# Modern Pleasure show question....



## Erica (Mar 4, 2004)

I have never really paid much attention to it, but in the modern pleasure do you shave off the forelock and braid, like you do the moderns???


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## Serene Acres (Mar 4, 2004)

Yes, they are shown much like the Modern Shetlands. Braiding is the same the differences are Modern Pleasure is shown more like Classic Shetlands trailors are optional.


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## Erica (Mar 4, 2004)

So you do shave off the forelock?

Where do you get the braids to braid in??

Sorry I have always shown minis and have watched the classics and moderns shown for all those years, and shown some classics when Belinda needed help, but have never paid attention to the moderns Really UP close.


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## Lewella (Mar 4, 2004)

You don't have to shave off the forelock with either Moderns or Modern Pleasure but many choose to for ease of care. Some will leave a pencil sized piece of forelock on to braid the braid onto. The braids are just three pieces of ribbon that are an inch to inch and a half wide and the desired length and braided together. Some use clips to attach them to the little piece of mane they have left for that purpose, others just attach them to the show bridle or halter. I know someone who attaches the ribbon with rubber cement when they have a modern in liberty class. Hopefully Spaz will pop in and add more to this - Moderns are her cup or tea


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## Erica (Mar 5, 2004)

So if you leave some forelock are you able to just take a tiny peice of forelock and then again on the mane and braid the "ribbons"("braid") into the tiny piece of hair. Did I even make that make sense? You know like interweave the ribbons into just a tiny bit of hair so it stays there and has no place to go. I have a few of those clip things you are talking about as I had show ribbons for my foxtrotter, but don't really care for them.

Sorry for repetion of questions but I want to make sure I understand completely, at least Plumeria has some patience as I am sure this year is going to be a mess for both of us.


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## ownedbyapony (Mar 5, 2004)

Erica,

We do leave the foretop however, a very small amount, as Lewella said. We take the foretop and mane section that we are braiding into and split it in two. Wet and twist the sections so the hairs are tight have someone hold the braids at the top of the 3 sections of ribbon about two inches above the base of the hair. Now split your ribbons in the 3 sections and place the hair behind the outer two ribbon sections and start your braid. Braid evenly and tightly so the braids are small and uniform. As you start you may want to wet the ribbon, it makes for tighter braids and try to keep as much of the hair from being seen as possible. I hope I didn't confuse you, as I think I have thoroughly confused myself. Goodluck !


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## spazkat (Mar 5, 2004)

Erica said:


> So if you leave some forelock are you able to just take a tiny peice of forelock and then again on the mane and braid the "ribbons"("braid") into the tiny piece of hair.


Yup..... if you choose to leave the forelock (read as tiny tuft of hair) and braid the ribbon into it, the basic idea is to leave as small a piece as possible because when you braid the ribbon into it you don't want to be able to see the hair at all. You also want to leave it hair pretty far back- like at the highest part of the poll, because you need to leave the little tuft of ribbon sticking up that you cut into the M shape.

I've always found it easier to just shave the forelock altogether, then I used a small rubber band to attach it to the crown of the bridle



It may be a shortcut, but it's easier than putting it in (even the best mannered horses can get fussy when you're dragging 2 foot of ribbon over their eyeballs repeatedly trying to make that long braid) and then praying that they don't destroy it before your class



I do braid in the mane braid I just make sure I leave the little tuft that I'm going to braid really short (about 4 inches) because it make it easier to keep the hair from showing when you braid the ribbon.

For a liberty class, you can either actually braid it in, or shave the forelock and use livestock glue (the stuff the use to glue hip numbers on to cattle) to attach them.

Are you going to be showing formal or country pleasure?


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## Erica (Mar 5, 2004)

Thanks guys.

Spaz, we will just be showing in modern pleasure halter and ammy classes this year, might try liberty - not sure if so will be later in the year once she gets used to the show scene a little more.

Ribbons are red/white/blue right? Are you able to do this just a couple days before a show, say like on Thursday if you have a slinky on them or does it just turn to a complete mess. Good thing is that my mom is a beautician so I think she will be able to really help on this, just had to understand what had to be done so I could explain it to her.

Thanks again


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## Erica (Mar 5, 2004)

If any of you have any up close head pics of moderns or such that are braided please post also, Hardly ever see any up close pics of this, usually they are show pose or driving and don't get to see the detail of this.


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## spazkat (Mar 5, 2004)

The ribbons are whatever color your barn colors are. I get mine from world champion in the huge rolls- otherwise it costs a fortune, but they come in about every color know to man





I wouldn't recommend braiding any earlier than the night before your class. Even if they don't fuss with them overmuch, they get loose and the ribbon starts to look a little ragged





I couldn't tell you how they'd hold up with a sleazy on... I don't generally use them- plus I shave forelocks and re-do mane braids every day (can you say anal??) I get foolish about the show grooming thing, so everyone gets tail washed and blow-dried plus feet repainted (every day they show).... and show harness gets cleaned in between EVERY use. You ought to see me at a show.... some days I must look like Rainman obsessing over stuff


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## kaykay (Mar 5, 2004)

hi

in my avatar is patches with her braids in. The pic on my site is bigger and I think you can see them better. The braids dont bother patches at all but i showed her along with my mini tiny and tiny would chew the ribbons off lol


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## willowoodstables (Mar 5, 2004)

My turn <G>

I leave the forelock on (some ponies look so silly with no forelock LOL). I braid as owned by a pony does. You should snip "V"s in each of the three ends -top and bottom of the braid. In addition, and this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine is please becareful of the LENGTH of the braid. Nothing worse than seeing a braid that hangs way down the neck to the shoulder. I leave my braids in the mane section only as long as the mane, and topnotch braids are only as long as to the end of the nose, then I wrap the braid around the throat latch part of the bridle. U can use a little scotch or black tape to tape the braid to the throat latch so it doesn't unravel.

Personally, I see more and more trainers skipping the whole top notch braid all together and just using a single mane braid..that's what I do now as well. Any forelock is braided and then black taped at the end and tucked out of site under the cheek pieces of the braid. I know sometimes the top of the ribbon will tickle ears and makes for not a pretty picture of horse shaking its head!

Even worse though is having a Cob-tail pony LOL that wears 65-70 little bitty red wool braids down the neck! First mane of the year my fingers CRAMP sooooo bad. Mind U at the price I get paid to braid I put up with it LOL!

Kim


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## spazkat (Mar 5, 2004)

willowoodstables said:


> Even worse though is having a Cob-tail pony LOL that wears 65-70 little bitty red wool braids down the neck!  First mane of the year my fingers CRAMP sooooo bad.  Mind U at the price I get paid to braid I put up with it LOL!


I know the answer to this one!!






Roach mane and use previously mentioned livestock glue to attach fake button braids





I must have spent too much time around the saddlebreds... I just buzz off all of the shetland/hackney forelocks. A few years ago, I wasn't thinking while I was clipping one of the minis.....



VERY not cool (and boy, did he look stupid!!) When show time rolled around I had do do a little creative trimming of the tail hairs- and found yet another use for the glue


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## willowoodstables (Mar 5, 2004)

LOLOLOLOLOLOL Spaz..

I did the SAME thing with my first mini someone gave me to train..BOY did I get a bulletin..LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

NEVER NEVER will I use fake braids..have U seen some of them???? They either stick up like mini popsicle sticks or are these big honkin balls of wool ...eeeekkkkk!

Besides the 55$ USD make up for it in the long run (thats per mane) and there are very few people left who can braid like that ..the best was Lawrence Carss who sadly passed away last summer. He had the biggest fattest thumbs and could braid a mane in 20 min!

Kim


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## ownedbyapony (Mar 5, 2004)

Kim,

I sure do miss Lawrence!! He was a great guy. I used to always take extra show clothes when I knew Lawrence was around because he always needed someone to catch drive his pleasure ponies for him if Sandy did not go with him.

I know what you mean about the yarn braids, but it is nearly impossible to find anyone now days that can braid. Pat Kennedy taught me years ago, but the majority of the ponies we show are young futurity stock and getting those little suckers to stand still while I fumble my way with the braids was not worth the effort. We do roach and glue. The secret to getting them to look good though is to use a smaller black cord. The macrame cord was too big and ended up with braids the size of your head. As for the clipping of the forelocks and not braiding it is becoming commonplace in the hackneys. I know I did my roadpony this year and a few other "head cases" in the past. The shetlands still tend to braid the forelock.


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