This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Frank Wijgers wrote:
>> I'm just curius, why the manes of a Norwegian Fjord ar always cut till about 10 cm. It looks good, but it is not natural. For me this means the length MUST have a function in wild life nature - most obvious to keep them warm and as a defense to flees in the summer time.>> Actually truly WILD horses (not feral) have short manes. The herd-members trim each others manes. It's probably done to make it easier for the horses to spot an enemy in the open landscape that are their natural home. The only wild breed left are the Przewalskii horse aka the Mongolian wild horse. This breed was extinct in the wild for some decades, but several horses were kept in zoo:s and bred there. Some years ago a herd was brought back to Mongolia and let free. I don't know what has happend to them. Another breed that is belived to be a wild species was the Tarpan, that lived in Russia and Poland and was extinct in the 19th century. I think that these horses had trimmed manes too. So actually, a short mane is very 'natural'. >>But I heard that the Vikings already did this, so there must be a very good reason for not leaving them at their natural lenght, except for just looking nice.>> Pictures from the Viking Period show horses with long as well as short manes. I belive that horse's hair has long been used for different purposes, like making strings for bows, matresses, halters/bridles etc. Somebody has suggested that riders who used the bow from horse back cut the manes to prevent it from being a problem when they handled the bow. This sounds reasonable to me and would explain why the horses of ancient horsemen like the Schytians according to pictures often had short manes. So, why do we cut the manes today? I guess it's tradition. Every breed have their own 'hair style'. Can you imagine an arab with cut mane? Or a warmblood with long mane like an andalusian? Or an andalusian with mane like a fjord? Here in Sweden many horses are now grazing in what used to be field used for agricultural purposes and these fields tend to be full with burdocks. Many times when I've brought my horses in for the night and found them COVERED with burdocks, I've thanked my lucky star for their hair style. Tail and forelock is completly enough when it comes to burdock-picking.:o) Regards from Anneli in Uppsala, Sweden
