Some horses are very sensitive to having their manes pulled, while others are not. If you have never pulled a mane before you should have someone with experience show you how. This is done to thin the mane, making it look more tidy and making it easier to braid or band neatly. The idea behind this is that the hairs will be slightly torn on the bottom and will look natural. It's hard to get a natural look if you use scissors. You can use either your fingers or a pulling comb designed for the job.

You may find pulling the mane easier after a workout because the horse's pores are open. To pull a mane, grab a small section of hair at the tips, then comb backward toward the base of the mane. Long hairs will remain in your hand, but most will be pushed up, out of the way. Wrap the longest hairs around the comb and tug them out with a quick downward motion. If they don't come out easily, use smaller sections. Continue down the neck, stepping back occasionally to check your work. Keep in mind that while this process doesn't appear to hurt most horses, some hate having their manes pulled. These horses may benefit from having their manes thinned with a razor comb. If you're using a razor comb, simply back-comb a section and cut the long hairs 2 to 3 inches from the mane's base.

Note: Do not pull the mane if you intend to do running or continental braids. If you have straggly ends, carefully tidy them up. Do not shorten the mane!

Banding the Mane
Western horses have banded manes so their necks look thinner and the mane lies quietly. In addition to the small rubber bands the color of the mane, such as, hairdressers clips or clothespins (to hold the mane back); gel; and sectioning comb, you may wish to have banding tape or plastic for a polished look. To band a mane, separate a small section of hair and put a rubber band around it about inch down from the base (if it's too close to the crest, it'll stick up). Repeat with the rest of the mane. Keep sections even and adjust the rubber bands to line up evenly across the neck. The completed mane should look like a row of tiny ponytails. For some disciplines, you may wish to cover the rubber bands with banding tape or plastic tubes of the same color as your horse's mane or white to emphasize your horse's neckline.

Braiding
You'll need a braiding kit if you plan to braid your horse often. You can assemble your own from items purchased at the drug store, or buy a pre-assembled kit. You'll need: several 12-inch strands of yarn matching your horse's mane; small rubber bands; a braid pull-through (purchased at tack stores or you can make one out of some twisted wire, or you can use a crochet or rug latch hook); hairdressers clips or clothespins; small blunt-tip sewing scissors (to clip the yarn); gel or braiding product; and braid aid (a sectioning comb available at tack stores). I put each braiding tool in easy reach in a pocketed grooming apron.

Hunter Braids
You can braid a mane that is wet, dry or gelled — it's your personal preference. I favor braiding a damp, slightly gelled mane because it makes the mane neat and holds stray hairs in place.

To start, stand on your stool and begin at the poll. For easy access, fold the yarn in half and slip the entire bunch through the top ring of your horse's halter. Take your braid-aid and comb off a section of hair. Put your hair clip in the free hair next to your section of hair (this keeps the rest of the mane from drifting into the section you're braiding).

Start braiding the section down, keeping it tight as you go. About halfway down, place a folded piece of yarn in the center of the braid, and continue braiding, incorporating the yarn into it. At the end, wrap the two pieces of yarn ends around the braid's tail and knot them. Continue down the mane until all the braids are finished. You will have a row of braids with about 4 inches of yarn hanging down.

To finish them, slide the hook down the top of each braid, through the mane, and slip the loose yarn through the eye of the pull-through. Pull it up and out the top of the braid. The braid tail and excess yarn will now be through the mane and lying at the top of the crest. Crisscross the yarn under the braid, bring it back around to the middle of the braid and make a square knot. Clip the loose ends of the yarn. Remember to keep this all very tight or the braids will slip loose.

Running Braid
This resembles a long French braid and requires a long-ish mane. Start at the crest, braiding along and picking up a small section of hair close to the neck. Continue down the neck, incorporating small sections as you go. At the end, braid down the loose end and put in a rubber band. This braid slips out easily so should be done right before your class.

Continental Braid (Seen mostly on Arabians, this beautiful braid requires a very long mane.)
Band the mane. Split each ponytail into two sections and band each section to the adjacent split sections 3 inches down. Continue across the neck, then repeat the sectioning and banding 3 inches down. Continue this process at least halfway down the mane's length. It should look like a net, with the ends dangling loose. To highlight, wrap contrasting color tape around the bands.

Another variation, continental braiding requires the mane to be braided in individual braids as hunter braiding, and the using the continental style to create the web or diamond pattern. This requires a bit more work, but the finished product is stunning. The advantage to plaiting is that the horse can move around and shake his head, and it does not affect the mane style. Beginning at the poll, separate the mane into a row of small ponytails, or plaits, secured by rubber bands approximately 2-3 inches from the crest of the neck. Next, take all the hair from the first plait, closest to the poll, and half the hair from plait number 2 and secure the hair with a second rubber band about 2 inches below the first row. Then take the remaining hair from plait 2 and half the hair from plait 3 and repeat the process all the way down toward the withers, creating a second, alternating row. A third row can be added by repeating the process. You can finish the mane with braiding tape at each joint, although theuse of contrasting colored rubber bands is easier on the mane and just as acceptable.

Roached Mane (completely shaved off mane)
When all else fails with that severely chewed mane, Appy mane or a mane recovering from manege, lice or other itchy condition which caused the horse to rub off his mane, the roached mane is the simplest mane style to maintain. After washing the mane thoroughly, trim the mane evenly, while wet, leaving a ridge of hair approximately 1 inch high from poll to withers. Once the mane dries you can touch up any long or stray hairs and shape the mane to create a sleek look. You can also shave the mane off completely approximately 6 weeks prior to the event and let the mane grow out evenly on it’s own. You may need to do this for long manes so that the hair stands up straight when finished. This look works best with thick manes.