Mane Pulling

Today I took Ozzie to get his mane pulled. Ozzie has this really thick and frizzy mane. I have been dying to get his mane pulled. I can pull manes, but it takes me forever. The purpose of pulling Ozzie's mane is to get it shorter and thinner. Eventually I want it really thin so braiding or banding will be quick, easy, and uniform. I got to the barn at 10 am. Leo was cleaning a stall. Leo is the wonderful Mexican man that works at the barn. He used to work for some Olympic jumper and now works for this barn. Michael, the trainer, put Ozzie in the cross ties and Leo went to work at about 10:15 am. By 10:30 Ozzie was finished. I was awe struck. I couldn't believe it. That job would have taken me hours and probably two days because my fingers would have been killing me. I use a mane pulling comb, but still you can't help getting tired.This is Ozzie before. "Who me? I don't need a hair cut?" His long puffy mane. It actually looks kinda tame in this picture, but that is because half of his mane is on the other side. For a three year old, Ozzie has a lot of mane. I couldn't even get my camera out fast enough to take pictures of Leo pulling Ozzie's mane. He really did it that fast. Leo was just trimming up the edges when I returned from my truck with my camera. Just look at that pretty mane. All neat and short. I think Ozzie looks like a baby now. Just look at all that mane! That is a lot. I am still in shock at how quickly he pulled all that hair out of my horses neck. Leo cleaned up his mess and then went back to cleaning his stalls. As if it was nothing. Just an every day thing. Clean a stall, pull horse's mane, clean another stall. Leo is a wonderful worker. Oh, he also told me that he couldn't believe Ozzie was so well behaved for a three year old. That made me feel good. The poor guy has to deal with all the crazy Selle Francis warmbloods that they have there. They aren't all crazy, but they are all mostly 5 and under. So, they are young and spirited. Mostly because they are jumpers. They have a bunch of weanlings and yearlings too. And Ozzie is really mellow by nature. I lucked out with him. I think Ozzie likes his new do. I need to braid it so it stays all on one side. Now one thing that Michael, the trainer, said was, "Braid his mane to the right side." I guess he likes the mane to fall on the right side. I have always thought that it didn't matter. Maybe western people don't care. But even still I thought you wanted it on the left side. Boy, have I been wrong all this time and not ever known it? But while I was writing the check and singing praises to Leo, Little Cowpoke took a picture of Paw Paw and Cowpokette. Cowpokette loves her Paw Paw. I think she kinda looks like him. It's funny how much she looks like that side of the family. Oh, and she took five steps today. She might start walking after all. I was beginning to think she might crawl forever. She was so excited. Cowpokette screamed so loud. Girls, they are so different from boys.