Am I the only one who enjoys pulling manes?

I’ve pulled about 20 manes over the past couple of days, and everyone else in the barn seems to feel sorry for me. Truth be told, mane pulling is probably one of my favourite grooming jobs – I love the satisfaction you get from the instant improvement in the appearance of their necks. Plus, once you get into a rhythm, you can just zone out and ponder all those important things like the meaning of life, or which flavour Ben and Jerry’s to try next. Of course, it’s not quite as relaxing when the horse is trying to throw you into a wall or bite your arm off, but thankfully most of the horses here are pretty civilised.

One of the babies starting to look much more like a performance horse than a paddock pony.

Clipping, on the other hand, is a complete ass of a job. It requires far more concentration, not to mention the personal physical discomfort.. especially when you’re unprepared and not dressed appropriately. I washed my clothes twice and took two showers, yet I was still itchy when I got dressed again the next morning.

Another job which isn’t so fun is picking out feet each time you bring a horse in from the paddock. When I arrived, I wondered why there was a hammer stored with the hoof picks, which were all bent out of shape. Now that I have become well acquainted with the awful icy lumps that pack themselves into hooves and involve a military operation to remove, I understand why hoof picks need to be hammered back into order. Definitely one of the more dangerous and frustrating aspects of a snowy winter!

One nasty, icy hoof

One bent hoof pick – and handsome Casarino checking it out.

5 thoughts on “Am I the only one who enjoys pulling manes?”

Love the blog ! Please consider coming to the West Coast when your 3 months are over east of the Mississippi !
AZPaintedHorse ( CBH )

I love pulling manes, especially when they are long. It’s so satisfying to see the before and after.

Ice packed hooves look crazy tricky.

I’ve always admired your OCD in relation to mane pulling. If you and AnnaEurabbie had a baby, it would be Miss World on a pony.

Roger Fitzh wrote an article this week on equestrianlife about being a good student and the whole thing reminded me of you. This especially:

“A good student will always be diligent in their attention to the presentation of their own gear and their horses. Whether they are at home and you drop by or at a show, gear will be clean and well fitted, with a well groomed and conditioned horse. It is not just about the riding and the physical attention to rider fitness but to the horse and the impression you impart. It is a sport where first impression and attention to preparation and presentation of horse and rider speaks volumes. Good students turn up for clinics and lessons immaculately presented.”

I check daily for updates. Loving your writing style.