A BE Plaiting Question - I've only half a mane

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MerryMAL

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So in feb half term we went away, and we decided to use the rug with a neck to save the lovely man who looks after our horses putting the hood on and off. And she rubbed half her mane out. And it's still not grown back. And after feeling very out of place and embarrassed at BE with no plaits in the mane in future shall I plait the normal bit and leave the 3mm long bit (yes would look weird) or leave it all unplaited?
 
Catembi went 1/2 bald every year & I used to put 5 or 6 plaits in the top half, tidy up the wispy bits with my solocomb & be grateful that I didn't have to plait the rest!
 
My horse still only has half a mane. We just plait what we can! Luckily it has nearly grown long enough to plait now. We certainly haven't been the only one at BE events with only half a mane!
 
You could buy fake hair from e.g. Claire's jewellery shop quite cheaply, make some fake plaits, then plait the little wisps you have and stitch the fake plaits on to them. Easier if your ned is black, but surprisingly easy and effective!
 
My horses mane is now growing but was pretty much just half other than a bit on his withers.... I just plaited what i had- in fairly small plaits and then gelled down the rest...
Now growing back but still has a gap so just doing the same...
The half plaited mane is quite fashionable atm :p
 
Hog it? That's what I did!

Might have to get one of these for next season:
Bib_Mane_Saver_en.jpg
 
There was a thread on this a couple of weeks ago and it made me feel a lot better about going to my first event with only half a mane. I just plaited what we had and had some pathetic little mini-plaits further down towards her withers. It didn't look too bad at all and, like others here have said, I certainly wasn't alone with my half-mane-horse!!
 
Does anyone have any practical tips on what to do when the mane is all there just too short to get hold of and plait and the owner is competing and has to have plaits?
 
Our pony only has half a mane, and has done really well all year competing with half a mane! Even managed to win the turnout prize in the working hunter regional champs!! When it comes to horse trials its less of a problem - you're plaitting out of politeness to the judge really really, so do the best you can.. Just thank goodness it will take you half as long to do!!

I have heard people speak of making fake plaits out of tail hair - ie plaitting and rolling up plaits, then attaching them to the mane, but am not sure exactly how...
 
If you have time, cut some hair from the back of your horses tail, and plait and roll up. You can then sow these into the mane - though I've never done it so not sure how!

But if not, then plait what you can and use some hair gel to smooth the rest down. A half plaited mane will look neater than half loose/half bald.
 
I made some fake plaits for a pony that had sweet itch. I think I used hair from pulling the mane.
It was surprisingly easy to do. Then you just sew them onto whatever mane you can scrape together.
You can reuse the fake plaits, so it is actually easier and quicker than normal plaiting!
 
if you want his mane to grow back, i would just plait the long bits, and gel the bottom half down. the more you fiddle with the short bits, the more will come out, and plaiting won't help it grow back. :)
 
For my old pony he used to rub his mane out so mum collected tail hair and other hair from when she pulled his mane and then plaited it and stitches them in to the wispy bits of mane. The plaits are still in good condition from 5 years ago and regular use albeit a bit grubby!
 
dont worry do what you can and try to bunch some hair together where there isnt much mane,so it looks like you have plaits! i have half a good mane and a patch where it is very short but can just manage to plait them!
 
As others have said, just plait half and then I tend to do little pony tails in the short bits and loop them over if that makes sense, as my horse's is too long now to gel, but still not long enough to plait! In the winter snuggy hoods are fab for saving the mane!
 
Half mane's are de rigeur this year I reckon, especially with all the snow last winter...! Mine has been BE'ing with pride, I've finally (thanks Megatek) got enough to plait the whole lot but it's taken some time. Good luck at BE, no one cares how much mane you've got plaited so long as you have fun :D
 
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