Chanel Rhodes had an idea.
The 33-year-old equestrian from California wanted to make hairpieces for horses. So she founded Mane Tresses, a company that makes colorful, long and lush mane extensions for you guessed it, horses.
“For Black History Month, I wanted to do something creative. I wanted to give my horse an afro,” Chanel said. “My boyfriend is a videographer, and we did a video of the installation. I had no idea it was going to turn out to be like this.”
Fast forward a few months, and interest in Chanel’s dreamy mane extensions went viral. She was featured in a 60-second documentary on Instagram and on NBC’s Access Daily. Her idea blew up.
Heels Down Mag caught up with Chanel to find out more.
So how did you get started with this idea?
“I do my own hair. I always have. I knew if I was going to have two horses, I would have to be on the frugal side, so doing my own hair was one way to do that.
It’s also a cliché thing as well. People make jokes about weaves all the time, about how they’re made of horse hair. I would get teased about my own hair – people would ask if my extensions were horse hair. It’s annoying and insulting. So when I had the idea to do something for horses, I wanted to make a video showing the installation for people who don’t know how to braid. That’s how it got started.”
Tell us more about your products.
“The hair I use for the mane extensions are all human hair. It’s the best thing to use. It’s the most durable texture. You don’t have to worry about blending it with the horse’s mane, because it will totally cover the mane. You’ll only see a strip on the other side. It lasts forever. You can style it, flat iron it, curl it, wash it. I offer manes in white, grey, black and flaxen right now. It’s really just supposed to be a fun thing.”
Describe your passion for horses.
“I live in Orange County, California, and have two horses. I ride both Western and English and compete in both. My paint does barrels and now the hunters. I have an OTTB too, who I mostly jump, but I taught him how to do barrels, too.
The barn I’m at is very private. You still get that look, like what are you doing (with horse hairpieces). Not everyone is going to understand why you’re going in this direction, but I’ve got the support of my barn family. My trainer, my mother and my fiancé have really been there for me.”
So what’s next for Mane Tresses?
“I know I want to do more than just make mane hairpieces. I do have a patent pending on the manes. But I also want to have a breeches line. I have an idea for tails and even to do hunter-style braids. One day I want to buy a large horse property and be able to host shows here in California. I have dreams of hosting fashion shows with horses. Maybe with horses I rescue and keep on my property. I have a fire lit under me for that.
The barn where I keep my horses right now is getting ready to close, so this is more top of mind now than ever before. We’re just five miles from DisneyLand, and the Anaheim Ducks bought the land the farm is on. They told us they’re going to shut us down, even though we’re the last remaining stables in the city of Anaheim. I think that’s such a huge loss for the community and I want to do something about it.”