are simple hanging braids allowed in dressage?

E

eva

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 July 2010
Messages
649
Location
London
Visit site
Hi everyone,

My horsey's mane is long and thick and I like it that way, I've tried button braids - size of tennis balls, french braid looks good but pulls out after a good stretch on a free rein, I was wondering if I could get away with making simple braids for dressage competitions? Like for button braids but not curled up? Any advice appreciated!
 
I don't think they are rules for how the mane should be, it is just normally plaited up to show respect to the judges. So long as you are both smart, clean and tidy then I can't see the harm?
 
I don't think you have to plait for dressage, and I think that a clean, brushed, flowing mane would look better than lots of little pigtails. Or you could plait very thin sections of hair and roll them up. I used to do this with my warmblood who won't have his mane pulled - used to do 17 little plaits. He had a pretty impressive neck though, so I got away with it.
 
Thanks everyone :) that's very reassuring :) afraid the running plait will pull out just like french plait does, MrsMozart, but thanks for all the ideas anyway!
 
eva said:
Thanks everyone :) that's very reassuring :) afraid the running plait will pull out just like french plait does, MrsMozart, but thanks for all the ideas anyway!
Click to expand...

It is good :D. Dizzy has a full mane and it's staying that way :D :D :D

DSCF1192.jpg
 
Beautiful horse, MrsM! there's something about that long mane flapping in the wind that's sooo dreamlike :) I mean, if a horse can grow a long beautiful mane, why deprive it of it? :)
 
I HATE long manes on anything but natives and traditionals, I think they look scruffy and take away from the overall picture of the horse, even if well groomed. if you can't pull or even solo comb it, hog it off!

If your going to dressage then best thing would be a running plait. Lots of little braids look stupid and childlike. IF you really want to be taken seriously then pull it short and plait it. Even the thickest mane with work can look smart if kept on top of.
 
I used to plait my hairy lad's mane over the night before a test then take out the plaits so his mane was sort of noodley and all lying on the correct side :D

DSC03067.jpg


He did really well at dressage, the judges seemed to like his turnout ;) The horse I BE is another hairy cob with a very thick mane, he has a trellis plait for dressage

FlynnMelton.jpg


It's about as smart as he gets :o

There is no way I would hog, manes are far to useful to hang onto ;)
 
I did a trellis plait on my QH for dressage before we pulled her mane and everyone said how gorgeous it looked...well worth the effort, but put a hood on if you do it the night before!
 
natalia said:
I HATE long manes on anything but natives and traditionals, I think they look scruffy and take away from the overall picture of the horse, even if well groomed. if you can't pull or even solo comb it, hog it off!
Click to expand...

Um... that sounds a little rude! Personally I don't particularly like the look of really short or hogged manes - I think they look unnatural and stumpy, but that's just my personal opinion. There's no need to *order* people to do something with their horses' manes - which is how your post came across.

OP - if there's nothing in the rules about how the mane should look then maybe just pull it enough so it looks neat, and give it a good clean, but leave it down? If there aren't any rules then it's owner's preference surely!

(btw the trellis plaits look amazing)
 
Try lots more little plaits- when I plait I always aim to fit as many plaits as reasonably possible up the horse's neck. So on my old horse who (despite being full TB) had a rather amazing afro/ pit pony look going on with his mane I could have up to 19 plaits. Made them very tightly plaited (not at the top, but after 2 twists make the plait as tight as you can), using lots of gel spray (the green super-strength stuff is the best) and then let them set solid. Then fold in half, and if you have space fold in half again and band about half a centimetre up from the base of the little "spoke". It really works:

Henrydressage.jpg

^^ He had the thickest mane ever which was kept pulled short, but those plaits stayed in all day!!

Or:
P8100202.jpg

If you keep the top twist loose but the other 2 looser it stays in better. This was after the test, and this pony regularly scored 8's for his free walk as he stretched so far down!
 
lovely ideas, thanks guys! Lolo, how again do you keep a french braid from pulling out? do you mean it has to be loose-ish at the top? Thing is, it pulls out in the bottom of the neck!

natalia, my horse is Andalusian so for his breed the mane should be long, you're actually not allowed to pull it - even combing is not recommended :)
 
eva said:
lovely ideas, thanks guys! Lolo, how again do you keep a french braid from pulling out? do you mean it has to be loose-ish at the top? Thing is, it pulls out in the bottom of the neck!

natalia, my horse is Andalusian so for his breed the mane should be long, you're actually not allowed to pull it - even combing is not recommended :)
Click to expand...

The pony with the running plait had a mane that was nearly 2 foot long! He was a welsh C, and showed so also wasn;t allowed to have his mane pulled.

Basically, I took very small parts at a time, and plaited it quite tightly to the crest. At the base of the plait where it pulls out, I stopped 2/ 3 inches up from where the mane stopped and plaited it far looser. and straight down rather than to the crest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top