Natives doing dressage-plaiting?!

Would you have this mare put down?

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Law

Law

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Hello All
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Just wondering, those of you who do dressage on natives, do you plait or not?
My Section D lives out 24/7 so I normally scrub him clean and wash his mane and tail, wear tweed and don't plait.

If I have a late time I usually try and plait (i'm not very good at it) wear black and a beagler... So far I think I have plaited three times in 10 months.

I'm doing the area festival on the weekend and have a late time so wondered whether I would be best trying to plait or not?!

What would you do?

Thanks
 
My native was always plaited for the Stressage! My thinking is that its Dressage and not showing and you want to give the best impression possible so plaited is best imo and I much prefer black being worn in the Dressage ring
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Lol, I knew it was going to be squiffy somewhere - I don't have a navy beagler or jacket so navy is out of my equation
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But thanks!
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Thanks Teffy too
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Depends on what your horse's mane is like - if it plaits up easily and looks smart plaited then plait it. If it is a typical thick long native mane then I think it looks much better loose and washed rather than bundled up in golfball plaits!
 
I know I have asked the plait or non plait native question on here before and nearly caused a major row so I shall be watching this with interest. My trainer tells me to plait but I think native riders should be proud. I also agree with poster above (sorry can't remember who
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) who said it depends on the mane though.
 
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Depends on what your horse's mane is like - if it plaits up easily and looks smart plaited then plait it. If it is a typical thick long native mane then I think it looks much better loose and washed rather than bundled up in golfball plaits!

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You've got it in one- it's thick and not very user friendly
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Normally people frown at my plaiting efforts
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I should maybe have put a black and unplaited option too as I saw someone do that at our last competition
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I took my mare to an affiliated competition a few weeks ago and there was a girl there with a traditional cob. She'd done a single plait down the length of its mane and it looked superb. I think for dressage it looked more "the part" than if it had been left unplaited, but she also hadn't had to pull the mane short to plait it - best of both worlds! Suppose it depends how long & flowy your horse's mane is?

My opinion - if it's short & thin enough to plait, it looks smarter - especially for an Area Festival. And definitely wear black.
 
I will *make it* short enough to plait but it won't be thin- as it's rather thick.
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As I have the time I think I should just plan to plait it and give my self plenty of time
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And black it is
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[ QUOTE ]
You've got it in one- it's thick and not very user friendly
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Normally people frown at my plaiting efforts
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Ah! Now I can help you with this, my welshie had the most unruly mane imaginable, it was naturally curly too... After a good prune...(lol) my plaiting technique was every single plait was actually a forelock plait across his crest... couldn't tell the difference from the ground
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Well, I'm guessing if your horse is a Section D, s/he might be slightly short in the neck? (mines a Warmblood x Welsh who definitely is!). In which case, you'll also look better with more plaits. I have the same problem with my mare (mane gets really thick unless it's pulled practically every week), and she looks better with 13 / 15 smaller plaits - which helps them not look so golfbally too!
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Thanks Teffy- what is a forelock plait? Is that like a really tight running plait?! Sorry for being thick
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Equi choice there is a link above to a pic of him plaited- I just tried to count the plaits and i think I did about 15
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You do a french plait in the forelock usually... you section out the mane like you usually would and then instead of doing normal plaits do each one as you would normally do the forelock...i'm looking for a picture but in all the pics that you can see his plaits you can't see the french plait bit over the top of each plait
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(like i said from the ground it looks like normal plaits
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I plaited mine up as a trial at home but can't decide if I like him plaited or not. I have a picture but it is on my phone and I can't upload it at work. Can send it to your mobile no if you are interested though. I think you have seen him unplaited before but if not....
http://www.bigtimemedia.co.uk/eventgalleries.html 2008 events, Bluegate Hall 30th Aug, I am no. 45 excuse the lack of jacket it was a very hot day!
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This is the only pic I can find of him plaited and its taken from the wrong side so you can't see anything...
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BUT I did find this hilarious one of him sporting the au naturel look tee hee!
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oh an this is what he would look like normally pruned and unplaited...
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I used to only plait my connemara for affiliated.

Having seen the photo's I think I'll switch and say clean and un-plaited with your tweed jacket.

If you going to show as a native and why on earth not when he is one then I'd say go the whole hog and keep his mane long to.

Alternatley if you keep his mane long you could always do a spanish plait, a lot quicker and do look very smart, if you did one of those then I'd go for the black jacket.
 
when doing dressage with my native i do a running plait following the line of his crest and leave the forelock.
it also means i can still have a long mane for native showing classes!
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i cant answer either. i never plait and wear navy and a beagler. well, i did on my old Section D - somehow i dont think it ever affected his marks. He was placed at the Area Festivals and went through to come 4th in the Finals with 70% from the judge at C who had him as the winner of the class. Pic is in my signature - he was pulled and bathed and very tidy, but i hate seeing natives plaited - show them as they're meant to be. Anyway, I couldn't plait his mane - i tried once after pulling it far too short and they still looked like golf balls!

My new pony is only doing unaff prelim and i'm doing it in tweed at the moment (unplaited of course) but as soon as he goes affil i'll bring out the navy and the beagler again.
 
I dont think Mr D is a very "Typey" Native, so I would be inclined to lop the mane off and plait it! (or get someone else to)
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*evil laugh* I would wear the beagler with the best fitting jacket you have. (do you have a black one?)
 
Oh god, why is this getting more complicated
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- my black jacket hangs off me
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The tweed is the best fit but navy collar so would have to go with navy hat! Or safety pin the black jacket so it looks slightly better. A better fitting black jacket is next on my wish list!

Ha ha, get someone else to plait
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No little helpers to help me this weekend
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I don't plait my section C and wear navy. My girl is very "typey" and would therefore look deformed if she was dressed up as anything else. Also in my mind if you plait then feathers need to go too and since I occasionally show that is not happening! I'm proud of my champion welshy - someone at the regionals asked if she was a partbred - I was so insulted! I can't think what they thought she was crossed with other than a bull! Also if she was partbred I would definitely plait
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I am another that doesn't fit any options on yursurvey - not least because I have an arab! Anyway, what I do is a running plait along his crest, plait his forelock and wear tweed and a black hat!
If/when I affiliate him (BE-ing next year but may BD after that!) I will continue the running plait but may purchase a navy jacket/beagler!
 
You are right CSJ...
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Its down to everyones own preference in the end... I just feel that most people do plait for the Stressage so I always make the effort as well
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When my Welshie was competing regularly he was clipped out all year round and I mean clipped out... legs, feathers, face the works and he was pruned and plaited, he looked really smart, it might not suit all natives but it really suited him and he was black so use to get very hot even in his summer coat so I always felt like I was helping him as well having him like it
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I haven't met Mr D but from the pics i've seen I think he would look really smart with the works
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