Aaaa haired model horses, beautiful, majestic, so realistic and yet SO ANNOYING! We've all been there, that one model whose mane just WILL NOT BEHAVE! That model who gets to a show and looks like they've sat on an electric fence. I feel your pain. But do not fret! Here are my top five ways to sort out those pesky manes.
1. Toothbrush Time
The most effective way to groom manes and tails is using a toothbrush. Choose one with a flat head as this will allow you to smooth the hair out (as apposed to those weird fancy ones that are all wiggly).
You can combine this with other techniques to help smooth a mane. It is a good idea to keep a toothbrush in your show kit as a last minute solution to any loose hairs in the show ring.
2. Water
Your first go to for taming manes is going to be water. This is the most gentle thing to put on your horse and will be the least damaging item to use.
Apply the water to your toothbrush to get it damp, them smooth down the mane to get it to sit where you want. You can combine with clingfilm to help 'set' the mane in place.
3. Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo is by far the best product I've ever found to sort out manes! I started to use it many years ago to help deal with Equorums which are by far the worst manes I've ever had to deal with on my haired models.
Like the water you don't apply it directly to the horse. Instead spray it onto your toothbrush and then use these to brush the mane and tail. It is less liquid than water and so causes less dampness if you then wrap the mane to set.
This is the one I use. There is no special reason for this other than I already owned it when I decided to try and have used the same can ever since!
4. Cling Film
Cling film is used to 'set' manes and tails in place. It works best if the mane is slightly damp before you wrap it. Once dampened into place wrap the mane (or tail) in cling film to hold it in place. Leave on for a few days before removing (the easiest method is to do it before you pack the horse for a show and then remove it for the show day)
Here is a before and after of a horse that had its forelock wrapped. You can see in the first picture it's a bit all over the place whilst in the second it is sat beautifully.
5. Aggressive Grooming
The final technique is a bit of a weird one but it is the only way to deal with Equorum manes and tails! Especially those horrid tails. This is the best method for over haired horses or ones who have had products such as gel or styling foam added and need this brushing out.
Lay the horse on your lap and then get a small hair brush (you want one that doesn't have teeth but has a softer finish). Vigorously brush out the tail onto your leg, don't touch the horse with the brush to prevent damage! This will brush out all of the knots. You may want to keep some extra mohair to hand to repair any lost hairs.
You can use the same technique with longer manes as well.
Once done use a toothbrush and dry shampoo to shape and style, adding more hair if needed.
You can see the difference in this Equorum,, his tail is now a lot neater. It was also wrapped at the top with cling film to create a nice finish.
