How to Promote Equine Mane Growth

I have a 3 year old Tennessee Walking Horse and we trimmed part of his mane some time ago to remove tangles. However, it appears not to have grown back over the last year. What can I do? (jeff black - North Carolina)

It is quite common for horse owners to discover that after trimming or accidental hair loss (i.e. an incident with a fence) the mane does not quickly recover its full vigor. First of all, try not to wash your horse's mane too often - as this will strip the hair of it's natural oils and may cause breakage. Every horse has different needs, depending on their own physiology, the mane length and the level of work they are doing. Use a detangling and conditioning product before combing to keep individual hair strands healthy and regularly wash and condition the mane from once a week to once month. When damage occurs, use thinning shears to sparingly remove damaged strands.

Secondly, you can try several over-the-counter products which have proven results. For example, Shapley's Original M-T-G is very widely recommended and has a proven track record of producing up to 3 inches per month hair growth, by eliminating the causative agent creating the underlying skin problem and conditioning the skin and hair around the damaged area.