Hunter braids

[Kendra]

I'm trying to grow out Hawk's long bridle path. It's only grown about 5 inches long, so I trimmed the rest of the mane to match, because it looked like he had two different manes. I don't like it at all, but at least he looks cared for, unlike before! I even have it mostly laying down, instead of standing up in a mohawk, after weeks of braiding - at first I had to french braid each braid down through the mane bed to get it to lay down. He definitely has his father's overabundance of mane! I have been pulling it a little each day, to try and thin it some.

Since it's short anyway (and too short for a running braid, I'm afraid), I'd like to put it up in hunter braids for dressage. Having never done them before, I googled and found instructions, but would like advise/instructions from people who have done it on a Miniature Horse with their thick, fluffy mane. Also, pictures please!

 

[A Little Blessing]

You may want to search the Chronicle of the Horse Forums under the hunter/jumper section. There are many topics about it over there. I have never done it, despite riding the big hunters all my life, but check that website out, the "COTHers" are a good wealth of information.

The only other thing is that the thick mane will be hard to braid. The hunters all have thinner, beautiful nonetheless, manes.

 

[~Lisa~]

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The only other thing is that the thick mane will be hard to braid. The hunters all have thinner, beautiful nonetheless, manes.

I agree I think to get hunter braids that look proper you would need to make sure you have a nice pulled and thinned mane to start with

 

[MiniHGal]

I think most horses can look fantastic and very neat with braids...you can do lots of different types. I personally like to do the hunter type braids, done with yarn, but with thick manes, it can be easier to do dressage 'button' braids that are done with bands or sewn in (bands are much easier...).

You can definitely pull a mini's very thick mane down to braiding standards, but it is a pain! Most horses don't mind, some do, very much. Just keep working on it, and if you think you are getting too short, do a quick braid to check if that length is ok.

I would suggest trying your hand at the braids now, without any pulling, and see how close you are to what you want. If they seem really thick, you either need to thin it or make the braids smaller. If it is really long, then you need to shorten it (and you can do that by thinning).

For the hunter braids, the braid needs to be fairly tight...a lot of people do loose ones, and IMO, they look really sloppy. Of course, this means your horse has to be ok with tight braids while working--my mom's event horse HATED tight braids. But mostly, try to get them as tight as possible, and as even as possible. Put your yarn in about 2/3rds of the way down the braid, without letting the braid get loose.

For button braids, start the braid loose for a couple of turns, then tighten it up while pulling the braid down. This will allow it to stay on the side of the neck instead of sticking straight up. Then band the end, and fold it under and under again until it's a little button or ball. Use a band to make it stay (there are variations on how to do this part).

I prefer to braid the entire mane first and then go back and tie or band them up (so it's a bunch of long braids that are not balled up yet). That way you are consistent with your technique the whole way.

Here's a couple pictures of Fascination in her hunter style braids at a CDE just recently. I don't do as many as is the fashion in HJ land, but I like the look on her.

In cones:

Enjoying a cookie with a friendly dog (no worries, they both got cookies):

And then a close up of Peeks' button braids...this is just after pulling and I was slightly overzealous--the braids could have been 'puffier':

And her working in yarn hunter type braids.

I hope that helps, some. I don't really have any detailed images of the braids because I never think to get the pictures of just their mane until it's all undone. But I can give you more tips if you need clarification.

 

[Kendra]

Very helpful, thank you! I've played with it enough to determine he's going to have to have a lot of little braids to make it work at all, time to try it for real!

A little girl was out looking at horses the other day while I was practicing, and she tells me that when her big hunter/jumper horse is braided, they'll stay in for as long as 2 weeks if he wears his slinky and she takes care of them! How long ahead of the show do you do yours? I'm just afraid it's going to take me ages at first, and would be nice to be able to have it done a day or two in advance!Last year I did Hawk's mane in a running braid, but it looked odd because it started so far back down his neck, as he was also showing halter in AMHA. Which is why I wanted to grow out the bridle path.

I have long admired Fascination's braids (and the rest of her), I think it looks so polished! And the button braids look really nice on Peekaboo, with her black and white mane. Another option, thanks! And a good hint to try working him with them in ... if he really hates it, I'm not sure that neatness is worth it.

 

[RhineStone]

Those braids are beautiful! And I love the extension in the first photo!

Myrna

 

[MiniHGal]

Thanks Myrna and Kendra..."polished" is definitely something I want our turnout to bring to mind.

As to how far in advance I will braid and how long they will stay in...well it depends. Fascination and Peeks have both worn their braids for up to a week. In fact, the cones picture was taken four days post braiding (did it the night before dressage). But, I braid for a couple of people that have horses that LOVE to rub out their braids. They have to be done the morning of. Leave them in for one night and the mane is trashed. So that's something that you're going to have to discuss with Hawk. Again, I would try them now, leave them in overnight in a 'show like' situation if possible (stalled), and drive him in the morning with them to see how he does. If they look just the same (good or bad), then you are probably ok braiding one or two days before.

I like this look more than a running braid...one, because it is fancy, and two, when they stretch down, the braids don't bunch up and look ugly like a running braid will.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I like this look more than a running braid...one, because it is fancy, and two, when they stretch down, the braids don't bunch up and look ugly like a running braid will.

The trick with a French or running braid is to put the horse in a relaxed, stretched-down position while you're braiding so that it looks good when the horse is working. I've never had a problem with it wrinkling up unless I leave it in too long and it gets loose and pulled out. (That's never happened with Kody's mini neck, only with my full-sized giraffe...I mean, "Arab.")

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