Many people cut a bridle path at the top of the horse's mane where the crown of the bridle or halter sits. A bridle path makes taking your horse's bridle on and off easier with less tangles. It also helps prevent the bridle slipping off – something that can happen with horses or ponies with extremely heavy manes and small ears.
Before you begin check how long you want the bridle path to be. Measure from the base of the ears back towards the withers. Generally, you can use the length of the ear as a guide. Arabians often have very long bridle paths to show off the arch of their necks
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 20 minutes
Here's How:
- Safely tie your horse or pony in an area with good lighting.
- Brush the mane so it is neat, tangle free and smooth.
- Pull the crown of the halter back to clear your working area.
- Fold the ear back if you are using it as a guide to length. You can tie in a piece of yarn as a marker where you want the bridle path to end.
- With a sharp pair of scissors, cut off the excess mane down to the length of about ½ inches (1 cm). Begin the cut about 1” back from the base of the ear. Make sure there is enough mane left for a nice forelock. Cut back to your marker. Go carefully, some horses won't like the sound of the scissors near their ears.
- To help the mane lie flat clip a small tapering triangle, about ½ inch (1 cm) long, along the underside margin of the mane where the bridle path ends. The base of the triangle should be about ¼ of the width of the mane and then taper back along the edge of the mane.
Tips:
- Bridle path trimming is easy to get carried away with. Plan your cuts so you don't end up hogging the whole mane.
- Check that bridle paths are permissible or what length they should be if you plan to show. Some breeds may not be clipped in any way and are shown with manes natural.
- Keeping a bridle path trimmed is easier than letting it grow out and re-cutting it infrequently.
- Stand on a mounting block so that you can look down on your work, rather than reaching up.
- When using scissors, keep the blade flat against the horse's crest and cut parallel to neck. Cutting across will result in a choppy looking trim. Go slowly and plan each cut.
What You Need
- Sharp scissors
- clippers (optional)
- mane comb
- yarn if using as a guide
- mounting block
