Your Braids Deserve Better Than a Ruined Mane at the In-Gate
The UltraFlex® Faceless Full Zip Slicker Hood protects braids and trains the mane to lay flat without covering your horse's face — no ears or eyes under fabric, and no seams sitting against the coat.
Show Morning Is Hard Enough Without a Ruined Mane
Every serious show rider knows how quickly careful preparation can come undone. Your horse may rub against a stall wall, shift under a blanket, lie in the bedding, or move around during the trailer ride. Even when the mane is not completely ruined, small changes matter when you wanted to arrive with a neat, finished look. Instead of unloading and making a final polish, you are rebuilding work you thought was finished.
That lost time has a way of spreading through the entire morning. Rebanding means finding the right supplies, asking someone to hold your horse, and working around a horse who would rather eat or take in the activity around the showgrounds. If your class is early, there may be little room in the schedule for corrections. The pressure is not only about appearance; it is about keeping your horse settled while you manage one more avoidable task before warm-up.
The frustrating part is that the mane needs protection, but your horse may not need fabric over the face, eyes, or ears. You are left looking for enough coverage to help keep the mane flat and tidy without adding more material than the job requires.
And Full-Face Slickers Can Make It Worse
That extra coverage changes how the garment goes on, fits, and stays positioned. Eye, ear, muzzle, and forelock openings must align with your horse’s individual proportions. Pull-on styles also have to travel over the head before settling around the neck and shoulders. None of those features makes a traditional hood inherently wrong, but they introduce fitting considerations that do not help when face coverage is unnecessary. A style that suits one horse may feel fussy or require repeated adjustment on another.
Then the show-prep cycle starts again. You put the hood on to preserve the mane, check every opening, straighten the neck, and confirm the closure. Later, you return to see whether it has shifted or whether your horse has been rubbing at the added coverage. If you decide to remove it, a pull-on design must come back over the head and past the mane you were trying to protect. The equipment meant to simplify the evening becomes another item that demands time and attention.
Buying solely by price or by the familiar shape of a full-face slicker does not resolve that mismatch. You still need to compare the actual face coverage, fabric, closure method, adjustment points, and size guidance. Until those details match your horse and your purpose, you may keep managing unnecessary fabric instead of focusing protection where the mane and braids need it.
- ✗Spending an hour braiding only to find the mane rubbed out against the stall wall by morning
- ✗Full-face slicker mouth openings that fill with hay and shavings on the trailer ride over
- ✗Full-face slicker openings that fill with hay and shavings on the trailer ride
- ✗Ear and eye openings that create rub points on horses sensitive about head contact
Faceless. Full Zip. Built for Show Day.
Fully Faceless Design
No fabric over the face, ears, or eyes — and no seams to rub, so the parts some horses object to on a full hood simply aren't there.
Full Front Zip
Zip on, zip off without working a pull-on over a freshly braided mane.
Stretch Lycra Fabric
Plenty of stretch to conform to your horse's neck, and it stays in place while he eats, rests, and moves around the stall.
Mane Training and Show Prep
Works daily to train a mane to lay flat, or overnight before a show to keep braids protected. An essential piece of any show horse’s wardrobe.
Is the UltraFlex® Faceless Hood Right for Your Horse?
What Riders Are Saying
"The navy blue faceless slicker (mane tamer) looks great! Just what I wanted. (I've seen a few mishaps from the old style where the horse gets hay wadded up his mouth along with the mouth opening of the full face ones. Not cool). Can't tell how it will work in person, as our first show isn't until next month. But I think it will be awesome."
"I have a Morgan with a short but thick neck so I bought the zip up faceless slicker in XL. He lives outdoors and I wanted to protect his mane from rubbing off from blanketing in winter months. So far he has not ripped it, and I can zip it up. It does creep down his neck, but not a huge problem. So far I'm quite happy with it."
"This slicker is great. Easy to get on and off and durable. I use this under the winter blanket."
How the UltraFlex® Faceless Hood Stacks Up
Three faceless mane hoods can share the same general purpose while differing in fabric specifications, adjustment details, sizing, UV claims, care guidance, and listed price. “Not listed” means the cited product page did not publish that detail as of the comparison date.
| Feature | Schneiders UltraFlex® Faceless Full Zip Slicker Hood | Tough1 Lycra Faceless Mane Stay Hood | Slick Horseware LV Color Faceless Hood Sleazy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face coverage | Faceless; leaves the eyes and ears uncovered | Faceless; product page states the design avoids eye and ear coverage | Faceless hood design |
| Published material | Four-way-stretch Lycra | Form-fitting, stretchy Lycra | Lycra |
| Published fabric weight | 8 oz. | Not listed | Medium weight, listed as 8–9 oz. |
| Front opening | Full-separating YKK zipper | Full-length zipper; zipper brand not listed | Fully separating metal zipper |
| Throat or neckline adjustment | Two-inch elastic band encased in Lycra with hook-and-loop adjustment | Quick Grip closure at the throatlatch | Adjustable neckline elastic with hook-and-loop closure |
| Belly or girth closure | Two-inch elastic girth strap wrapped in Lycra with hook-and-loop ends | Quick Grip belly closure; strap width not listed | Three-inch adjustable elastic bellyband with No-Snag Velcro |
| Published size guidance | Size chart lists X-Small through X-Large | Medium, Large, and X-Large, with blanket-size measurements published | X-Small through X-Large, with weight or horse-type guidance published |
| Published UV claim | Greater than 95% UV protection | Not listed | UPF 50+ |
| Published care guidance | Fasten closures, wash in cool water, and line dry | Not listed | Fasten Velcro, machine wash cold on delicate, and line dry |
| Listed price on cited page | $114.99 sale price | $48.95 sale price | $109.00; page marked sold out |
What Makes the UltraFlex® Faceless Hood Different
The full-length front zip is the other key difference. Pull-on hoods require you to work the hood over the ears and face — exactly what you don’t want to do with a set mane or fresh braids. With the UltraFlex, zip it open, place it over the neck, zip it closed. Done in seconds without disturbing a single braid.
At $114.99 (compare at $164.99), it’s priced to be a permanent part of your tack trunk, not a one-show splurge.
- ✓Faceless construction — no face, ear, or eye openings to rub or collect debris (replace with product photo)
- ✓Full front zip for braid-safe, fuss-free on and off
- ✓Stretch lycra with plenty of give — stays in place, doesn’t bunch or slip
- ✓No seams at contact zones — smooth interior keeps mane and braids intact
- ✓Seven sizes to fit horses and ponies
Everything You Need at the In-Gate
If you braid, this belongs in your tack trunk.
The faceless design solves the real problem with mane slickers: too many openings, too many rub points, and too much drama getting them on and off over set braids. The UltraFlex® keeps your horse’s mane intact without touching his face — and at $114.99, it’s one of the smarter investments a show rider can make before the season starts.
Protect Your Braids. Simplify Your Show Morning.
The UltraFlex® Faceless Full Zip Slicker Hood is $114.99, with free shipping on orders $99+. Every order is backed by our Perfect Fit Guarantee — if the fit isn't right, we'll make it right. Family-owned since 1948, and still made for the rider who takes show prep seriously.