Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Shortens mane and makes it look tidy . |
| Disadvantages: |
Dosn ` t last that long . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
I have a solo comb, I think it is my second, or it may be my 3rd. They do not last forever but are pretty useful. The purpose of them is to keep the horses mane and tail tidy. Some people prefer their horses manes and tails to remain in a natural state and leave their tail untouched (only trimmig the end). It is the same with manes. Some manes are long, again horses and ponies in a more natural state, native types, arabs, or some just prefer it. For those who prefer mane shorter, this look can be achieved by pulling the mane or if the horse doesn`t like it, using a
solocomb.
What is mane pulling?
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Mane pulling is exactly what the name suggests, pulling bits of mane out. It probably sounds cruel to a lot of people, but a lot of horses don`t mind it. The result is a neat and tidy mane. When pulling a mane, always start when the
horse is warm as the pores will be slightly more open, minimising the pain. A good time for this is straight after exercise. You grab a mane comb, it may be easier to stand on a stool, I always do. You backcomb a piece of mane and then puck out a few hairs at a time. Don`t pull out too many hairs as it may hurt. You start from one end and work your way along and the mane naturally shortens itself. It will finish off even aswell if the mane is regularly pulled. As well as shortening the mane, it also thins it, making it more managable, especially if planning to plait the mane.
I can hear a lot of people thinking how cruel it is, but most horses are not bothered by it. As long as they are exercised first, it shouldn`t hurt. If the horse doesn`t like it, oil of cloves may be used and rubbed well into the base of the mane. This is the same thing that is used on tooth and gum ache and is suposed to numb the pain. Howver, some horses still don`t like it, so it is not possible to pull their manes. This is where the solo comb comes in very useful.
How does the Solocomb work?
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The solocomb is you look at the picture has little pointed blades the same size as the comb. This is used in the same way as pulling, but it can`t really be used to thin the mane. You backcomb the mane as in pulling. You then place the comb at the spot of the length that you require the mane to be, press the lever and it cuts the mane. It does this by moving the blases along, accross the comb. It can also be used on the tail.
You continue up the mane in the same way as pulling. The only difference is, you will need to cut it at the desired length, unlike when pulling a mane, the length automatically is selected and stays the same length all along. It is more difficult to keep the mane straight, you need to pay more attention. It is necessary to keep standing back and looking at the length.
It is possible to thin the mane using the solocomb, but in my opinion, it is not really satisfactory. It does advise that if the mane is thick, you can cut the mane near the base of the mane. I have done this in the past and in my experience, it makes the mane stick up. The hairs are short, but not short enough and they stand up slightly, causing the rest of the mane to stick up.
Having said this though, it is very useful for a horse that doesn`t like its mane being pulled as it is completely painfree.
Results.
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After using the solocomb, the mane looks sleek and tidy, short and lies flat. As long as the operator has been careful that the lengths have been cut all the same, the mane does look good. It usually does not appear too thick as it is settled and can look very neat indeed. The only indication that the mane is thick is when you go to plait it when getting ready for a show. The plaits will resemble golf balls instead of neat, tidy little plaits. The mane can be thinned every now and again to overcome this by useing the comb, but I tend not to bother. I think the mane looks neater if it isn`t thinned when using the solocomb. I haven`t used it on the tail, but I don`t thikn it gets close enough to the tail for a nicely pulled look. I don`t usually touch my
tails.
Disadvantages.
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As well as the above, having to cut the exact length and not being able to thin the mane too easily, the comb is not always easy to use. You need to comb the mane through with an ordinary mane comb first as the solocomb is not strong enough to go through tangles. When using the solocomb to cut, only a few hairs can be in the comb at a time, or it will not cut. It will overload the comb. My comb is not working. I recently bought replacement blades, but this did not correct the problem. After backcombing and then cutting the mane (no problem) the button began to stop automatically releasing. This was not too much of a problem as you could lift the handle up again, but it just took a bit longer and made it a bit more difficut. The same happened to my friends. When the button on the handle releases, it takes the blade back to the start position. Having to move the button on the handle back was tedious, but not impossible. Eventually it stopped working altogether though.
When I first began experiencing a problem I bought replacement blades at around £5. Unfortunately, it did not do the trick, it still doesn`t work.
Do I recommend?
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Despite the problems and the fact that they don`t last very long, I still recommend as some horses do not like their mane pulled and as well as not being fair to do it, if they don`t like it, it is very difficult. It makes it possible to acheive a smart mane. When mine stopped working, I had to use an ordinary mane comb. I had to comb through it, then backcomb the hair, then get a pair of scissors and cut it where I wanted the length. This had the same effect but took a lot longer and it was a pain to hold a comb and scissors at the same time. I have not done for a while and will have to soon. At £12-£15 for the solocomb, I am not going to buy another one yet, though I probably will in the future. They are not that expensive, but scissors and a comb are cheaper. The need for replacement blades at around £5 pushes up the price.
My mares don`t like their manes being pulled and I will never do it again, I will always use a solocomb (but comb and scissors until I buy a new one). The comb probably lasted me a couple of years.
