What Does It Mean to Hog a Horse's Mane?

Grooming horses is a constant labor of love that dedicated horse owners find themselves doing on a daily basis. While having a long, luxurious mane is a beautiful addition to some horse breeds, in others, it is more of a hassle than it is worth, and in some breeds, the mane is removed as part of the show standard. This process is called "hogging" the mane.

  1. "Hogging"

    • The term "hogging" comes from the ridge of bristly hairs that stands upright along a horse's neck and back. When a horse's mane is "hogged" or "roached," the mane is cut down to the skin so the remaining hairs are bristly. When these hairs start to grow a little, they will stand up like hog bristles.

    The Cut

    • Most manes are hogged using clippers. A large, industrial pair of electric clippers are used starting at the withers and running against the growth of the hair all the way up to between the ears. The mane hairs are clipped completely off, down to the skin, and care is taken to make the cuts even.

    Purpose

    • In many cases, hogging the mane is done to save effort and time. Keeping a mane clean and tangle-free takes work, especially with the coarser hair of a draft horse or pony. The thicker and coarser the mane, the tougher it is to keep. In these cases, owners will sometimes choose to shave off the mane rather than keep it up.

    Show Standards

    • In some cases, such as draft horse competitions or in the Saddlebred show ring, hogging part or all of the mane is a show standard. The mane is cut off and another decorative item is placed in its stead. Many draft horses will have small ribbons that are placed to stand upright, accentuating the arch of the neck. Saddlebreds often have only the forelock removed, and a ribbon placed between the ears to hang down and move when the horse moves, creating eye-catching motion.