# Taming the unruly forelock



## ClickMini (Apr 9, 2011)

OK, i've been at this for a while now, yet there is still one thing I struggle with. This is correctly trimming and grooming the hideous powder puff forelock, of which we seem to have many here. Please post any and all forelock tips here! Thank you.


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## supaspot (Apr 9, 2011)

Im so glad you asked that question clickmini , I want to know too ! , I actually like my boys forelock but I dont think it would be acceptable in the ring lol so do I just slick it down or should I remove most of it , long long /thick should it be?


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## Field-of-Dreams (Apr 9, 2011)

We clip the bridle path to the poll right where the bony (occipital?) lump is. Then we clip the sides in and undercut from the front till it's the size we like.





Slick it down with hair goo and your good to go. Pictured is Elvis- he's got a bushy forelock in the winter, so there is hope for you!

I do have to be careful with Sunny, though- he begins to SHED his forelock in August and by Nationals he's pretty thin. By spring it's back.


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## HGFarm (Apr 9, 2011)

Yep, that's the trick- the right clipping and then hair goop. Use a close blade so it blends in with the body hair,but when you clip underneath, you wont be able to see that when the forelock is down over it.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Apr 9, 2011)

I know exactly what you're talking about as of course I've seen Esprit in person and I think he's the one you struggle the most with.




Honestly I think if I had a horse with his hair texture, I'd be washing his mane, tail and forelock once or twice a week before the show with a good strong leave-in conditioner and maybe keeping them loosely braided if you could without danger of him rubbing them. Maybe wrap a strip of cotton fabric around each strand to prevent breakage? You might experiment with Frizz-Ease, I use that product on my own hair when it's being crazy before a nice night out and it works wonders.



Too much does make hair heavy and a little oiled looking but that's not a bad thing in the case of a show forelock! The night of the show I would wash the hair, condition it heavily, then loosely braid (so as not to kink it but help it smooth out) and then shove it under the slinky the direction you want it under the halter. When you take it out the next morning, do NOT comb it!



Been there, done that, it ruins the entire effort.



Just finger comb it, smooth it with more water, then gel like crazy. I bet it will look great!

I'm lucky- Kody's got great hair texture like Spyder had and Turbo's has improved with age. Last year I had to rely heavily on that bottle of conditioner as without it he was a bit frizzy and fluffy-looking. With it though the improvement was 1000%. Wash, condition, slinky, gel- boom! But God save me if I brush that mane even the tiniest bit once it's out of that slinky.





I can help you with artful forelock thinning if you want the next time I'm over. I'll trade you for you showing me how to pull a mane!

Leia


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## My2Minis (Apr 9, 2011)

We have one with the Don King look.


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## AnnaC (Apr 9, 2011)

I agree that you might want to trim it a bit or clip as suggested above, but would add that here we use hair straighteners for any of our fuzzy manes and forelocks - just run them through on the morning of the show and the effect is brilliant, lasts all day too!

Anna


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## ClickMini (Apr 10, 2011)

ROFL!!! I got a few suggestions from the trainers at the barn yesterday, went and did as instructed and it looked OK. Went out last night to feed, and le powderpuff has returned! It is just a little less dense now! Poor Esprit. He has SUCH a pretty face, but that hair really distracts. I think I will try the hair straightener today to see how that works.


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## disneyhorse (Apr 10, 2011)

I kind of like forelocks... I don't mind clipping and shaving and all that but I hate the clipped-at-the-base-pencil-thin look, even if it does take the hair down.

What I do is braid the hair really tight when it's wet the day before the show. Right before the class, I unbraid it, apply a ton of gel to keep it together and get the braid kinks out, and go. Even the bushiest of forelocks can be slimmed down this way. I just can't bear to shave them off. Even my Modern Shetlands, who usually have them shaved completely off or to just enough to tie the braid in. Just can't do it.

If a judge wants to mark my horse down just because it has more forelock than the other competitors, then I don't care that much! I think it's the overall effort and appearance that counts, so make an effort in everything else





Andrea


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## mydaddysjag (Apr 10, 2011)

Clip as above, deep condition with cholesterol hair conditioner, smooth under a slinky hood, and the morning of the show, use a human hair flat iron on it.


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## HGFarm (Apr 10, 2011)

Hmmm,hair straightener? Let me know how that works... have some also with the Don King look, LOL


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## mydaddysjag (Apr 10, 2011)

The straightener defiantly works, then I add a little goop, usually gel or a wax to prevent fly aways. Ill see if I have a pic


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## weebiscuit (Apr 10, 2011)

mydaddysjag said:


> The straightener defiantly works, then I add a little goop, usually gel or a wax to prevent fly aways. Ill see if I have a pic


I'm happy for the tip about the Frizz-ease. I have a stallion who's forelock reminds me of those afros of the 1970's.


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## squeaky (Apr 10, 2011)

I have personally seen people use hair straighteners on horse's manes and tails. For me, I don't think that the judge's are looking at how straight the hair is. And if that is what they are looking at, then I don't need to be showing under them. I just do some clipping on the sides of the forelock, and clip to the "bump" in between the ears. For everyday, you will always have the fuzzy forelock look unless you keep it braided up. For shows, just wash and braid it the nigh before, then brush it out and gel it for halter class.

Amanda


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## Tenltraining (Apr 10, 2011)

WE normally use a #50 blade to make a v under the forlock, taking a little from the sides and then underneath it too. REmember to have your clippers aimed away from the forelock if you are not really very experienced yet with it so if the horse moves you dont take more than you want off. Take a little off at a time and step back and look at it. Too wide a forelock is distracting. Also a forelock that i way to long can be distracting too from an otherwise beautiful head. YOu dont want to hide a gorgeous head!

Everyone has their idea of the perfect thickness of a forelock so just take a little at a time and you can always go back and thin it a little more with your v underneat it. You can either have the forelock straight down, or to the side. We use a product called moisture max made by Lustrasilk. I use this product to help train the forelock down and to condition it too.It is a conditioner that is leave in. It works great and also does not dry out the hair like hair gels will as they have a lot of alchohol in them. Moisturemax goes on white for just a few seconds then absorbs into the mane and just gives a light sheen to it. It stays down and looks thinner for a neat look. Some trainers use something on the forelock all the way down the entire hair length and others just used a conditioner or wax on the top couple of inches, so try diffent ways and see what looks best on your horse. Also you can use the moisturemax on the top five or six inches of your tail too from your tailhead v on down to keep it looking nice and well groomed. Using a lycra slinky hood on the head and neck helps tremendously in training the mane and forelock down to show off the neck and head well. We use the moisturemax on the top part of the mane too near the roots and a little ways down to help hold the mane down a little better too for a nice sleek looking look. I normally put a bit on when grooming for the class and then again right before going in to the class. This is the best product Ive found and its good for the hair. Much better for the hair than the hair gels out there, we used to use them and they caused the hair to dry out really badly.


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## ClickMini (Apr 10, 2011)

Thank you so much, Laura! And everyone else who has contributed suggestions! I will have to take a photo of Esprit at the show to let you know how it goes.


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## Field-of-Dreams (Apr 11, 2011)

Tenltraining said:


> We use a product called moisture max made by Lustrasilk.


Is this a horse product or a people product?





THANKS!


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## Tenltraining (Apr 11, 2011)

It is an african american product and is a white cream. I believe I bought it at Ebonyline.com last time and they had good prices. It is made by Lustrasilk so you might have to do a search on ebonyline for that. It is often at Sallys Beauty Salon too. If you put it heavier at the roots it helps then just work it down a little. Ive used it for over 15 years and have not found anything I like better. great product.


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## Shari (Apr 11, 2011)

supaspot said:


> Im so glad you asked that question clickmini , I want to know too ! , I actually like my boys forelock but I dont think it would be acceptable in the ring lol so do I just slick it down or should I remove most of it , long long /thick should it be?


He is a beauty!

Have to say I am different about showing, Working with the Andy's back when and having Icelandic's. I think the cleaned but natural way of showing horse's looks better.


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## supaspot (Apr 11, 2011)

Thankyou Shari





Im glad I dont have to trim it too thin , its his crowning glory and helps to keep flys away from their eyes


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