat tail. As you can see, mane is ridiculously thick, and I need to pull it!
I want to show her later in the year (much later haha) and so I'd like to get my not so okay skills up to being at least do-able for low level events. Is it acheievable? Hahah! Any handy hints?
