Preparing to be Braided

Hunter braids are very important to the nostalgia and history of the hunter/jumper industry. Braiding your horses mane and tail shows respect to the judge, promotes top turnout, and emphasizes the topline.

Mane prep is very important in the production of beautiful, consistent, and comfortable braids. Clean, nicely pulled manes are important to achieve this. 

Mane prep is very important in the production of beautiful, consistent, and comfortable braids. Manes need to be properly pulled and thinned out several days prior to your scheduled night to be braided. If you wait until last minute to pull your horses mane, this creates a raw and itchy crest - therefore, encouraging a lot of rubbing once tight braids have been completed! Manes can be easily maintained by pulling small amounts during grooming sessions. A tiny bit here and there will keep your horses manes show-ready, while eliminating the drama of mane pulling. A large mane pull in one sitting only encourages the hair to grow back at the same time - requiring yet another large pulling session.

If your horse or pony is being braided, chances are, you are at a recognized horse show. Tails should be neatly combed out and ready to be braided with no knots, tangles, or mattes. Start at the very bottom of the tail and hold just above the portion you are combing tightly to prevent ripping out hair. When pressed for time, I do not have 20 minutes to spare to brush out your horses tail. A lot of hair will be ripped out, completely disregarding your theory of "never brushing tails" to make them grow.

An ACE Bandage, Tail Wrap, or Polo needs to be left outside of your horse or ponies stall for your braider to wrap the beautiful tail neatly to prevent rubbing and hair breakage. Tails will not be wrapped with self adhesive/vetwrap. If these are the only products left for my use, tails will be left unwrapped.

As respect to the judge, horse show officials, your trainer, yourself, and your mount...your horse or pony should be spotless. A deep clean the night before you show is a good way to get a head start on getting him/her fully prepped for when it is time to go into the ring. 

Manes and Tails should be clean a day or two BEFORE you need to be braided. This is to ensure that all soap has had a chance to be washed out. Slippery hair is unbraidable! NO CONDITIONER, SHOWSHEEN, OILS, etc.

For tails, be sure to wash the hairs closest to the underside of the dock of the tail - this is the hair that will be pulled around to be your braid! Nothing is worse than a beautiful white tail with a brown, soiled braid!

Some people choose to use Jammies and some people choose not to. This is up to Trainer/Owner/Rider discretion. Although, as a braider that has seen both those that have used and not used, I prefer not to use them. If they do not fit properly, the hood will rub the braids every time the horse or pony moves. This creates messy, fuzzy braids that don't look fresh when it is time to show. If you know your horse or pony does not rub, leave the hood off. Hoods also get caught on stall doors, water bucks, and feed buckets. If they do not fit properly, the hood will cover the eyes and cause swollen, watery eyes. They cause more harm than good.

Can you braid cut manes?

No. It is not that I cannot, but it is that I will not. Cut manes are rough on our braider hands, they cannot get tight, they are painful for the horse, and they do not produce perfect braids.

My horse doesn't like his mane pulled. Can I thin it with tools?

No. Tools do not thin a mane properly. Your horse hates mane pulls? Get on the cycle of the dentist or injections. Horse sedated? Take advantage and take out some of that fluff.

Do you pull manes?

Absolutely. I maintain my regulars. If I am your braider, I will keep up with your horses manes to my liking. If I enter a stall to a "new" horse that needs a massive pull, there will be a charge. If you are aware that your horses mane needs to be prepped before braiding, I expect to be informed ahead of time - I am on a strict schedule.

What products can I put in my horses mane?

NONE! No conditioner, show sheen, oils, sprays, etc. All of these make the manes and tails slick, slippery, and impossible to grip - resulting in loose, sloppy braids. Less is more. A little bit of dirt helps make braids tight, uniform, and long-lasting.