Terrible looking mane...

[Sonya]

My bay gelding had a beautiful long (not too thick) mane earlier this year. I've noticed it getting thiner and shorter and shorter....

Right now it looks like a yearling mane - only about 4-5 inches long and all scraggely with a few hairs that are about 1 1/2 ft long. I think the other gelding is ripping/tearing it out when they play/groom each other.

What can I do? It looks awful! I was thinking a mane tamer or some kinda slinky to help protect what little he has left so it can grow out. What do you think? Do you think the other horse will just rip it off him? Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much

 

[Marty]

Hey Sonja, check your fence and just watch him to see if he' rubbing it out or if the other feller is in fact chewing it off. I would not turn him out with a slinky though. That would last about two seconds. Try some spray on it like listerene full strenth to ward off that mane predator, or just anything stinky. boys are so darn ruff. If you feed biotin that will promote new hair growth too.

 

[Sonya]

Thanks Marty - it's not the fence, although its welded wire, it also has electric strung on it, so they stay away from that. I will try listerine. I will check into the biotin, Flax should help to maybe?

 

[whitney]

Hey Neigh bor if there is enough hair left try braiding it into fat braids. Harder for his "friend" to pull out an entire braid.................................

 

[Cathy_H]

Do you have a goat....... They DO chew horse tails & manes - called goat burn..... The three horses that we sold to some local friends showed with short tails & manes this year because their goats chewed them off... The goats are now gone........ Is another horse chewing it off? We had to separate our new shetland filly from my mini filly because they became buddies & groomed each other constantly. The shetland being taller concentrated on her mane......... MTG is suppose to help the mane & tail hair grow faster.

 

[lucyem]

be careful making big braids. I know a friesian owner who did this. The horse got a braid caught, ripped it out and had a big gap of missing and then short mane.

 

[marion 59]

we had a colt once, who was "eating" his friends mane and tail. i sprayed mane and tail with hot sauce.... , you should have seen his face

he never tried it again

 

[MInx]

HI Sonya, Gee you can have all you want pf Shadows! That boy has the longest thickest mane I ever saw! Will have to get some help learning to thin/strip his mane next Spring!

Haven't seen you darling boys for a while, how bout some pictures>

AND how are you feeling? Better? Stronger? Still can't wait to meet you guys,

Carl and Maxine

 

[nootka]

No ideas, but I would nix the braids, too. I braided my filly's forelock and she caught it on something (lord knows, what!), then she had 3/4ths of the forelock gone and all I could think was "ouch" that must have hurt!

I think you're going to have to separate them from the offender or find something the mane chewer doesn't like to eat (but still safe to put on the horse themself).

Liz M.

 

[Black Magic]

I did the trim thing and then divided the neck into eight sections and put rubber bands into it, like I was going to turn him into a dressage horse... lol.. I have to do it every two or three days, but so far no more damage... I think the rubber bands snap when they try to grab the mane, and it scares our little guys into stopping whatever it is they are doing. For awhile I was sewing it like on a dressage horse... all thread... no rubber bands.

Now I have so much mane to pull, it's gonna take all winter! He just looks so hairy... it got thicker before we got the lenght back..... aarrgghh..

God Bless,

Lynn W