Dressage with native ponies

BronsonNutter

BronsonNutter

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To plait or not to plait?

Having always had TBs and non-native types I've always plaited, but I'm taking a connemara out for the first time and not sure whether it's generally acceptable to leave it loose?

Hoping it is as he will need about 7 baths in the morning too and plaiting will take even longer!
 
I always plaited my connie but that was because he had a pretty feeble mane so it just looked like I couldn’t be bothered if I left it loose! I did about 5 chunky plaits (he had a missing patch of mane thanks to sweetitch) so it didn’t take that long.
 
I plait, I think for proper traditional/long native mane not plaiting is fine, but I think most with pulled natives tend to plait them.
 
I never plaited my new forest. I just turned him as to breed guidelines and wore a tweed. We need to promote our native breeds and by not plaited and turning them out as per breed standards people are more likely to recognise them as natives.
 
My friend did not plait her Connie last time she went to a BD show and said it was joyous. An hour of her life she could spend doing something else.
 
For some natives, eg Connemara, New Forests, Welshies, I think they suit being plaited, as in traditional plaits.

Dales, Fells, Highlands, Exmoors, Dartmoors and Shetlands I think look better with manes unplaited and left loose.
But ultimately, it's down to individual preference!.
 
It's personal choice really, I'd say it depends how true to breed type they look too. I used to plait my D as he didn't really look like a D and he looked better (imo!) Plaited. But the project D I had last year I didn't plait as she was very obviously Welsh!
 
SO1 said:
I never plaited my new forest. I just turned him as to breed guidelines and wore a tweed. We need to promote our native breeds and by not plaited and turning them out as per breed standards people are more likely to recognise them as natives.
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Out of curiosity, what is the breed standard for turnout? My NF has the most beautiful long wavy mane and I always figured we would need to put it in a running plait for dressage.
 
You do not have to plait at all for dressage but generally people do. Being neatly and smartly turned out is regarded as showing proper respect for the judge and so is a bit of an expectation but that doesn't mean that you have to plait everything if you don't want to. For me, it would depend on whether you have your pony in native "hairy pony" state or not. If the pony has full mane, tail and feathers then I would not plait but if it is trimmed and pulled then I would plait.
 
I didn’t even plait my sports horse this week. Unaff dressage slotted into a busy day. They still took my ££ and gladly welcomed me! I couldn’t have gone plaited, simply not time before a night shift after another, via a vetting for another and walking the dogs.
Do what you want and what you think compliments the pony best.
 

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One of the plus points for me for getting a native was no plaiting!
Mine has a longer flowing mane and I usually leave it.
When it is very hot, or very windy, I might do a running plait. Maybe.
 
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