Horsehair is the long hair that grows on the manes and tails of horses. It is used for various purposes, including upholstery, brushes, the bows of musical instruments, a hard-wearing fabric called haircloth, and for horsehair plaster, a wall covering material that was once used in construction and is now only found in older buildings.
Horsehair can be very fine and flexible; mane hair is generally softer and shorter than tail hair. The texture of horsehair can be influenced by the breed and management of the horse, including natural conditions such as diet or climate. Processing can also affect the quality and feel.
Horsehair is a protein fibre that absorbs water slowly, but that can be effectively dyed or coloured with traditional dyes suitable for protein fibres. It can be felted, but not easily.
Uses of horsehair
Horsehair fabrics are woven with wefts of tail hair from live horses and cotton or silk warps. Horsehair fabrics are sought after for their lustre, durability and conditioning properties and are used mainly for upholstery and interiors.
Horsehair is used for horsehair crafts, horsehair braiding, pottery and making jewellery such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings and hairpins.
It is used to make some wall and art brushes. Painting is one of the areas in which horsehair is still widely used today. The horsehair is processed, cut to size and applied to brushes used for everything from painting walls to painting pictures that hang in galleries. Horsehair is desirable for brushes because of its smooth lay and its ability to hold a large amount of paint like a reservoir, so the painter has to stop less often.
Horsehair is also used for bows for violins and other stringed instruments. Another use in the art community comes from pottery and basket weaving, where the hair is used for crisp accents and styling.
The use of horsehair in fishing covers a wide range of applications. The most widely used application for horsehair is in fishing line. The hair is spun together and made into very long lines.
A historical use was gloves commonly used for fishing in the Middle Ages in the run-up to the 17th century in cold climates.
In the early twentieth century, surgeons used horsehair and silver wire to suture the incisions required for a facelift.
Origin
Most horsehair comes from slaughtered horses. Hair for extensions comes from the tails of horses in cold climates and is sorted by size. It comes mainly from stallions.
History
There has been some speculation about the first use of horsehair. Many sources indicate that the Spanish were the first, in the 8th century, to use horsehair as a textile. The first documented use, however, dates from the 9th century in Switzerland, where the Swiss used it for the plans of the Abbey of St. Gall. The plans, a blueprint for a monastery complex in the Middle Ages, are a nationally preserved treasure for the Swiss and were said to have been woven with horsehair.
In the 19th century it was widely used as stuffing for upholstery (such as for fabric benches) and as covering fabric for furniture. It was almost always the fibre used to make shaving brushes. It was also common in hats and women's undergarments. It was used in the hair to create the “Gibson Girl” look, and in the 18th century it was used in wigs. Until the 20th century it was often used to make brushes for fine art, along with sable, fox, wolf, goat and lamb hair. Calligraphy brushes are made from rabbit, fox or horsehair, among other things. For thousands of years, fishing lines were made from braided horsehair.
Other applications
In modern times, mane and tail samples of horsehair with attached root tissue are often used for DNA analysis of horse breeds. Private genetic testing companies regularly use the DNA extracted from the hair root follicle of horsehair for relationship testing, genetic disease testing and determining coat colour genetics.
Mane hair
In horses, the mane is the hair that grows from the top of a horse's neck or that of another equine, extending from the neck to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck. Genetics play a role, so some horses get longer, thicker manes and others shorter, thinner ones.
Some horses, such as those used in circuses or shows like Cavalia, have manes that are allowed to grow down to their knees. Others have their manes deliberately shaved completely for style or practical reasons. When they are not groomed, however, the manes usually do not grow longer than the width of the horse's neck, because natural wear limits the potential length.
It is thought that the manes keep the neck warm and may help shed water from the neck when the animal cannot get shelter from the rain. It also offers some protection against flies at the front of the horse, although the tail is usually the first defence against flies.
Ponies usually have the thickest manes, with horse breeds showing enormous variation in thickness and length. Other equines, such as the donkey, often have very thin, fine manes.
Brushing
All domesticated horses benefit from regularly detangling their mane and tail to remove dirt, tangles and grime. Horses with short manes usually have their manes combed, while horses with longer manes are usually groomed with a human-hair brush or a stiff dandy brush. In horses with exceptionally long manes, the mane can be pulled by hand to remove tangles.
For a horse show, the horse is generally bathed, including the mane. In addition to a shampoo bath, however, many grooms of horses with long manes also use a conditioner or cream rinse on the mane to improve shine and manageability, although in horses with braided manes the mane can be left alone or gels have been used to add stiffness and body instead.
To let short manes grow long and lie flat, or to let naturally full manes grow beyond the length they would normally reach in the wild, the mane can be put into six or seven thick, moderately loose braids to prevent breakage. Many exhibitors of horses with long manes also like the wavy look of manes that have been kept braided until just before a show, and can loosely braid the naturally long manes the evening before a show to get a fuller, wavy look.
As well as basic grooming, the mane is styled in different ways depending on the horse's breed, the part of the world and the rider's discipline.
The basic ways to style the mane are:
Natural, including manes that have been conditioned to grow extremely long
Pulled or thinned, where small tufts of hair are pulled from along the underside of the neck until the mane is 3 to 5 inches (76 to 127 mm) long and thin enough to lie flat against the neck.
Braided (US) or plaited (UK), mainly seen in English riding.
Banded, divided into many small sections with a small rubber band around each, seen in some breeds used for western riding.
“Roached” or “hogged”: shaved to the neck.
Whatever the style, many horses whose manes are not combed have a bit of mane at the crest, the area directly behind the ears, shaved so the crown of the bridle sits better on the head. This area is called a ‘bridle path’. It can vary in length from one inch to more than a foot. The length of the bridle path depends on the discipline or breed of the horse and it is important to take it into account when trimming a horse for competitions.
Discipline
Normal: the manes are usually kept natural or pulled, at the rider's choice.
Hunter seat: the manes are pulled to about 3,5 to 5 inches (89 to 127 mm) and braided with “hunter braids” for all major competition (usually on the right side). If the manes are braided, the forelock must be braided too.
Jumping: the manes may be braided (usually with “knob braids”, although a nicely pulled mane is acceptable. The forelock may or may not be braided.
Dressage: the manes are usually pulled and braided for all recognised competitions, braids being seen on both sides of the neck. The forelock is sometimes left unbraided, especially in stallions. Baroque breeds or other horses with long manes may compete in dressage with the manes “French Braided” in a long, continuous braid that follows the curve of the neck.
Eventing: pulled. Braided for dressage with “knob” or “knob braids” (although not always at the lower levels). Usually left unbraided for cross-country, because the rider may need to grab it. May be braided for stadium (usually at the higher levels).
Western: usually pulled, usually slightly shorter than for English disciplines, and “banded” (small rubber bands placed around small sections of the mane) for stock breeds such as the American Quarter Horse, unpulled and natural for other breeds
Reining and cutting: usually natural, the forelock may be braided.
Stock seat equitation: the same as western.
Saddle: natural, although a few long braids (usually the forelock and 1 or 2 in the mane) are allowed in gaited horses and American Saddlebreds, usually with a colourful ribbon attached that complements the rider's clothing. Three-gaited Saddlebreds have cockroach-like manes; five-gaited Saddlebreds leave the manes long, with a long bridle path.
Fox hunting: pulled and braided, usually on the right side.
Combined driving: usually styled according to breed. Pulled and braided for sport horses.
Polo: roached, to keep it away from the hammer.
Flat racing or steeplechase: pulled, sometimes braided.
Harness racing: pulled or natural, Standardbreds often with a long bridle path.
Endurance riding: usually left natural, although it varies by breed.
Breed
Knob braids
Certain breeds are often expected to have a specific styling for their manes.
The common styles in the United States are as follows:
In baroque breeds, such as the Andalusian, Lusitano and Friesian, the manes are usually kept natural and as long as possible, although at some horse shows the manes can be pinned in French braids along the top of the neck.
Saddlebred: usually long and left natural, with the “5-gaited” and pleasure horses having braids in the forelock and the first lock of the mane.
National Show Horse: long and natural, with a long bridle path, usually 6-8 inches (150-200 mm)
Arabian and part-Arabian: long, unbraided and natural in all cases, with a long bridle path, except for horses shown in hunter seat classes. If the horse shows in multiple disciplines where long manes are generally required, the manes are French braided for dressage, showhack or hunter seat competition, but if the animal is shown only as a hunter, jumper or dressage horse, the manes may be pulled and braided.
Connemara: pulled and may be braided
Morgan: long and natural, braided only in dressage and hunter seat classes. Usually has a long bridle path
Stock type (including Quarter Horse, Paint Horse, Appaloosa): the bridle path is usually cut to the length of the horse's ear and lies against the neck (3-4 inches (76-102 mm)), pulled manes, usually banded for western pleasure and halter, braided for hunter competition. Usually long and natural for reining and cutting. The length varies for rodeo competitions, often left long for some speed events, sometimes bald for roping events so the rope does not get tangled in the mane.
Warmblood: pulled manes, usually braided (on both sides). Short bridle path 25-51 mm long.
Thoroughbred: pulled with a short bridle path. May be braided, depending on the discipline.
Shetland pony: long manes with a bridle path of 4-6 inches (100-150 mm), possibly a braided mane lock.
Icelandic horse: the manes are no longer trimmed these days, cutting the bridle path is inappropriate. Thick and long manes are preferred.
Fjord horse: the breed standard for showing requires the manes to be combed to flatter the topline. Usually not cut extremely close to the neck.
Finnhorse: mane and tail are left natural for conformation showing. They may be, but are rarely, braided for other disciplines.
Pulling
A shortened or “pulled” mane.
The mane is often pulled to make it shorter and thinner. It looks much neater than simply cutting it with scissors, which does not make the mane thin enough to braid and creates an unnatural line. Pulling also makes the mane more manageable, because pulled manes tangle less quickly than natural ones.
Most horses do not object to having their mane pulled and stand willingly for the process. To make it more comfortable for the horse, a groom should pull the mane upward out of the crest rather than sideways or downward. Applying Orajel or clove oil to the roots of the mane can help numb the area while pulling. It is also recommended to pull directly after exercise, when it is thought that the manes come out more easily because the pores are open. Using a mane pulling device such as the ManePuller can also be considered, as it is usually faster and therefore less stressful for the horse (and the groom).
In some cases a horse is very sensitive and may constantly toss its head or try to bite when the groom tries to pull the mane. In this case only a few hairs should be removed at a time, with the pulling process taking several days, and the groom should try to keep the process up so the horse does not have to endure a long session right before competition.
Competitors in a hurry sometimes use thinning shears to trim the mane and give the impression that it has been pulled. The effect, however, lasts a few weeks at most, before the cut hairs start to grow back and stick straight up into the air. This method is therefore not recommended. Pulled manes also grow back, but it takes longer, and when the hair starts to grow it is less stiff and tends to blend more easily with the existing mane.
Roaching (US) or hogging (UK)
Spotted manes and forelock
Roaching or hogging is when the manes, and sometimes the forelock, are completely shaved. This is usually done when a horse's manes are rather ragged, or for certain disciplines such as polo and polocrosse, to keep the manes out of the way. Cobs can be shown with combed manes, and it is also common to roach the manes for certain breeds. In Spain, breeders usually comb the manes of mares and foals. The same applies to the Swiss Freiberger horses. The American Saddlebred “3-Gaited” horse is often shown with bald manes, while the “5-Gaited” Saddlebred horse is shown with full manes.
If a mane has been combed, it can take six to eight months before it stops standing straight up in the air and lies against the neck, and a year or longer to return to a natural length. For this reason horses usually have to be kept that way, although occasionally letting it grow out evenly on a horse with a damaged mane is effective as a last resort for manes that are partially torn out, very tangled or otherwise cannot be restored to a smooth state.
Braiding (US) or plaiting (UK)
Nowadays braiding is done to show off the neck, accentuating the topline when the horse moves or jumps. Braids can be used to hide conformation faults of the neck (a relatively short neck can, for example, be braided with a greater number of smaller braids, making it look longer). Braiding can be used to train the mane to lie on one side of the neck, if half falls on one side and the other on the other.
Traditionally the mane is braided on the right side of the neck. This is still the standard for show horses in the United States and eventers, although dressage horses are usually braided on both sides. It was also traditional in the US for male horses to have an odd number of braids and an even number for mares. This rule, however, is rarely or never followed by modern braiders.
Types of braids
An “Andalusian” or French braided mane on an Andalusian horse.
The most common braids in both the United States and the United Kingdom are knob braids, which are round and usually larger (so fewer in number) than hunters, or “flat” braids. In the UK all types of show horses are braided with between 9 and 15 braids, similar to the American “knob braid”. An odd number of braids is traditional, although judges there have become a bit more relaxed about it in recent years. The number of braids can be increased or decreased, depending on whether the rider wants the horse's neck to look longer or shorter.
Hunter braids or flat braids are smaller, up to 20-30 on a neck, and they are the only braid considered traditional in American hunter seat competition. They are usually not seen in other disciplines, although they are allowed for dressage.
Knob braids are a variation on hunter braids, where part of the braid is pushed up to create a “knob” on top. They are usually seen in dressage competitions, but are also popular in other flat classes, especially at breed shows, as well as in show jumpers.
The French braid, also called an “Andalusian” braid, is braided along the top of the neck. It is used on horses with long manes and is usually seen when a baroque horse breed competes in dressage, or in hunter and dressage classes for horses that would otherwise have to be shown with long, full manes.
The continental braid, also called a “macramé braid”, is also handy for horses with long manes and creates a “net” in the mane. It is not necessarily a “braid”, as it usually consists of simple knots or is even simply made with rubber bands or yarn, but it is periodically considered stylish in some dressage and flat classes, especially at breed shows for horses that naturally have long manes.
Scalloped manes are a less common form of braiding, where each braid is pulled up under the braid that is two lower (towards the withers), forming a series of loops. This is most often seen in the hunter seat, dressage or in the jumpers, although it is not as popular as the other forms of braiding. It is handy for manes that may look voluminous in traditional braid styles because they are a bit too thick or a bit too long.
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