Conference noted::equitation

Hi Kiirja!

	PLEASE do yourself a favor and DO NOT show-sheen the mane!!  If you
	do, it'll be very difficult to braid it as it will be very slippery!!
	Matter of fact, if you can, wait until your done braiding before
	Show-Sheening the rest of the critter (avoiding saddle areas, of 
	course).

	I just keep a damp sponge around to wet the hair to make it more
	manageable (how many thumbs do you srout when it's time to braid
	the critte?).  

	I have 2 braid-aids.  One is about a 1/4 inch wider than the other.
	My horse has a beautiful neck, however, when the braids are small he
	looks like a giraffe!   So, I use the larger one and it comes out to
	20-21 braids.

	Sorry, but I'm not up on what's acceptable in the hunter ring.  Tape
	is seen at dressage shows.  I believe that for 'in-hand' classes, if
	your hunter has a braided mane, it's tail should be braided to... but
	I'm not sure.

	When you mention French braid, are you refering to the braid which
	runs along the crest of the neck?  If your horse has long mane
	(usually seen on Arabs and Morgans), scallop braids can be stunning! 


					-Caroline

    There is an excellent book called "Grooming to Win" which shows all
    types of braiding and has step by step pictures.  I think the author is
    Susan Harris, but I'm not quite sure.
    
    I just wet my horse's mane when I braid but I've heard of people using
    hair setting gel.  Show-Sheen is definitely too slippery!
    
    Since I have a Morgan with a fairly long mane, I do scallop braids.
    I braid all the braids first, braiding in yarn of the same color as the
    mane into the last 1/3 or 1/4 of the braid and put a small knot at the
    end.  Then I sew the bottom of the first braid into the top of the
    fourth braid (skip two braids before sewing in), and continue like this
    with all the braids except the last two.  Because of my horse's mane,
    about halfway down I have to go to skipping one braid.  You might be
    able to start with skipping one braid for the entire neck, depends on
    how even your horse's mane is.  The last braid can either get looped
    and sewn into itself or sewn forward to the bottom of the previous
    braid.
    
    I only show in dressage, so I don't know what's appropriate with the
    hunter classes.  I would think that if you use elastics, you should
    probably use tape over them.
    
    						Jan
    

    Grooming to Win is a wonderful book!
    
    For serious hunter shows, you need to sew in the braids.  Yarn or
    thread that matches the mane should be used.  And tape is a
    definite no-no.  The braids may either be turned under or
    scalloped. French braids are pretty much out of style for manes.
    As far as the number of braids - it depends on what your horses
    neck looks like (and how thick the mane is).  We usually use
    between 20 and 30.
    
    Definitely don't show sheen the mane!  I wet the mane with water
    from a spray bottle and then add some styling gel to each section
    before I braid.  It helps keep the braids neat - especially if you
    braid the night before. I pull up each braid with a hemostat as
    it is completed.  The hemostat works well but you can use a latch
    hook or a bent piece of wire if you have to.  I don't cut off the
    excess yarn until we're about to warm up (just in case).
    
    Rubber bands work pretty good and they are faster to use.  Make
    sure you use at least two bands for each braid - one for the end
    of the braid and one for folding it up.  And carry some extras
    with you.  Sometimes they break.
    
    Good luck!
    
    -maureen
    
    

    
    If you are going to a recognized hunter show, elastic bands are a
    no-no.  (Especially if you are going to a George Morris protoge). 
    
    Avoid using too-few braids.  Fat braids (also called 'hotdogs') look 
    not so good and have been known to be subject of ridicule.
    
    I second the motion on Grooming to Win  and also FIT TO SHOW by Frank
    Madden and Bill Cooney. 
    
    Almost everyone in hunterdom uses yarn to braid (conservative colors
    are best).  20 to 30 braids are norm (except for LOOONNNNGGG necked
    horses like my mare who usually wears 32 or 33).
    
    Styling gel is helpful.  Alligator clips are great for holding the
    pieces not braided.  And a darning needle with a long knotted piece of
    yarn makes a great instrument for pulling the braids through.
    
    Mary Jo
    

   Thank you everyone who responded, by notes and by mail! Special
   thanks to Kris Gebelein who gave up a beautiful Saturday afternoon 
   to teach us to braid. We got many compliments on our horses' 
   turnout at the show. 

   I did get the book "Grooming to Win" and you're right, it's great.
   I also found a few other references (not as complete). After all 
   the votes are in it seems like everyone has different ideas of 
   what is 'proper'! But now at least I have a better idea of what 
   the range of acceptable styles is, and some idea of how to 
   accomplish them. Little teeny braids are the style now for hunters
   and we put 28 braids in my horses mane, even though she's only 15h.
   We put scalloped braids on my husbands 16h chestnut QH mare which 
   came out absolutely gorgeous. 

   I'm really glad that I asked before I tried to do this myself, 
   or everyone at the show would have had a good laugh at my expense! 
   We used to do no more than 13 braids, fold them up with elastics, 
   and then tie little ribbon bows on them. My horse would have looked 
   pretty silly... (Although I have seen small pre-formed ribbon bows 
   for dressage horses advertised in catalogs, so maybe ribbons are 
   coming back into style.) I wish big braids would come back into
   style, my feet still hurt from standing and braiding for so long! :^)
   
   Kiirja
   

    re .5
    
    I've been looking all over for those little preformed bows!  Does
    anybody know where to find them?
    
    -maureen
    

    
    
    Libertyville catalog has them.
    
    Mary Jo

    
    Dressage Extensions in California has them, and a lot of other
    good stuff. They always advertise in Practical Horseman and 
    Dressage & CT if you have any copies handy. I will bring the 
    address in tomorrow and post it anyway.    

     Dressage Extensions
     Star Route 3 Box 4975-15
     Bear Valley Springs, CA 93561
     1-800-541-3708   
     FAX 805-821-0317
    

    Hello everyone,
    
    I'm conducting a little poll here to see what everyone thinks would
    look most appropriate at a show for my hunter-style Morgan's long mane
    (about 9 inches).
    
    1. Traditional hunter-type braids, folded under twice because of
    the length (a bit fat).
    
    2. Scallop braid, as described earlier in this note (I rarely go
    to shows so I've never seen this).
    
    3. French braid (easier to do but tends to fall out).
    
    4. No braids at all.
    
    Let's have your votes!
    
    Thanks,
    Andrea

    

    
    I really like the French braid on a long-mailed horse.  Especially 
    if it is a thick main.  The trick is to get them to put their head down
    then create the braid right along the crest.  It stays in pretty well
    that way.  (I did several last weekend and they worked well.  One main
    was only about 8 inches long and I had to really pull it tight.)
    

    
    	I braid Ebony's mane every other day or so. It's about 2 1/2
    	feet long at one point, and if I don't braid it, he gets it
    	all knotted up when he rolls, etc. I was never `taught' to french
    	braid a mane, so I was wondering from which direction do you
    	add hair while you're braiding? (does that make sense?) I have
    	found that it seems to come out better if I add from the bottom
    	only. Of course, I'm only doing it for convenience, not appearance,
    	esp since he is a Tenn Walker and wouldn't wear the braid in
    	a show...just curious...
    
    	Sherry

    A friend from England just showed me how they french-braid the mane.
    You take hair from the bottom only, keeping the braid tight against
    the crest of the neck.  They call it the stallion plait, and it's
    used only on stallions.
    
    When showing hunters they have to put the braids in little bobbles
    on top of the neck.  They way we do it here is not allowed.
    
    

    
    At the Morgan shows around New England this summer I noticed that
    for hunter classes the died in the wooler's in fact pulled the manes
    and did small braids.
    
    Since I like to show in western pleasure as well as hunter pleasure
    my own preference (and it doesn't seem to mark us down) was a very
    tidy French braid - starting from the top.  Tails for the most part
    seem to be left unbraided... 
    
    Regardless - I think you should do what makes your horse look most
    appealing, and makes both of you comfortable and tidy.

I usually do scallop braids on my Morgan mare for dressage shows.  I have
done a French braid once in a while, but for it to stay neat I have to redo
it before every class.  She does like to rub when braided and the scallop
braids put really well since I sew them in.  She looks really great in them
too.

						Jan

I'm new to this horse notes file. You can find out about me in the intro
1.126. I want to braid (hunter braids) manes and tales for people for shows.
I don't know how to contact any possible "clients" except thru the notes
file or by putting up ads at tack shops. I live in Framingham but am willing
to travel. If I were to go to shows and try to do a mane or two in the
morning, how would I find out who needs it done, just by walking around the
grounds, or is there some better system? Or would people already have
braiding plans laid out by the time they got to the show. I'd also have to
find out when the shows are. What about rates? When I was showing (about 10
years ago) it was something like $10 a mane. Is that still good? What about
a tail?  

I'm out of practice right now, as I haven't had a horse for a while. I would
love to do a couple manes just for the helluvit.  Any offers?  

Karen

    
    To find out about shows in the New England area, join the New England
    Horsemans Council - NEHC, cost about $15 and you get the Pedlar. Most of
    the shows use the NEHC membership list for their mail lists. At the
    shows I compete in, the braiding is arranged ahead of time.
    
    Nancy
    

    Karen,
    
    I believe people would have their braiding done before the show
    starts, also.  Notes at tack shops is probably a good idea, as
    well as here.  I've seen one such sign at Dover Saddlery in Wellesley.
    Another good place is to place signs at local stables.  I can
    give you some names of places around Framingham if you're interested.
    Most stables have a bulletin board of some sort.
    
    I think rates are about $20. these days for a mane.  Some higher,
    some lower.
    
    Regards,
    
    Jennie