Conference noted::equitation

    Try some of that "sting-eze" liquid that's used to numb insect
    bites on people.  

    -maureen
    

    To just shorten a mane, a shortcut is to use a plucking comb which
    is actually a dog grooming device.  It is used on dogs to cut hair.
    It is not a comb per se.  It has a handle and a short comb section
    where the teeth are joined in the middle with sharp edges.  You
    use it by running the comb back and forth on the hair - kind of
    like the way people used to tease their hair.  It ends up cutting
    the mane without pain or the scissor cut look.
    
    My Thoroughbred is very sensitive and it works well on him.  Luckily
    he does not have a thick mane.  There must be a way you could use
    the plucking comb to thin as well.
    
    Diana
    

    I bought something similar to the old razor combs barbers used to use.
    I contains a razor blade sandwiched between 2 sides of a comb. It's not
    very big but it does the trick.
    My horse reacts very much like yours does. I tried a twitch on him when
    he got really bad. That didn't work (plus I felt pretty bad that I even
    had to use a twitch).
    I found this "razor comb" and it's much better than a scissor since it
    won't leave a straight edge but a slight ragged edge. Plus you can run
    this comb through your horse's mane to thin it out.
    
    I just find using this comb is a much more pleasure experience than
    using a mane comb and pulling the hair out.
    
    By the way, I bought this comb at Saddle Shed in Grafton, MA. (rt. 122)
    I would assume most tack shops have it or can get something like it.
    		Cindy
    

    	I have the same thing that Cindy has...the razor comb.  I got
    	mine thru a hairdresser - I had a friend that was one and she
    	picked me up one where she bought her supplies for her business.
    
    	The blades last for a year or so (I only use it once a month
    	or so on only one of my nags).  It does work very well - I have
    	been pleased with mine for years.  
    
    	Good also for tails!  It can give a real nice "feathered look".  
    	My morgan has a tail and mane like hedges and I was forever 
    	thinning out both just to tame them down alittle.  My appy is 
    	just opposite... his never seem to grow much at all.
    
    	Susan

       An old clipper blade works very well, and isn't too sharp. If
       the blade is too shape you can make a mess. Just use it like
       a razor comb.

    Have you ever tried pulling your horses mane after you have
    ridden??
    
    I've had horses which object to having their mane and tail
    pulled, but I've always found after riding when there hot
    the mane comes out very easy and with no pain/irritation to
    the horse. 
    
    Try it its always worked for me..
    
    
    Jayne

re: .2
�    To just shorten a mane, a shortcut is to use a plucking comb which
�    is actually a dog grooming device.  It is used on dogs to cut hair.
�    It is not a comb per se.  It has a handle and a short comb section
�    where the teeth are joined in the middle with sharp edges.  You
�    use it by running the comb back and forth on the hair - kind of
�    like the way people used to tease their hair.  It ends up cutting
�    the mane without pain or the scissor cut look.


Does anyone know if we've got these in the UK? I have had a lot of trouble
with my horse in pulling his mane. I am at my wits end about it because
I have tried everything. Last summer we ended up hogging his mane, because
he wasn't being shown and he looked enough like a cob to get away with it :)
But I want to show him this year (and he's grown out of his "cob look" a bit)
and his mane needs tidying.

It is not painful for him. I know this because I've conducted experiments 
on him and noticed when it is exactly that he reacts to the strands being pulled 
(not when the actual pull takes place, only when I pick up the strands). Also,
I have managed once or twice to catch him by surprise and he didn't notice the
first one or two pulls. As soon as he caught on to what I was doing, there came 
the head throwing.

I think he has just decided he doesn't like it and feels he needs to make a 
statement of rebellion. He won't even eat (his #1 activity) while he knows
we are even thinking about pulling his mane. I stopped trying for nearly a year,
to see if he would forget about his "principles", but this week I started trying
again and after about 2 minutes of deep thought on his part, while I
worked on a little bit of his forelock, he started the head throwing again.
I don't want to twitch him, I would like to get to the point where he learns
that it's not as awful as he believes it to be.

thanks
Ellen

    Ellen,
    
    Yes, there are such things available here in the UK - I have to 
    resort to one for Crunch.
    
    There are variations on the theme and if you want to contact me off
    line I'll try and direct you to sources of the different types.
    
    Judy

� <<< Note 1010.8 by SUBURB::HARWOODJ "A sunken souffl� is a risen omelette" >>>
�                    -< Yes, thinning combs here in the UK >-

FYI,

In the US they are generally referring to in the dog world as a stripping 
knife (if you're cruising either catalogs or pet supply stores).   Most of 
them have a cutting surface on only one side so if you're a lefty you might 
want to look for a left handed one.    (And the description in .7 isn't how 
you'd use one on a dog :)