Roaching Your Mule and Donkey's Mane

From the June 1998 Issue of Mules and More

What do I need? Clippers, scissors, time, and patience; also a clean animal, and sharp clipper blades (dirty manes will prevent a clean, neat, and even cut and will dull blades instantly.)

1. There are two techniques:

A) Beginning at the withers, clip the mane up the length of the neck towards the ears, with a clean, steady line. First one side, then the other. The object is to leave roughly 1/8 to 1/16 inch mane in the center line.

B) Beginning at the withers, clip toward the mane itself, all the way up to the ears, taking off a little width at a time, while leaving ⅛ to 1/16 of an inch in the center line. Do this from both sides.

2. After clipping the sides off the mane, use sharp scissors to cut the height up the neckline.

3. Completely roach off the forelock back to where your bridle will cross over, about four inches behind that mark. Some like to clip the bridle path the length of the animal's ears.