2019 Issue 2 - The Art of Roaching A Mane

An Art, For Sure

THE ART OF ROACHING A MANE
by Erica Peet

Yes, in my opinion there is an art to roaching a mare's mane. The right length and angles can greatly enhance the natural curve
of a beautiful neck. And, yes, a judge should be able to look past the haircut. But I promise, if you present your mare with her
mane done well, it simply blends into the picture rather than interfering and distracting and becoming something that the judge
is forced to look past.

I have been roaching manes since 2007. Wow, how elegance. A mare’s neck should not look overly cresty the way a
time has flown by! In that time the trend of the length of the stallion’s neck looks. The neck should have a clean, even arch. The
hair has changed. Back in 2007, we were leaving a good throatlatch should look tight and narrow in comparison to the thicker
2 to 3 inches of hair along the crest of the neck. Then in connection point where the neck attaches to the withers.
2012, The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse sent
Howard and I to Spain to learn about presenting halter Another piece of advice that I want to share was given to me
horses in front of Spanish judges. While there, I was taught from a Dressage rider. She had taken her PRE mare to a clinic with
how they were roaching their mare’s manes. a prominent clinician. At the end of her ride, the clinician pulled her
aside and commented to her about how she roached her mare's
Nourdinne, the head trainer, pulled out a mare and mane. "Do not put the high point too far forward. From a distance it
said, "Cut the mane." gives the appearance of the neck being ‘broken’ at the wrong place
along her top line, which we as Dressage judges would look down
No problem... or so I thought. I finished the mane, but on."
he gave me a strange look. "Are you done?" he asked. I
thought I was. The rider had the high point of her mare’s mane closer to the
head versus near the middle of the neck. Her mare was very light
"It needs to be shorter." he said. grey, and you could not really make out where the fleshy neck
“Got it,” I thought as I took it down another inch. ended, and the roached mane began. It had never dawned on the
"Shorter!" he repeated. rider that the judge would not be able to see that it was the mane
Yikes, okay, so another half an inch. He shook his creating that illusion, and that it did in fact adversely change the
head. At that point I was lost because I had never cut a "shape" of her horse's neck when viewed from a distance. From that
mane so short. So, I asked him to show me because I did point forward, she placed her high point much closer to the middle
not know how short he expected it. What he did next blew of the neck. I bring this up because is a great example of my point
me away. He thinned it out to the tiniest sliver and cut it to that a well-cut mane can make or break your mare's appearance,
about a total length of 1/4 inch at the high point and fol- even as a performance horse.
lowed the exact line of the crest. I had never seen a mane
cut that short in the US. Discussing the importance of the placement of the high point on the mare Gitana,
"But this mare has a weak neck, and this cut shows it with owner Jessica Daniel.
off.", I said, because she had a poor connection (a big dip)
where the neck and withers met.
"The judges are too good! They will see it no matter
what length the hair is!" was his reply.
Now, while I am deeply grateful for the lesson, I have
tweaked it slightly to my taste. And this is something that
everyone will have to decide for themselves. I do not follow
the exact line of a neck that I feel is weak. If there is a dip or
strange low point, as some mares do have, I do my best not
to show that off. In my opinion there is something to be said
for eye appeal. And yes, the judge will most likely notice
the weakness, but I certainly am not going to enhance it.
There are a few principles that you should keep in
mind when shaping a mane. You want to create a feminine

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An Art, For Sure

So now to the process of roaching a mane: Step 4: Decide where the high point of the mane will be and find
Step 1: Have the appropriate tools. the arch of the cut.

The most important tool is your scissors. I am very picky I typically put the high point just a little bit forward of center
about my scissors. They must be heavy duty enough to cut (toward the mare’s head). Now that I have my high point and
through thick, coarse hair. My scissors are carpet shears that two low points, I make the cuts to join them. I start at the bridle
you pick up at hardware stores. They make very clean precise path. I make a few long even cuts, keeping the tip of my scissors
cuts. I like them to be a decent length so that I can make long pointed toward the high point. Then I do the same from the with-
continuous cuts. I also have a smaller pair for more detailed ers. I work up the neck, again keeping the point of the scissors
snips, but I personally don’t find that I use them as often. Next, pointed toward the high point. If you keep the tip of the scissors
you need good clippers with a blade that is not dull. A dull blade pointed at your high point, you should end up with even lines. If
will take far too long to do the same job, and you risk making they are pointed elsewhere, your line will be headed elsewhere.
mistakes when you are trying to compensate for their lack of Once you have cut the entire length of the mane, you have an
precision. I also have blade wash handy in case the hair was not idea of how the arch will look. The mane is now most likely get-
very clean. Being short, I must also have a step stool. The stool ting thick as you get closer to the neck. We don’t want a roached
enables me to be at the level of all parts of the neck so that I can mane with a flat top (like Fjords). It should come to a nice point,
cut and trim it appropriately. which takes us to our next step.

Step 2: The horse must be clean. Step 4. 2
Your tools will be far less useful if the hair is dirty. The dirt 1

and oils will clog your clippers and make the hair tougher to cut
with the scissors. I scrub well down to the skin and root system
because I will be clipping away a portion of the hair there when I
go to thin out the mane.

3 Unwanted flat top.

My clean demo horse prior to demonstration. Step 5: Thinning out the mane.
I use my fingers to find where the fleshy part of the neck
Step 3: Cut or clip away all the hair at the withers and at the
bridle path. begins in the mane. Then I make a mark at this point with the
clippers. This will become the point that dictates the line of
When you do this, follow the angle of the withers into the where I begin to thin out the mane. Then I slowly make an even
base of the neck, and for the bridle path, follow the angle of the line following the arch of the neck forward to the bridle path, and
top of the neck. These two cuts will dictate the low points of the back to the withers. On mares who have thick mane beds that
mane and the angles of the corresponding cuts as you angle grow out wide over the crest of the neck, this point is actually
toward the high point. higher up than where the mane hair begins to grow. On mares
with thin mane beds that run along the very edge of the neck
Step 3. 2 crest, this point will be at the exact bottom of the mane hair line.
1
You will need to be aware of how much natural arch your
mare’s neck has. Young fillies or mares with thinner necks that

have not matured and filled out will
3 have little or no arch. You can cre-

ate the appearance of some arch
by the line you create as you thin
out the mane, and by leaving the
hair of the high point longer. Ma-
ture senior mares will have fuller,
nicely arched necks generally do

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An Art, For Sure

Finding the fleshy part of the neck. Step 6: Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to get the final shaping and length
established.
not need any line adjustments unless there is a fault in the neck.
Adjust your lines accordingly based on you mare’s conforma- Take your time as you begin the final shaping. Every time
tion. Once this line is established, I begin to thin out the mane. that you make an adjustment, be sure to take a step back and
view your mare from a distance. This is where you will see any
I hold my clippers at the same angle as the line I just created imperfections. Or perhaps the high point you thought you were
aiming for just does not look quite right. You can move it if needs
Immature 2-year-old with a long mane. Mature mare with a short mane. be. On my demo horse, my high point shifted back as I repeated
the steps. I realized this once I stood back to critique it. It was an
and make a slow soft sweep up and toward the center of where easy fix, with just the slightest of trimming from the withers for-
I want the point to be. I do this on both sides of the mane. Be ward to tighten it up a little, thus moving the high point forward.
sure to look at the mane from the rear end at times to make sure The mare started out with 3 inches of mane. By the time I was
you are thinning it out evenly side to side along the length of the finished, her mane stood less than ½ inch high.
neck. It is very easy to make a neck look weak and crooked if
you thin it out unevenly. Be very cautious while thinning out the Progression of final shaping.
mane. It is possible to accidentally clip an entire chunk out of a
mane if your mare unexpectedly shakes her neck. I have heard Step 7: Enjoy the final product!
horror stories of this happening to someone at a show and have My last piece of advice is; Plan Ahead. If you have never
come very close to this sad occurrence myself. My solution to
avoiding that mistake is to rest my arm along the neck so that if roached a mane before, practice far in advance of a show. You
the mare moves, she will push my arm and hand away with the want to know how your mare looks best and reshaping the mane
movement, rather than the mane moving into the clippers. a few times will help you find that sweet spot. Every neck will
present different challenges. And how your mare holds her neck
in your halter pose will affect how the mane looks. You have to
find what works best for you and your mare. Please keep in mind
that practice makes perfect. It took me a long time to be able to
shape a mane well without making mistakes.

As I said earlier, I have learned various ways of roaching
a mane, but I have tweaked the process I use to fit my own
personal tastes. You all should do the same. A beautifully
roached mane it so worthwhile! Whether your mare is walking
into a halter ring, trotting down centerline, looking gorgeous out
in her pasture or riding out on a trail, it is something that will be
noticed!

Before (left) and After (below).

Using clippers to thin out mane to a point.

Right - Viewing neck from behind to check if
my first pass at thinning out the right side of the
mane was straight and even- which it was not.

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