Manes

[Shannon]

You will often see horses that only have the top portion of the mane braided, four or 5 plaits, then loose mane down to the wither for the jockey to grab.
A nicely pulled mane will show a neck off just as well as braids. I LOVE the look of a perfectly pulled mane. I can't beleive how many people sales prep and don't pull manes properly. It's always the first thing I do with a new horse, and that one little "pretty-up" changes the entire look of the horse.
Roaching, in my opinion, is ugly, unless you have a great heavy neck (which most TB's don't have), or a polo pony (who often have great necks).

[Sailor Kenshin]

What is that rubber-band thingie again? Roaching?

After reading this thread, I completely cracked up the other day when I SAW an Aqueduct jock yanking rubber bands out of his mount's mane during the march to the post parade.

[kimberley mine]

Roaching = shaving.

http://www.polo101.com/polomb/viewtopic ... f054f67381

That's a polo mare (and a darn good-looking one) sporting a roached mane. The last six inches or so are usually left long...emergency handhold.

[kimberley mine]

Mangalarga Marchador mares, the Brazilian gaited breed descended from Portuguese barbs, traditionally are shown with roached manes to show off the shape of the neck. Stallions are shown with very long manes.

A mare and foal:
http://usmarchador.com/images/mangalarg ... big_27.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

So tying the mane in little knobs is called....?

Forgive my density.

[KBEquine]

So tying the mane in little knobs is called....?

Forgive my density.

Braiding

[kimberley mine]

So tying the mane in little knobs is called....?

Forgive my density.

Braiding.

The shires and clydesdales--that's called rolling and is only done with the males. Mares are shown with their manes loose and flowing.

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/clydesdale.html

http://www.theequinest.com/breeds/shire-horse/

[Bast]

I'm assuming the main reason a long mane is a PITA for jocks is because their low heads would be engulfed in flowing horse hair?

But a full mane looked good on Dr Fager.

[pfrsue]

Unless you're talking about button braids, which are a different form of hunter braids. I used to do my very cobby looking mare up in them and she looked adorable. There are different braid styles (button, flat, running) on this page (scroll down just a bit to see them.):

http://equineink.com/2009/11/page/4/

[madelyn]

I've done all those kinds, plus a medieval braid, which involved a running braid down at the ends of a long mane, which looks incredible.

I am a MASTER at tail braiding; used to earn my show entry fees as a kid by braiding tails on the showgrounds.