Another plaiting question (sorry!)

[muffinino]

Am off hunting tomorrow on a coloured cob (vanner type - he comes from proper gypsy stock!). My question is - do I plait him? I know horses should be plaited for hunting but natives are ok left as nature intended, as they are in the show ring, so is ok to leave my boy unplaited, as he would be in the ring? The problem is I am trying to grow his mane so don't want to pull it and it's a bit uneven - thick in the middle with thin bits top&bottom, with a very thick forelock, so would look a bit odd if plaited anyway.
I'm going to put a normal, single plait in his tail then tape it up, polo style, as it's very long&thick and I don't want it getting caught in anything. There's some picks of him in a previous post of mine (I think it's called 'My first time out' or something similar) and the avatar is of him too.
Thanks!

 

[k9h]

I would put in a running plait along the crest of his neck so then you dont have to pull it at all. By ettiquette if you are plaiting the tail then the main should be plaited.
But I doubt very much that anyone will mind! The main important thing is to go out & enjoy yourselves!!
Have a good day & kick on!

 

[muffinino]

Do you mean like an Arab plait? Sorry, never had to do anything other than the normal little plaits! Anyone got any any tips/instructions on how do do one?

 

[icemaiden113]

I would personally leave it! Although hunters should be plaited if he is well turned out and the mane looks nice left then do so! However tails should never be plaited!

 

[muffinino]

Well, his mane looks ok, not particularly tidy at the mo as it's growing but it does all lie the same way&I'll give it a scrub tonight (it's white so goes really dirty with all the mud rolling going on this time of year! )
I dislike proper tail plaits, the ones that are at the top of the tail, but that's just personal. As he has a thick, long tail I want to put it up as I said and tape it to keep it tidy&stop it catching - I did it when I went cubbing on him too. There were some people in H&H this week, in the report on the Warwickshire, who had their horses' tails up like this and one is the secretary's son, so I guess it's personal preference.

 

[k9h]

Yes it is like a arab plait. I put my cobs tail up when its very wet as he has enough weight to carry without that getting full of mud & he is a sod to do after hunting!!
Hope this link works but knowing my luck... If not just google "How to plait a horses mane" & it comes up near the top. Pic half way down page with discription.
http://www.raspberryridge.com/Kids-Mane Care.htm

I was always taught that if tail pulled dont plait but if not pulled not plait. I use to do Lady V's horse & she never had hers pulled always plaited but the hunt horses we pulled (all in same yard).

 

[muffinino]

Thanks for that. In the end I asked one of the girls on the yard to do an Arab plait for me, as I've done normal ones but not an arab one before, and it looked fab (cheers, Alex!). His mane is mostly white but there's a patch of black at the top so it looked especially great where the two colours blended. He didn't like it as he's never had his mane plaited before so kept trying to shake it out! I'll have to get her to show me how to do it&put some practice in.
We had a really good day, by the way, he was an absolute gentleman, though we did take off when a couple of cows cantered towards us (he's coloured so I think they thought he was one of them! ). Did a bit of jumping and he's finally realised that taking off a stride before the jump is uneconomical energy wise and is taking off at the right place now. He loved the hounds (never seen them before) and wanted to make friends with each individual one. Whenever they were in a different field to us he tried to set off at a march towards them! :grin: