Caring for the Mane: A Friesian Grooming Routine
Long manes and feathers are a Friesian signature — but they need care. Our daily, weekly, and pre-show routine, distilled from twenty years on the brush.
A Friesian's mane is its calling card. A well-kept mane is the difference between a horse that photographs and one that does not. But long hair is also fragile. Here is the routine we have settled on after two decades of trial and error.
Daily — five minutes
Every morning, every horse gets a quick mane and tail check. Pick out any large debris with your fingers, never a comb. A wide-tooth wooden comb or a soft jelly brush is fine for the surface, but the bulk of detangling should be done by hand.
Weekly — twenty minutes
Once a week, work through the entire mane and tail with a quality leave-in conditioner — we like Cowboy Magic for the daily, and a heavier silicone-based detangler before bath day. Section the mane, hold it at the base to take tension off the roots, and work from the bottom up.
This is also the moment to check the crest itself for any signs of rubbing or dandruff. Friesian crests are heavy and can sweat under blankets in winter — we prefer not to blanket the neck if we can avoid it.
Before a show — the night before
Bath, condition (leave in for 5 minutes, rinse), and braid the mane in loose pony tails to keep it clean and crimped. We use soft cotton wraps, never elastics, and never overnight braids that pull.
Feather
The lower-leg feather is the trickiest part of Friesian grooming. We keep ours:
- Washed weekly with a medicated shampoo to prevent scratches (pastern dermatitis)
- Towel-dried thoroughly — never left damp under wraps
- Trimmed only along the edge of the hoof for cleanliness, never up the leg
If you see flaky skin, scabs, or hair loss in the feather, treat it immediately. Untreated scratches can scar feather follicles and ruin the appearance permanently.
Tools we actually use
After twenty years of buying expensive tools and going back to the same five:
- A wooden wide-tooth comb (we like Gretzkys)
- A jelly slicker for the body
- Cotton wraps and a roll of vet wrap for show braids
- A small pair of trimming shears
- A microfiber towel for the feather
That's it. The rest is patience.