Conference noted::equitation

    My horse also has bad hair.  What a pain!  He has very coarse, and
    medium thickness mane.  I used to keep it on the right side and he also
    had a cowlick.  It is very difficult to keep it a manageable length so
    that I can band it and keep it flat.  What I have found to be the best
    is last year I bought a light all-season hood.  The manetamers don't
    work unless you have the one that attaches to the halter.  Even then,
    they have to wear it all the time.  
    
    I have to keep PeeWee's mane short and pulled and well conditioned and
    he wears his hood all the time.  It is a lycra spandex hood.  During
    the show season I bathe him, gel and band his mane and put his hood on
    and it stays really flat.  Then in the a.m. I take the hood off and
    spray the bejeezums out of his mane with really good hairspray and put
    the hood back on until his class.  Halfway through the day I have to
    take the bands out because they are starting to stand up on their own
    and then I spray them down flat against his neck!
    
    Mind you my shows are always 2 days of halter and showmanship so I have
    to go through this both days!!!
    
    Karen

    Be careful with neck sweats...they are not meant to be on 24 hours a
    day.  They do what they say, depending on the weather, sweat the
    neck...dehydrate is what it means to me.
    
    Our stallion had such a mane...we kept it braided before the shows and
    do somewhat the same routine as the previous note...kept it as soft and
    flexible as possible and hooded it just before and during the show for
    halter.  In addition, we did try to keep it thinned out on a daily
    basis.
    
    Good luck.

    Mane position depends on what type of riding you do; western requires the
    mane to be on the left side, english on the right. You could purchase a 
    slinky hood. Its light weight and you can leave it on as long as you
    wish. It actually will help thin out the mane as it will encourage some
    shedding. 

	
	So if right is for english and left is for western I
	guess that straight up (My pony) is for bare back??

	My Welsh-morgan pony has a mane that is so thick I 
	wish it would transplant to my head!

	We cut it, we thin it, we braid it It still looks like
	Woopie Goldburg's hair.

	Any suggestions?

	thanks,
		Carl

    
    	Carl,
    
    	Roach it, or enjoy it as a character trait... :)
    
    	Sherry
    

    There may be no sure cure for a mane that thick but here's what works for
    me...
    
    Let the mane grow long during the off season, (kinda late now) don't 
    shorten it until you have to.
    
    Get some hair gel and hairspray and comb/brush, keep it outside the stall 
    door.
    EVERY time anyone walks into the stall they put a few goops of gel in
    the hair and comb it to the side you want, then spray it with the hair
    spray which will hold until the gel drys. After a bit you'll only need
    to do the few pieces that fall to the wrong side.  it will take about a 
    month and then the hair will want to stay that way and you can quit.
    
    Shorter hair is harder to train, you may lose again after you shorten
    it.
    
    Sharon
    
    

    Some hairsprays leave a terrible white dandruffy powder in the hair,
    Don't buy Rave, salon selectives is nice.
    
    Sharon