Bridle path and winter coat question?

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You should take as long as it takes to shed it out. I've spent untold hours at a time removing cockleburs from tails and manes and shedding out pastured horses in the past.
Clipping is not good for the coat or the skin, and I never recommend it unless it is an absolute necessity to your pursuits.
Bathing does help to loosen stubborn hairs, but you still will need to use the shedding blade, curry, and brushes to get the whole job done.

If you are showing, then go with the AHA standards on how long to make the bridle path. But if not, then clip the minimum bridle path needed, since the mane provides an important protective function against bug bites, bee stings, and even sun and rain that can compromise the integrity of the skin. My Arab gelding show horse came to me with his show path highlighting his gorgeous neck. I retired him from showing, and quickly grew in more mane to offer protection from the elements, and I felt he was that much more beautiful with his fuller mane.
Manes, tails, coats, and feathers and even guard hairs all serve important functions in protecting the very sensitive skin of horses from the environment. It should not be taken lightly when we consider clipping and cutting it. If a horse is going to live anywhere near the way a horse is intended to live, then he or she very much needs that hair. Once you remove it, then it is up to you to assure that you will accommodate whatever is needed to provide the protection you have removed....Show more

An arabs bridle path is cut at 45 degree angle from the throat to enhance the graceful line of the neck. So, if the base of your hand is at the throat where the throat latch goes, tip your hand in a straight line from there until you get a 45 degree angle on the neck.

This is the general rule but it is exploited to enhance or shorten the appearance of neck and throat which is so important in breed standard.

Yes, you can use scissors, I do but I always neaten up with hand clippers. No need to use the big chunky ones for wiskers and cleaning up edges.

Its a waste to clip out a winter coat, you will only damage the nice summer coat underneath. You can try a hessian or jute rug which will rub out the old dead hair as the horse moves, they really polish up a coat. Try to curry at least once a day but if I really need a coat gone I curry in the morning for a few hours then again in the afternoon. Yes its hard, but think of the great toned arms you'll have and the nice shiny coat your horse will have! There is no substitute for grooming....Show more

Grab your curry comb and shedding blade, girl (or dude)! If you body clip now, you will be damaging the summer coat, AND there may be more cold weather, even here in Florida, its chilly this morning. You probably won't be able to get it all during "3 hours currying out," Curry as long as you can each day, I spend about 1/2 hour just working on the winter coat. All the winter hairs don't break loose at the same time, so, unless you wait until awfully late, one marathon grooming session just won't do it. Also, you won't have to curry hard, I just spent about 20 minutes sort of brushing a rubber curry over my hairy retired little pony, and she looks a lot better. I was standing around talking to people, and just kind of rubbing her with the hair, and the hair just rolled off, it wasn't any trouble at all. I do not like shedding blades, they are metal, with teeth. I believe they both hurt the horse, and hurt the coat underneath.

Bridle path......I went to the breed website, Arabianhorses.org, and looked at the "horses for sale" section. I found that the horses in show garb did indeed have long bridle paths, the horses in their pasture wear did not. Come to think of it, I didn't look at any hunters. Went back and checked, and it looks like the HUS people may keep theirs a little shorter, but not much. Go look for yourself, and see what YOU like.

If you are going to cut a long bridle path, you need to use clippers. If you horse has a long mane where you plan to cut, you might cut it short with scissors just for ease, but follow up with clippers. If you are just going to cut an inch or two for the bridle, and especially if you are not going to show, just grab a pair of scissors, and snip, snip, snip as close to the skin as possible. A clipper always looks neater, though....Show more

For his winter coat, if you don't want to shave it, then you could curry it out, or use a shedding blade (not in the bony areas though, ie the face, legs, point of shoulder, point of hips). If you want to do your horse a favor, I would curry it, because that would feel best for him. It may take a couple of good sessions, but that's the option that would please him the most. After you groom him good, you could give him a bath or wash him down just to get any dirt and loose hairs out of the way. Then repeat the process everyday until it's all out. The point of the BRIDLE path is to make sure your bridle or halter is in the right place every time. As for how long you want it, that's up to you. Most people just use clippers to get it off, just because it's faster, and it looks even. I don't see why you couldn't use scissors, but just make sure your horse isn't tossing his head around when your trying to do it....Show more

you can body clip your horse if you feel comfortable doing so. if not yes spend 3 hours with your curry comb and a shedding blade. for the arab bridle path in thing it is a little bit longer than ear length, you can use sissors to cut down the part that is sticking up then take your clippers to clean it up a bit. hope this helps ♥...Show more