Why does a horse need a mane and how to care for it?

A horse's mane is a long layer of hair on the animal's neck and back that performs important functions. To prevent it from getting tangled and thinning, the horse owner needs to properly care for the pet: regularly wash the horse’s hair using professional detergents, comb it, and trim it. There are several ways to weave a mane, each of which requires extreme care and special skills.

Horse with a long white mane

Horse with a short mane

Red mane

Long dark mane of a mare

Short red mane

Gray mane of a horse

Beautiful black mane of a black horse

White horse

Young mare with white mane

Sense organs

The nervous activity of a horse is regulated by the brain, which is located in the cranium. By the appearance of the shape of the head, one can judge the type of nervous activity of the horse, temperament, disposition, character. The desired temperament depends on the economic use of the animal - racehorses need a lively disposition, and draft horses need a phlegmatic disposition.

Domestic horses are seriously inferior to wild ones in intelligence. But excessive “reasonableness” is only a hindrance to training. The horse is required to strictly follow the rider's commands, that is, they must develop conditioned reflexes to all kinds of stimuli.

Excessive mental activity will negatively affect the horse's sporting future.

The eyes of eastern (southern) horses are mobile, slightly protruding, while those of western horses are not very mobile, and the eyelid is massive and thick. When examining the eyes, changes in the pupil at different light levels, the nature of the surface of the cornea, and the presence of white spots on it are noted. Pay attention to the condition of the eyelids - the presence of bald spots, deposits or exudate on them indicates a pathological condition.

Deviations in the visual analyzer are common among horses (myopia, glaucoma, cataracts, periodic blindness). Due to poor eyesight, the horse's gait is impaired (it often stumbles, the forelimbs are raised high). The horse compensates for the loss of vision with other senses, primarily hearing. You can notice increased mobility of the shells, and with pathology of only one eye, an asymmetrical arrangement of the ears occurs.

The horse's sound analyzer is always on alert. This is an adaptive reaction that arose at an early stage of the formation of the species. The horse constantly listens to surrounding noises in order to identify danger in advance. Therefore, if you observe an animal, you can see how it constantly changes the direction of its ears. But if you make a sound (for example, start moving towards him), the ear will quickly turn towards you. In deaf animals (damage to the auditory canal, brain disease), the ears always stand straight and point their shells towards the eyes.

Due to the structure of the pharynx (velum palatine), horses cannot breathe through their mouths. Therefore, the quality of breathing is assessed through the nostrils. In racing horse breeds, the nostrils are usually wide with thin wings, while in heavy draft horses they are narrow and thick. An examination should determine the condition of the mucous membrane (the presence of discharge, redness, overlap, foreign bodies), the mobility of the wings of the nose, the quality of the exhaled stream (strength, smell).

Soviet heavy truck

Soviet heavy trucks are large and massive horses, capable of easily moving multi-ton loads. The breed was bred during Soviet times on the basis of Belgian Brabançons. The goal of the breeders was to create a powerful and hardy breed. The breed was officially approved in 1952. The horses weigh about a ton.

Height – up to 170 cm.
Suit. Red, red-roan, bay, bay-roan.
Exterior. The head is medium, proportionally folded. The ears are straight, less often drooping. Massive and wide chest. The neck is powerful and muscular. Wide and level lumbar part, the croup is forked, slightly sagging. The legs are strong and muscular. A lush mane and an equally lush tail.
Usage. Walks under saddle. Agricultural work, cargo transportation. Participation in competitions. In terms of traction qualities they can replace a tractor. They move loads that are too heavy for other breeds of horses. Ideal for large agricultural production and farms.

The breed is characterized by rapid growth and early maturity. At 2.5 years old, the horse can be used for heavy work. Unpretentious to feed. They have the ability to reproduce for a long time - mares can have foals even after 20 years.

Individual approach

Each horse requires an individual approach. For example, some are afraid of “tickling” (those with thin skin), so you should not use a hard brush in particularly sensitive areas. You should not push in cases where the horse shows dissatisfaction or does not want to allow a person to clean in certain places. It is necessary to make the animal understand by stroking and talking that there is no danger or harm to health. It is better to walk around the horse from behind, and so that it is not afraid of a sharp touch, keep your hand on the animal at all times.

To clean your hooves and comb your tail, you need to move slightly to the side, but at the same time stay as close to the horse as possible. In this case, you cannot stand behind the horse. In this position the horse will not be able to kick hard. Cleaning involves several “circles”. Therefore, when walking around a horse with another device, you should constantly keep your hand on the animal.

The main thing you need to know about horses is that care should not be a painful or unpleasant procedure for you or your pet.

Communication and behavior

The horse may move or curl its tail sharply to express dissatisfaction with the rider's commands.

The tail can convey basic information about the horse's physical condition or mental state. A high tail often indicates high spirits, while a tail held tightly to the buttocks often indicates discomfort. A horse will carry its tail higher and further away from its body the faster it goes. The horse must also raise its tail to defecate, and some digestive disorders, such as gas colic, may involve the clinical sign of the tail being raised higher and further from the body than is typical for the particular animal.

An irritated or dissatisfied horse may flick its tail sharply from side to side, and an extremely angry animal may go so far as to wag its tail up and down, as well as from side to side. A happy horse will generally have a relaxed back of the tail and will not move other than to sway in accordance with the animal's natural movements.

In cold weather, horses may stand with their hindquarters facing the wind and their tails held tightly against their buttocks to protect their bodies from the elements. If veterinary treatment involves examining the anus, or the mare's vagina, the horse may clamp its tail to protect these sensitive areas, although a human handler can usually retract the tail by moving it to the side.

A horse may stomp its hind feet and swing its tail before kicking, but sometimes the tail movement and the kick itself occur in quick succession before the recipient of the kick can avoid it. A horse that is about to jump may sometimes tense, arch or "bend" its tail in a peculiar manner, although this action will not be visible to the rider, who is normally looking forward.

While in harness or under saddle, the horse may express displeasure or resistance to the handler's commands, especially the command of the rider's leg to move forward, by curling or breaking the tail. Using spurs can be particularly irritating. Because tail whistling can indicate that the horse is resisting the rider's commands, the practice is usually penalized at horse shows in competitions where manners or responsiveness are judged.

Why does a horse have a mane?

The main function of hair on a horse’s body is protection from external influences. At the same time, the mane acts as a decorative element, an indicator of thoroughbredness and an indicator of the horse’s health status.

More details about the protection function:

In winter it protects the horse's skin from hypothermia.
In summer, it absorbs sweat and prevents overheating (by fanning the horse, it cools down).
Drives away flying blood-sucking parasites.
Protects against moisture during heavy rainfall, as the hair repels water.

Another function is decorative. At exhibitions and hippodromes, people always pay attention to the beauty, length, and well-groomed mane of a horse. Also, based on its condition and quality, the presence/absence of diseases, dietary features, and maintenance are determined. Therefore, a horse’s mane is one of the main indicators of an animal’s health.

Hairstyles

You need to prepare in advance:

a small sponge made of natural material;
a small iron or plastic comb;
a lot of threads cut from yarn, the length of which is at least 40 centimeters;
Crochet hook;
two scissors;
a bucket of water.

Horse breeders advise periodically trimming the mane, regardless of what color it is - it can be a horse with a black mane or with a different shade of strands. The point of these actions is to control the size of the horse's hair by removing too long hair. Everything is done in stages:

About 0.5 cm of the mane is pulled out at a time.
The longer hair is held with your hand, and the short hair is selected with a comb and thrown back to the other side of the mane.
Long hair is twisted around an iron comb and pulled out.

The animal's reaction to such a process is purely individual. Some horses don't like having their manes pulled, while others are completely indifferent. Therefore, if his owner is carrying out such actions for the first time, then it is better for him to enlist the help of a more experienced person who will monitor the correctness of the process and observe the reaction of the horse itself.

After pulling the horse's mane looks neater. In addition, this will facilitate the process of braiding braids and creating any other hairstyle. Thinned strands will look impressive on a horse's hair. This effect cannot be achieved with just one haircut, so pulling it out is indispensable.

In order to easily and simply pull the mane, it is better to carry out the whole process after the horse has worked, when the skin has warmed up and its pores are as open as possible. A small strand is grabbed by the tip, and the rest of the hair is combed to the sides with a comb. The hair that remains in your hand should be wrapped around a comb and pulled out with a sharp downward movement. If the strand cannot be removed, then it is done less frequently. And in this way all the hair is processed, adhering to the direction from the ears to the withers.

Today, Western horse hairstyle is in demand. Its highlight is that the hair is styled with elastic bands and ribbons so that the mane looks thin and neat. When creating a hairstyle, in addition to hairpins and elastic bands, you can use plastic clothespins, combs and styling gel.

In the process, a small strand is isolated and secured with an elastic band, clothespin or comb a couple of centimeters from the base of the mane. It is not recommended to do this closely, because the hair will look ugly. And in this way all the strands of the horse’s mane are fixed. While fixing each of them, it is necessary to monitor the resulting line so that it runs smoothly and evenly. As a result, the mane should resemble many ponytails. If desired, the elastic bands can be disguised by choosing them in a color similar to the shades of the mane. If the horse's profile is beautiful and clear, you can highlight it by choosing white elastic bands.

When a horse owner plans to braid his horse's mane frequently, he can purchase special tools at the store. But this is not necessary; improvised means can be made from what is at hand. This list includes:

laces cut from yarn, the length of which does not exceed 30 cm, and the color must exactly match the shade of the horse's mane;
small elastic bands;
iron crochet hook (if you don’t have one, you can make a similar one from thick wire);
small hairpins;
scissors;
styling product.

Hunting braids look original. They are braided immediately after washing or using a styling product so that the hair keeps its shape well. To make the braiding process easier, it is recommended to stand on a stool and start from the base of the mane on your head. One lace is folded in half and threaded into the ring in the middle. The hair that is next to the working strand is secured with hairpins. And then they begin to braid down a three-strand braid, tightening it as tightly as possible. In the middle of the weaving, you need to stop and attach a lace to the central strand. Then they continue to braid the braid to the end together with the lace. The end of the braid is secured with two threads as follows: the strands are wrapped around the thread, then it is threaded between the strands at the base, the base itself is wrapped and then the thread is twisted into a knot. And so they continue until the end of the mane. The result should be many braids of approximately the same length. For the finishing touch, the protruding strands and threads are removed with a crochet inside all braids. If you use white ribbons to tighten the base of the braids, you can get a beautiful curly comb. Such ribbons should be about 2 meters long and at least 1 cm wide. They are tied in this way: the base of the braid must be wrapped a couple of times with one end of the ribbon, tied with a knot to secure it and pulled to the adjacent braid, wrapping it similarly. When all the braids are wrapped, you can simply cut off the excess tape.

Long French braids are a good option, but they require long strands. Continental braids look very beautiful. This is a popular braiding method on Arabian horses. They are braided differently: the entire mane is separated into strands and fixed separately from each other. Then each of them is divided into two strands and connected with elastic bands at a distance of 7 cm from the base with the nearest strands. After 7 cm of length, connect the disassembled ends with rubber bands. Again, after 7 cm of length, you can repeat the process and continue it as long as the length of the mane allows. The result should be something like a grid. If you want to add contrast, then the places where the strands are fastened can be wrapped with colored ribbons.

Bone base

The bones of the skull form the oral, cranial and nasal cavities. The back surface of the skull and the base of the head are formed by the occipital bone - it is symmetrical and has a large opening and condyles for connection with the atlas. Another unpaired bone is the sphenoid, which continues the body of the occipital. It is distinguished by a body, a pair of wings and processes. The sphenoid bone is a partition between all the cavities of the horse’s head.

The lateral surfaces of the skull are partially formed by the temporal bones. They contain the auditory canals and the organ of balance. Also, with the help of the temporal bone, the horse’s jaws are connected and this is where the main strengthening of the chewing muscles occurs. The cranial vault is formed by the paired parietal (the sagittal crest runs between them) and interparietal (by the age of two years it fuses with the other) bones.

The frontal bones participate in the formation of the cranial and nasal cavities and orbits. They contain an extensive frontal sinus. Inside there is the ethmoid bone, which forms the basis for the organ of smell. It will also separate the nasal and cranial cavities.

Facial bones:

the lower jaw, paired, consists of a body and branches;
maxillary;
lacrimal;
zygomatic;
incisal;
nasal;
palatal;
sublingual.

Horses have several head shapes. There are animals with a short nasal part, a concave or hump-nosed arch. Initially, horses were divided into Western and Eastern. Asian animals were characterized by a short head, while the profile of the skull has a concave line - the most characteristic features are observed in Arabian and Mongolian horses. Western breeds have a more elongated shape with a hump.

Currently, this division is not so relevant (although Arabian horses still have a characteristic profile). Research has shown that the shape of the skull undergoes significant changes in the process of individual development and improvement of the breed. Thus, in newborn foals, the skull has characteristic features for oriental breeds, but with age there is a transition to the long-headed type. Moreover, this transition occurs the more strongly, the better the conditions of detention have been created.

Skeleton appearance

In the most general terms, the structure of the horse's skull includes the brain and facial sections and a free lower jaw. The recesses, each of which must accommodate a horse's eye, are located under the skull on the side of the bony base of the head. There are also auditory canals on the side.

Examining the horse's skull, you can notice its extensive facial part and many thin plates in the nasal region. Their large overall surface area plays a role in making the horse's nose sensitive to odors. The partitions also create a kind of labyrinth where the air can warm up before entering the lungs.

The head is connected to the body through the cervical vertebrae. The horse's skull is movably attached to them at the condyles. Further, the spine consists of the thoracic region, where its elements have long upper processes. This makes it possible to attach a large number of developed muscles of the shoulder girdle and withers. The dorsal and sacral sections of the spine consist of elements with less pronounced processes. The caudal vertebrae are smaller than all the others and have no processes.

The rib cage consists of ribs that are movably connected to the spine. The bones of the forelimbs do not form joints that connect them to the spine. The hind legs have a movable hip joint, and the pelvic bones are fused to the spine.

Muscles are attached to the bones of the skeleton. The horse's muscular apparatus is well developed and gives the animal the opportunity to perform various movements. The horse's skin is dense and covered with hair.

Additional procedures

In addition to washing, horse owners cut and style the mane and give their pets various hairstyles.

How to trim a horse's mane

Horse hair can be cut radically or trimmed, or curly inclusions can be made. Given the rigid structure, large, well-sharpened scissors are needed.

There is no need to restrict the animal’s movements for the procedure. Secure it partially with a cord (a cord with a carabiner about two meters long). If it's your first time cutting your mane and you're worried it will hurt, cut it after a run or workout. When a horse is heated by physical activity, the pores of the skin are enlarged, which reduces pain in the root zone when a hair is accidentally pulled out.

Video: Mane care

The procedure begins from the back of the head, gradually moving to the withers, after moistening the strands. Think about how long you want the final result to be, and keep in mind that the strands will become shorter as they dry. Trim the main length, and then, periodically inspecting from the side, trim the unevenness.

Popular haircuts with curly patterns on the mane today:

zigzag;
heart;
checkers;
hedgehog.

Getting ready for a haircut

So, if you decide to cut your four-legged friend, first you should prepare the tools and the place where you will cut the horse.

Horses have a rather rigid hair structure, so you need to use sharp and strong scissors. Large hairdressing scissors are well suited for this procedure, best of all those with one ribbed blade - they do not dull so much on a tough mane.

It is not recommended to tie horses while shearing - it is better to take the horse on a harness, it will be much safer, especially if it is being sheared for the first time.

Before cutting your horse's hair, you need to wash and comb his mane.

Young animals: full rights and usefulness

When weighing the dilemma, it would be good to have a clear understanding that not all breeds produce high-quality offspring. There are crosses that are not capable of supporting full procreation. Of course, each breeder adheres to certain methods of raising young animals. Having general rules, however, these approaches can differ significantly.

What they have in common is the following: rarely do any of the poultry houses that closely work with the breed have in their arsenal an excess of territory for their birds; as a rule, few can boast of spacious walking areas. There is also a tendency for the average poultry farmer to keep more than two types of pets.

Although space, as we have already found out above, is always critically insufficient, there is no reason to refuse any of the desired species.

Hoof care

Hooves are cleaned before or after basic grooming, there is no fundamental difference. Some people believe that starting with the hooves will make it easier to notice if the horse is lame. Particular attention should be paid to this part after walking on small gravel, stones, sand, which often gets stuck and causes inconvenience.

To care for your horse's hooves you will need:

hook;
brushes.

They begin to clean the hooves from the heel, moving along the edge of the front wall. Even though the end of the hook is blunt, it should not be used to clean off dirt in the V-shaped area (arrow). This is a very sensitive part that is brushed with extreme care. If you don't care for your hooves properly, they can become inflamed and even deformed.

For the outside of the hoof, you can use a coarser baleen brush. The same brush should be used to remove dried dirt from the bedding from the legs and rump. When the air temperature is not lower than 0, you can wash your hooves with foamy water and then wipe them dry.

Read also: Shetland pony: description of the breed, care features and breeding

In summer, other “cosmetic” procedures are also possible. For example, if the outer part (horn) begins to dry out and crack, you can wrap the hooves with damp rags, or even better, keep the horse in a stall with clay diluted with water on the floor for several days. After the procedure, it is necessary to lubricate the horn with Vaseline so that the moisture does not evaporate for as long as possible.

From time to time the horn should be filed, giving the hooves the correct beautiful shape.

Protection

As mentioned above, the hair of all living beings primarily performs a protective function. That is, it protects the animal’s skin from cold and heat, from precipitation, parasites and insects, and also reduces the risk of mechanical damage.

And the horse's mane is no exception here. A horse can easily drive flies or horseflies away from its neck or back by just waving its head. By the way, the tail of these animals performs the same function, only on the other side. Protects the rear, so to speak.

Animal hair

In principle, the hair of any animal, be it a domestic cat or a grizzly bear, in the wild performs one single function - protective. But man, having domesticated many species of living creatures, brought his own adjustments to this fact: domestic animals are cut and combed in accordance with their owners’ ideas of beauty and elegance. This is how a new – aesthetic – function of the hair of cats, dogs and, of course, horses appeared.

So, what functions does a horse's mane perform?

Horse coat care

You need to start cleaning the horse from the head, working from the left side. Then, walking around the pet, go to the right side.

To clean wool you will need:

Rubber and metal scrapers.

Brush with hard and soft bristles.

Cloth in the shape of a mitten.
The horse is wiped with cloth at the very end, thus adding shine to the coat and also collecting dandruff and dust that the brushes could not remove.

If you wipe the horse with a damp cloth after the coat has been brushed with a comb, this will make brushing much easier.

Instead of a cloth, you can also use a towel made from natural materials, for example, a linen rag.

It is better to buy brushes and squeegees on a belt: they fit well in the hand and are comfortable to use. As for the material, preference should be given to a rubber or leather base, since a wooden or plastic one can accidentally hit the animal painfully during cleaning.

Reliable protection for all occasions

Ancient people used horses as labor, but over time the situation changed, breeds and varieties of horses appeared: postal, riding, pleasure, sports, working. Regardless of their purpose, horses evoke admiration and love among people.

What is the first thing people pay attention to when they look at a horse? On the mane and tail - they are the ones who emphasize or negate all the beauty of the horse.

The mane plays an important role in the physiological development of the horse and protects the animal from various factors:

heat;
cold;
rain;
mechanical damage.

The horse uses its mane to drive away flies and blood-sucking insects with one wave of its head.

Body structure

The structure of a horse is determined by its type and general constitution, therefore different breeds of horses differ in appearance. Saddlebred horses have lighter, movable bones, well-developed shoulder blades and thin limbs. Working horses are muscular, massive with wide, strong bones and thick legs.

The neck consists of lateral parts, a crest with a mane and a throat. Normally it should be about 25-30% longer than the head, but the overall length and shape depends on the breed of horse. It is believed that a long, straight neck helps horses develop greater speed, which is why it is characteristic of riding breeds. Working breed horses have a wider, shorter and stronger neck; due to its shortened respiratory tract, such horses are less tired. The best shape is considered to be a straight neck, but with a good outlet and a convex nape.

A special part of the horse’s body, which is located immediately behind the neck and looks like a small convex hump. Looking at the skeleton of a horse, you can see that the withers are formed by connecting the shoulder blades with the rest of the body. However, the shape and height of the withers determines the ability to run quickly. The longer it is, the more it allows you to extend the front legs. But the high withers, like the horse in the photo, ensure good mobility of the neck.

The back is one of the most important parts of the body of a horse and pony, on which performance depends. It should be strong and proportional to the body. The wide, short back allows you to carry large loads. However, such a back reduces the maneuverability of the horse. In working horses you can often see a sagging long back. This phenomenon characterizes a loose constitution, but it is precisely this that transmits the work of the hind limbs, increasing traction.

The croup is the back part of the horse's body, which should be 35% of the length of the entire body. The croup should also be wide and strong to allow good support from the hind legs. The croup of all horses is different in shape: it can be sloping, straight or normal. The more sagging the croup is, the better for the horse. The shape and type of croup also very often determines how high or low a horse's tail is.

Limbs

Horses' legs have a complex structure. So, on the front leg there is a scapula, shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, metacarpus and pastern. The hind leg consists of the thigh, stifle, shin, heel, hock and pastern. The limbs end in hooves. There are also chestnuts and spurs on the legs, and some breeds have long tufts of hair on the pasterns - brushes or friezes.

A special role in the life of a horse is played by the hoof, which must be free of cracks, creases or other defects in the sole. In draft horses they are larger and wider than in racehorses.

To maintain the performance of animals, it is very important to properly monitor the health of the hooves, clean them on time or shoe them if necessary. For more details on the structure of a horse’s hoof, see our other thematic articles.

Styling a horse's mane

A common problem with horse hair is its tendency to become electrified. To avoid this effect, tamers are used after cleansing the mane. These are blankets that preserve your hair and protect it from external influences of natural factors. You can make them yourself or purchase them at your local pet store.

If this is not possible, then the problem of electrification can be solved by using gel while styling the mane. It is applied after combing from roots to ends. In addition, if you braid your hair, the gel will hold them in place, preventing even those strands that have come out of the elastic bands from fraying.

Sometimes, due to some reason, a horse's mane becomes weak and too sparse. A simple crew cut using pruning shears can correct this problem. Only in this case, it is gardening shears that are needed, and not ordinary ones. They do not damage the ends of the hair and help maintain straight haircut lines. You can cut the entire length of the mane, leaving a couple of centimeters from the roots. The new hair will become healthier and thicker. After cutting, you need to wash your horse with shampoo and a brush, and at the end apply conditioner.

How to care

Hair needs to be taken care of regularly, primarily for reasons of hygiene.

Under dirty and unkempt hair, an ideal environment is created for fungal microorganisms.

For cleaning you will need:

a wooden comb without sharp teeth so as not to injure the skin;
natural bristle brush;
microfiber cloth.

The procedure is carried out every day in stages:

Starting from the ends, towards the roots of the hair, they are examined with their hands, straightening out any clumps. Remove debris: branches, straws.
Manually carefully, dividing into curls, each is processed with a comb.
As soon as the comb no longer encounters resistance, the strands begin to be combed out with a bristle brush.
The final step is to wipe the skin under the mane with a slightly damp microfiber.

Following generally accepted rules, workhorses have their hair washed twice a month, and racing horses - once a month and always before tournaments or competitions. Veterinarians' recommendations: wash when soiled.

In winter, full washing is not recommended, as this can lead to a cold. Can be wiped with a damp cloth with added conditioner.

Cutting a horse's mane yourself: useful tips for care

A beautiful, well-groomed horse is a source of pride for the owner and slight envy of others. Well, the right hairstyle can elevate even the most unremarkable horse. In order for your mane to look well-groomed, it is not necessary to braid it in pigtails or rosettes. Sometimes it is enough to simply comb or trim it. Also, if you are patient, you can try to give your four-legged friend a curly haircut. In this article, we'll look at some simple tips for cutting and caring for your horse's mane.

beauty

The aesthetic function of the horse's mane developed historically in the process of integration of the horse into human history and culture. The mane of domestic horses is regularly washed, combed, trimmed and styled according to the owner's fashion and preferences. Long curls or a perky short hairstyle, and sometimes even pigtails or ponytails, give the modern domestic horse the style and charm necessary for his position. Maintaining a horse's mane in proper order is not a very difficult task, but it is quite troublesome and requires the daily work of the person caring for it.