Lolo - help, running plait advice please!

kerilli

kerilli

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I just had a practice run on 1 of my girls and i just can't make it stay beautifully along the crest as you do... it was nice and neat but gradually angling away from the crest, so by the time I was about 8" down the mane it was about 4" from the crest... also, she has a looong neck so i'll run out of mane before i get to the end of it, if it angles away, plus i want it to stay neatly up on the crest the way you do it!
what am i doing wrong?! i tried adding from the unused mane every third wrap, and then started again and did it every second wrap... do i need to add it with every wrap over, even from the right? i kind of run out of fingers trying to do that. crikey, and i thought i was good at plaiting. :( :(
must admit the mare wasn't being the easiest model as she's never been plaited before, but she got over the Violation of her Equine Rights fairly quickly...!
 
i generally angle the plait slightly so that the mane you are adding in comes from closer to the ears than where the bit you're plaiting at is - means you would form a ///////[ears here] pattern if you weren't right on the crest. sometimes plaiting "up" instead of down can bring it closer to the crest and keep it tight (easier when you have the ///// pattern as you've got more mane to add in. Don't add too much mane each time and it is every plait.
 
start at the ears but only take enough mane to be adding some in and to keep pulling it up to the crest. if you keep taking enough to keep the bits being pulled into the plait straight and vertical then you run out of mane quicker. I also find that angling it gives the horse more movement in the neck.
 
trust me, the mane's dirty, she's 6 and it's never been washed (hysterical about water and never been out in public!) so it's nice and sticky and easy to plait! use a rubber band where?! sorry, surely i'll only need that at the end of the plait?!
 
I add every wrap, stand on a good sized box (bear in mind he is only 14.2!) and tighten every one.

I also start off going along the crest, the first plait doesn't go down at all.
 
kerilli said:
trust me, the mane's dirty, she's 6 and it's never been washed (hysterical about water and never been out in public!) so it's nice and sticky and easy to plait! use a rubber band where?! sorry, surely i'll only need that at the end of the plait?!
Click to expand...

i only use one at the end of plaiting and then one to hold it tucked under (though it should probably be sewn :o)
 
As you plait the next section in, pull it up into the plait so you're using that section to keep the plait to the crest by folding it from the underside- does that help? If we ever cross paths and you have a suitable pony to hand I'll have a bash at demonstrating!
 
ester, that does help a bit, but that's how i was doing it, but at a bit of an angle... which i'll try to do.
Lolo, do you mean bring the new bit in under, not over the top? i'll try that... thanks. i think you need to do a vid and put it on youtube, unless you're somewhere in the East?! thankyou!
 
by bringing the new bit under you end up plaiting "up" - so if you were doing your standard plait the arrow type bit of the plait would point up. apply that thought if poss :p
 
Yeah, I think I plait under and up rather than over... Sitting here plaiting in mid-air to work it out :D Makes it sit on the crest more and less likely to wobble out.
 
I'm surprised you two haven't bumped into each other already! Not wanting to sound like a crazy stalker or anything!

I tried Lolo's plait tonight. Thought it would keep Nitty's bush out of the way whilst I'm 'riding' her but I couldn't do it either :(
 
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