Q&A for How to Braid a Horse's Mane

Yes, you can use a horse-specific conditioner designed for mane and tail care when shampooing a horse. These conditioners are formulated to nourish the hair, detangle knots, and leave the mane and tail soft and manageable.

Yes, only leave the braids in for 1-2 days at a time.

Yes, human shampoo can safely be used on horses, unless the horse is sensitive or allergic to a certain ingredient in the shampoo. However, it is best to use equine shampoo, which is specially formulated for horses.

No, baby oil is a greasy substance which will fatten the mane with grease and make it slippery and gross!

Try doing a French braid or just the common braid that humans use.

Take three pieces of hair behind the ears like you would doing a basic braid, and then plait like normal until you get to the piece of hair furthest away from the ears. Each time you get to this piece of hair, add a new chunk to it as if enlarging the bit of hair. This will make the braid go down the horse's neck.

You could try combing, brushing, or scrubbing them out with oil. If that doesn't work, your horse's mane might have to be cut.

Start by training the mane onto one side by braiding it with normal braids with sections about 1-2 inches thick. You can leave these braids in for about a week at a time, just keep redoing them until all of the mane falls onto the side you want. Most disciplines require having the mane fall on the right side, but check first. Once the mane falls onto the side you want, pull it until it is thinner, then trim it until it's even and the length you want. After that, you can braid the mane any way you want.

You could probably still braid your horse's mane; the braids would just be a lot shorter. It will depend on how patient your horse is too, as if there is too much pulling, your horse might want to wander off, so gauge it by how willing your horse is and how dexterous your braiding ability is on short hair!

If the mane is long enough, yes. Make sure you don't take a horse to a show like this, though, until you are sure it is acceptable in your discipline.

If you want to keep the braids in for any reason for a long period of time, like 2 weeks, braid it loose at the roots so your horse won't feel uncomfortable and scratch it out.

If you are doing a human type braid, then only braid from the tailbone to the ends. If you are doing a hunter tail braid, then you will take hair from the sides of the tailbone, and braid them in the center.