BIG Anky plaits?!?! + dressage horses tails!!!

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CentrestageSHS

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I probably sound really thick but I was just wondering if somebody could give me a run-down into how to achieve the big Anky/Edward Gal/Imke Shelekens-Bartels style plaits. I don't mean the vertical dressage plaits but the big ones that stand up and off the neck, they are hard to describe! There was a post about it a few weeks ago but it didn't really say how to achieve them. I would also be interested to hear from showing people who know how the do the similar neck-improver plaits?!

So does the mane have to be quite long and thick or can you do it with a normal mane? Do you have to plait upwards and do you fold the plait any differently? Any info would be great, a set of instructions would be amazing!!!

Finally (!!) how do you keep a tail so thick and long as some dressage riders do? Mainly the dutch team horses again all have beautiful, thick, swishy tails! Do I plait the ends or is there some other miracle?!

I would be extremely grateful for any help!!!
 
Right a friend of mine went to a clinic the other week and they had a session on turnout.

The big plaits are achieved by keeping them loose at the base for about 1 1/2 inches then plaiting as normal to the end. Fold the end over double with a plaiting band to make a bobble and sew into the base with thread, or so she says! I can only suggest you give it a go. Nigel Hollings also did a good little book on turnout as one of those picture guides and gives some good advice on artisitc plaiting.

Personally I hate over long tails but keep Will's nice and thick by cutting it off square and never brushing it. I give it the occasional wash and condition before combing through and otherwise leave well alone.
 
i think you will find that some of those dresssage tails are not home grown!! False tails are common. and as for the plaits ican do most sorts and i just learnt by trial and error what worked best for me. depends so much on what sort of mane they have and what sort of neck and whether you sew or elastic or do a combination of both.
 
i'm not sure about the plaits you mean, the ones on the website look like good old-fashioned hunter plaits to me. i thought dressage plaiting = 31 tiny skinny ones sticking straight up in the air with white tape round them!
re: tails, the answer is to leave them alone, just wash and condition them and never every brush or comb them (or worse still, plastic curry comb them! that drives me crackers!). that way they get really full and look lovely. i just pick stray bits of bed out with my fingers, or give it a shake, and leave the tail alone until washing it before a show, spraying on conditioner, and then very very gently combing once the showsheen has done its magic. plaiting the bottom makes it go crinkly, which i don't think is a great look, personally.
 
hey-i know exactly which plaits you mean-they can only be done by being sewn in as otherwise the band destroys the puffiness...just be warned that they are a complete nightmare to get out....for some reason it is really hard to get them out as the thread seems to disappear into the mane...they looked wicked tho!
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Thanks everybody!
StaceyTanglewood, I would love to know if they let you in on any secrets, please pm me if you get time.
LauraT I glad you know the ones I am on about cos they are quite hard to describe and I can't find a very good close-up piccy. Do you know how to do them? I am fine with needle n thread I never really use bands anyway.

I found this picture but they aren't as big as they are sometimes. I just don't get how the top can be so loose but the plait is so tight and round?!!

http://www.chio.nl/uploadedImages/Nederlands/Welkom/Edward_Gal_Lingh_1024x768.jpg
 
i will confess now that i am absolutely useless at plaiting myself so i always get my mum to do it!! sometimes i get her to do those, but sometimes we do ones with white bits in and you cant have the puffy plait with the white bit too so it is either or. I love the puffy ones for a normal show (my trainer is not so keen on them). i will ask what the trick is to doing it and let u know, i believe you have to leave them quite loose at the start to get the puffiness and then kind of tuck them under to make it stand up more, i will try and find out a clearer way of explaining it for u tho!
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