I Pulled His Mane...Yes I Did!
>> Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I was tempted...oh how I was tempted. Tango's mane was really long. The scissors were in my tack box and I could see them out of the corner of my eye. "Who's going to really know if I cut off three inches of his mane then pull the rest?" I thought to myself.
Then I remembered what happened last year. Tango's tail had gotten so long that he was stepping on it so I decided it needed a quick snip...just for safety of course. Well, one snip led to another and then another and another. By the time I got things evened up, even poor Tango was embarrassed. His lopsided tail was an eyesore for several months.
So, I did what all knowledgeable horse owners do...I pulled Tango's mane (gently of course) for
over two hours. Tango was patient until we got down to the last fifteen minutes. Then I popped peppermints into his mouth every other pull or so. By the time I was done, I actually think Tango could have gone for more...PEPPERMINTS!
The moral of this story is this: NEVER LET YOUR HORSE'S MANE GROW LIKE CRAZY ALL WINTER LONG. Spend a little time grooming while the ground is blanketed in snow and you'll save a lot of precious time when the tulips poke through the ground in the spring. Your wrist won't hurt so much either!
I know some of you animal folks out there (who don't have horses) will want to know why and how manes are pulled. Since it's really late, I hope your answer can be found in the comments to this post. If not, I'll get back to you later!
By the way, Tango is looking more spiffy every day. He WILL BE SPIT SHINED by Friday. Layers of dirt have been temporarily displaced by early baths. Why? So Tango can go outside, roll in the mud, and revel in the joy of the soft wet earth every morning. That's what horses do...at least my horse!
