[Avishay]

I'm taking my 2 y/o APHA filly to her first schooling show on Saturday, to show halter and showmanship classes, and outside of playdays it'll be my first show in almost 5 years (I took a long break for school + raising my young horses + I got tired of the politics).

My problem is this: while I'm not going to be breaking my filly to ride for at least another 14-18 months, she will be broke with the intention of making her an amateur/novice level reiner, and so with that in mind I've let her mane get long (it's a good 24 inches or so). However, I realize that for halter and showmanship classes, pulled short and banded is the way to go. And I'll admit that all else aside, I just love the look of her long, lovely mane.

Pulling and banding is not required for this schooling show (or any of the shows in this particular series), but if she does well, I may try to show her at a little bit bigger open show series later this summer where her long mane would be more conspicuous.

My thought is to let her go with her mane long but still banded this time, and then make the decision to pull or not based on how she does (meaning, whether I'm likely to go to the open series).

Logically I know that I can let it grow back at any time, but I hate that messy 'in-between' stage, and while I have no problem pulling a horse with an "ok" mane pulling a very good mane is a bit off-putting.

Thoughts? Opinions?

[shyxpony]

Hmm. Well, I know a couple quarter horses/paints/stock-type horses that have GORGEOUS, long, flowing manes. My opinion is, if you can get it that long, just leave it. I show a welsh so I don't know for sure but I don't think a judge will mark down a paint for having a long mane. I think they just don't like that 'messy in-between stage,' to use your words, so you should either leave it long or keep it short.

But I really am not sure about what a judge will mark down or not mane-wise, so I can't really be of too much help here - sorry! But I definitely love the long manes and if you can get a long mane on a paint it seems like a waste to make it short.