Burrs in Manes and Tails

I've recently started volunteering at the We Can Ride Stables in Minnetonka, MN. We Can Ride is this amazing theraputic riding program that was founded in 1982 and works in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. It is also a Premier Accredited Therapeutic Riding Center with North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).

They currently have 14 horses at the Minnetonka, MN location. These horses have big pastures where they get to roam around and eat grass to their heart's delight. Since most of my horse training took place in the DC metro area, when I came to the barn and was assigned horses to groom I encountered something I never had to deal with before. Burrs. Since all the horses live outside, and since it's colder in MN and they are starting to get their winter coats, several of them come in to the barn in the morning with burrs everywhere. After my new favorite pony Trixie (see photo above)(1) came into the barn practically dressed up as a burr bush, I wondered, what is the best way to get burrs out of a mane and tail without damaging them?

I turned to the authority on grooming for the answer. In the book "Grooming To Win: How to Groom, Trim, Braid and Prepare Your Horse for Show" by Susan E. Harris there is a whole chapter dedicated to the mane and tail. Ms. Harris tells the reader that the key to mane and tail grooming is detangling. "When detangling long mane of tail hair, start at the end of the hair and work carefully up toward the roots." (2) Harris suggests that the best way to do this is to pick out all tangles by hand. "If the tail is tangled and full of bedding or debris, spray it lightly with conditioner or a detangler. As the hair dries it becomes slippery and tangles, burrs, and debris will slide out more easily." (2) Harris cautions to prevent breakage not to brush the hair when it is wet.

In the end, the goal is to maintain a full and beautiful mane and tail. In order to do this, a groomer must be careful not to break or damage any of the hair. According to Harris, "Mane and tail hair is not shed, but grows at a steady rate of 18-25mm (about 2/3's of an inch) per month. At that rate, it can take years to grow a shoulder-length mane or a tail that sweeps the ground." (3) So next time I, or you, encounter a burr, take time to pick out as many tangles as you can by hand. If you need to, give the tail a quick spritz of a detangler of your choice, and gently pull out any burrs. Taking time and care so as not to damage any hair will lead to a better looking mane and tail, and who out there doesn't want a good looking horse or pony. ;)

(1) Photo above courtesy of We Can Ride website. www.wecanride.org
(2) "Grooming To Win: How to Groom, Trim, Braid and Prepare Your Horse for Show." 3rd Ed. Susan E. Harris. Wiley Publishing inc., Hoboken, NJ. 2008. Page 75.
(3) "Grooming To Win: How to Groom, Trim, Braid and Prepare Your Horse for Show." 3rd Ed. Susan E. Harris. Wiley Publishing inc., Hoboken, NJ. 2008. Page 40.