Horse with long mane. The mane runs from the poll to the withers.

A horse with a "natural" mane. Though some thick manes have a natural wave, a mane grown out this long is kept in long braids when the horse is not being shown in order to protect it from breaking off.

A banded mane. Note that mane also has been pulled and thinned prior to banding

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The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. more...

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It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck, though heredity plays a role, giving some horses a longer, thicker mane, and others a shorter, thinner one.

Some horses, such as those used in circuses or in mounted displays such as Cavalia, have manes allowed to grow down to their knees. Others have their manes deliberately shaved completely off for style or practical purposes. When ungroomed, however, the mane usually grows no longer in length than the width of the horse's neck. Natural wear and tear limit the length, but lack of care also prevents hairs from splitting and breaking.

The mane is thought to keep the neck warm, and possibly to help water run off the neck if the animal cannot obtain shelter from the rain. It also provides some fly protection to the front of the horse, although the tail is usually the first defense against flies.

Ponies usually have the thickest manes, with horse breeds having tremendous variation in thickness and length. Other equids such as the donkey often have a very sparse, thin mane.

Grooming

All domesticated horses benefit from having their manes and tails untangled regularly to remove dirt, tangles and debris. Horses with short manes usually have their manes combed, while horses with longer manes are usually groomed with a human hair brush or a stiff dandy brush. Horses with extraordinarily long manes may have their manes hand picked to remove tangles.

For a horse show, the horse is generally bathed, and this includes the mane. However, in addition to a shampoo bath, many grooms of long-maned horses also use a conditioner or cream rinse on the mane to improve shine and manageability, though for horses with braided manes, the mane may be left alone or have gels that increase stiffness and body added instead.

To make a short mane grow long and lay flat, or to make a naturally full mane grow beyond the length it might normally reach in nature, the mane can be placed into six or seven thick, moderately loose braids to prevent breaking. Many horse show exhibitors of long-maned horses also like the wavy look of a mane that has been kept braided until just before a show and may loosely braid a naturally long mane the night before a show just to obtain a fuller, wavy appearance.

Beyond basic care, the mane is styled in various ways, depending on the breed of horse, part of the world, and the equestrian discipline of the rider.

The basic ways to style the mane include:

Natural, which includes manes conditioned to grow extremely long; Pulled or thinned, where small clumps of hairs are pulled out along the underside of the neck until the mane is three to five inches long and thin enough to lay flat against the neck.; Braided (USA) or plaited (UK), seen primarily in English riding.; Banded, divided into many small sections with a small rubber band placed around each, seen on some breeds used for Western riding.; Roached" or "hogged: shaven off down to the neck.;