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they will tighten further when the horse arches his neck and

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they will tighten further when the horse arches his neck and

Running Braid

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In the show ring, a good braiding or plaiting job not only shows off the curve of your horses neck, but it also keeps the mane out of your ce when jumping. There are many variations of braids to experiment with. This article focuses on button braids.

Pull the mane. This should be done on another day, not right before braiding, so that the horse isnt expected to stand for an extended period of time.

Tie the horse. Braiding will take a while, so you might want to offer a haynet in order to encourage the horse to stand still. However, some horses dont stand still while eating. This step is optional; use your discretion. You know your horse best.

Position yourself on the side of the neck that the mane is on. That is the direction you will braid in, unless you wish to make the mane ll on the other side.

Divide the mane into equal sections using the mane and tail comb. Start at the top and work your way down. As you get further down the mane, the hair gets thinner, so your sections will need to be wider in order to ensure evenly sized braids. Secure each equal section with an elastic band.

Braid each section tightly down to the bottom of the braid. Start at the top and remove the band before braiding, then secure it with a band at the end. You may find it helpful to dampen the section with water, horse hair braids egg white, or hair gel before braiding.

Fold the braid twice and secure tightly with an elastic band at the base. If the mane is not long enough, horse hair braids you may only be able to fold once.

Put some hair gel in your hands and put a small amount of gel on each braid to create some hold. This is optional.

Fold the braid in half twice more, this time with your fingers, until it is tightly wound against the neck in a knob.

Bring the needle around the right side of the braid and, while holding the knob tightly, sew up through the center.

Loop the thread around one of your previous stitches, but dont pull it all the way tight. Leave a small loop.

Starting closest to the ears take three chunks of mane, the size doesnt really matter, whatever is manageable.

Each time you bring the section on the left (assuming the mane lls to the right side) add another chunk from the rest of the mane.

For the forelock, do a French braid down the toward the nose and then fold and sew/band the braid as described above.

Wash the mane and let it dry before you braid it so it is clean and easier to manage. It is not a good idea to wash the mane the same day you must braid regardless of whether conditioner is used. If you must wash it,Horse hair yarn,horsetail hair, do so a day or two before you braid.

For hunting and cross-country, you can leave the forelock unbraided until you have put the bridle on and then secure the braid over the crown of the bridle. This will help stop the bridle from coming off in case of a ll.

If you braid the mane the day before a show, protect it by laying nylon stocking over the mane and securing a band over each braid. Put a hood over the top.

Make sure that the braids arent too tight close to the neck. If they are, they will tighten further when the horse arches his neck and cause discomfort.

Small elastic bands in the color closest to the color of the horses mane. (If you are doing training braids, it is fun to use other colors, like blue, pink, etc.)