Carl Hesters horses beautiful plaits. How are they done?

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milliepup

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I saw Carl and one of his horses in a magazine not long ago and his horse had the most amazing plaits. They were almost round in shape and looked like they were secured at the top before each plait was plaited.
Does anyone know how these are done as when I plait they end up sort of long and flat as apposed to looking like a little round button.
 
plaited from above, then rolled into shape, sewn into place. if your looking they are also called cobra plaits by some. Very popular in showing
 
could u please explain how that is done? and bare in mind I am a very blonde person
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right you get a box so that when you stand on the box (or several depending on how tall your horse is) you are above the horses neck and can plait in an upwards direction rather then downwards.
You then plait the mane keeping it tight at the base and plaiting upwards. Secure at the bottomw with either bands or thread, turning the unplaited straggley bits upwards. then you roll the plait up, dont fold it, you have to roll it, and push the ball up into the hair so that the top looks like a cobras hood with the plait ball in the middle and then you sew it all in place. when sewing you go up and down through the plait rather then round it to keep the ball shape.
Takes a bit of practice to do and have to be done on the morning of the show as they collapse if you put a hood over them.
sorry if the explination is crap.
 
This was the way I was taught to plait, I found changing to the folded up method really hard!
Yes, stand above the horse and plait upwards, then roll the plait with your finger once the bottom is tied with button thread, securing by going from the underneath through to the back, round to the right, then repeat round to the left several times.
I think you will find that even if you have the end above when you start rolling, it ends up underneath wen it's finished..
 
thats g8 i do get it fab exp!! am i right in thinking you dont need as many plaits as normal????

I would like a groom pref a free one who works for chocy bars and wouldnt mind watching the kids while i ride other horse!!!!
 
Depends how many you normaly put in, but with thes i tend to put between 7 9 or 11 plaits in, sometimes 13 if the horsey has masses of mane
 
11 or 13 plaits! Gosh, I wish! My horse has such a thick mane that last time I plaited him I ended up with 21 plaits and they were still quite big ones! I think he's a TB x lion....

Little ponio I ride has thick mane which sticks right up in the air like fraggle rock, apparently plaits just ping straight out!

I am clearly not destined to look elegant while doing dressage...!
 
I am sooooo glad we hogged Mo yesterday! And Molly and Dolly are au naturale, so no plaiting for me!!
So i say sod the plaits and just hog! Or exchange horsey for a native!!
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Hmm never been a problem for me, youve just got to realy pull the mane well.
i tend to put 11 in my 14hh SP and 9 in my 16.2 hh because he has a long neck that i want to make look shorter.

for ponies with frizzy manes that wont be plaited setting lotion is a god send.
 
Little pony would look fab hogged, but we decided that having the mane to hang onto is a good idea, as she's very short in the neck, so coming off over the front is not unlikely! The TB (x lion) is retired now, so his mane can do what it likes.
 
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