Frosty has a nicely arched neck and refined head and ears, I think she pulls off the roached look really well! Her mane is extremely thick and she does not like having it pulled (I also hate pulling it). So I got out the clippers and shaved it all off (left the forelock) for summer. It is a win-win situation, I don't have to pull mane and Frosty stays cooler in the summer heat. As an added bonus, when it starts to grow in a little more she will have a mohawk!
That being said, not every horse is a candidate for a roached mane. Speck has *ahem* a slightly less refined head and larger ears (love them!). He is a TWH and breed standard is a long mane. Speck has great hair, his mane is much thinner than Frosty's and he does not get too hot with it left long. I keep his bridle path trimmed back about 3" behind his ears because I prefer the look of a longer bridle path with a long mane. Speck's mane is long enough to be put in a running (french) braid for foxhunting or trail riding on hot days if I feel like braiding it. I find that if you have a horse with longer hair and want it to stay that way a good detangler is essential! I really like the cowboy magic concentrated detangler, a bottle lasts a long time and it is helpful when combing out wind-knots/dreadlocks, burrs, etc.
I also bang both horse's tails to about 2-3" off the ground, I think this looks really sharp and prevents their tails from becoming a highway for ticks (gross). It also prevents the horses from stepping on their tails and pulling them out.
*Side note...I do not show and have no idea what is acceptable for show horse manes/tails*
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