Not plaiting for dressage...

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CastleMouse

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Last night I was thinking about how plaiting can cause tension in the neck etc. and I think I might consider not plaiting for dressage anymore... Ali works beautifully at my yard, arenas I rent out for schooling etc. the majority of the time, and perhaps it might be worth trying to see if he's not as tense competing unplaited? I know it sounds stupid, as obviously my nerves at shows pass on to him and when he's around other horses he's certainly going to be quite tense, but could competing unplaited possibly make a difference? I usually plait Ali for pretty much everything as looking smart is very important to me, but if it makes a difference to how he works at shows then I don't mind... I have to admit when I plait for hunting I plait quite loosely which does look a bit messy, but we're usually covered in mud after 10 minutes anyway!
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Sorry for rambling on and apologies if I made absolutely no sense at all...
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I really can't see it making that much difference TBH. I would go with loose messy plaits over no plaits. IMO you should always plait for dressage.
 
THis is interesting as my mare was really uncomfortable in her dressage test at the weekend. Mind you, I am a bit of perfectionist with the plaits and did them the night before, fairly tight to make sure they stayed in.

Test was awful, so took them out for the SJ and XC and she felt heaps better - no snatching with the head.

I know for BE that you need to plait, but I certainly will be going for the much looser ones now - she may not look at neat but will hopefully perform better! Guess its just like having a really tight pony tail in??
 
I went BD today and there were a couple of people that didn't plait but I did think he looked quite strange to be honest. My boy always has his plaits sewn in and I haven't noticed it affecting him.

Maybe just do loose plaits and see if it does make a difference?
 
How about plaiting him for schooling at home and then see if makes a difference? If he schools just as well with them then you know it's not the plaits!!
 
I never plait for anything if i can help it, horse hates it, thinks you are pulling his mane which he hates.
 
My mare has a mad mane, so I always grab her mane into plait size bunches when I have a lesson, they are never tight and when I plait properly, they are never really tight either, it is not necessary. They can be properly sewn in and be neat and not come undone, they don't have to yank the hair out.

Try putting your own hair into a tight bunch or plait, you very soon get a headache or sore head, they are no different to us.
 
I think that as long as you get the hair crossing over really smoothly & flat when you start the plait, you don't need it desperately tight. I have long hair & as Tracey01 says, it does jolly hurt if there is too much tension on one spot if you've plaited or done a pony tail.
 
Oh, I know quite a few horses bothered by plaiting. Many young horses are noticeably uncomfortable the first couple of times they're done but get over it as they get used to it and their top lines strengthen but I've certainly known more than one older horse that continued to stay markedly less relaxed in the neck with plaits in.

I'm often surprised by how loose the braids on really top dressage horses are - you would think they'd be the epitome of perfect turnout! I have to wonder if that's because anything that might even slightly affect the stretch or steadiness of the neck needs to be avoided in a game with such small margins.

There are ways to help those horses that do care if it has to be done. One, use elastics not thread or yarn (for those of you that know anything about braiding in the New World.) I know elastics are just not done by some but there are horses at the top levels done with them and if it's done well you honestly can't tell from thread. Don't pull the tops super tight - that only makes then stand out anyway - but braid down and lay the strands over, pushing them up with the thumb rather than pulling from the top. Two, don't braid right before the class. If the horse rubs put a neck cover on but otherwise leave a bit of time for the plaits to relax before riding. Taping (which I don't really like the look of) can actually help some uncomfortable horses as the plaits don't have to be pulled quite as tight to look neat.

Most horses don't care but then some horses don't go by the same rules.
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Thanks for all the opinions folks
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Very good point Calzy - I think I might school him at the yard with his mane plaited and see if it does make a difference this weekend
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I tend to always plait as it just gives a better out look but there have been a few occasions when we have had stupidly early times for BD and then I havent and so far on those occasions I seem to get placed.

It really isnt the end of the world if you dont it just might mean you get better collectives if you do :-)
 
I too have a horse who is more likely to be placed unplaited than plaited ... luckily as he is a native, he looks quite correct unplaited but the first time I did it, I felt like a naughty child who hadn't got up early enough!
 
I've always plaited for dressage, but due to arthritis in my hands it takes blimmin hours, and recently I've had a few grumpy judges. You know the type, not a single positive comment, scowling at you, not even looking up when you do your salute, that kind of thing. Shouting at you for patting your horse lol. And having spent HOURS on turnout makes that a bit more of a kick in the teeth, especially when I know at this stage it's really just exposing him to different places, we won't be competitive!

So honestly, I'm thinking about doing a few schooling runs and not plaiting!
 
I do hooded plaits, which are more comfortable for the horse. As long as the plait itself is super tight, the hooded bit can be quite loose, so the hair doesn't pull when the horse stretches its neck. Sewing through the middle, rather than round the outsides is also less likely to pull.
 
My horse also hates having plaits in, so we're experimenting with looser / hooded / stitched. But I would say that having written for lots of judges including BD, I've never heard one comment on whether or not a horse was plaited, ever. In fact, when I commented to the last one that I was writing for that I was surprised the first few riders' hair was messily tied up, she made a joke saying 'Well we should definitely mark them down for that!'
 
I don't tend to plait for pure dressage anymore although I only do unaffiliated. I find it utterly pointless, just another one of those dumb traditions that we're expected to carry on which actually serves no purpose. I have always plaited for BE dressage though, probably because I care more about about my dressage mark so I don't want the judge to give me a cruddier mark just because we don't look quite as neat as everyone else! Never plait tails though. At the end of the day a judge would not being doing their job well if they marked you down because you hadn't plaited its mane and I personally wouldn't value their opinion anyway!
 
There's absolutely nothing in the BD rulebook that says you have to plait. If you're happier not doing, so long as you still look neat and tidy, then do that.

As a point of interest, I once read something by one of Carl Hester's grooms saying they always loosened the bottom few plaits just above the wither to allow the horses to stretch more comfortably. Traditionally sewn plaits don't have to be pulled super tight and shouldn't pull at the horse's skin.
 
Maybe doing more plaits so the hair is not pulled across so much as you get when you just do the standard 11 & a forelock plait?
 
Some horses just associate being plaited with going to shows with excitement, other horses and tense mums.
If his mane lies nicely don't worry about plaiting but maybe plait at home so he gets used to the feel. I know myself when I put my hair in a pony tail that if I happen to get a few hairs super tight it hurts like hell and I'll undo the ponytail and redo it.
 
Plaiting is traditional, but also does show off the horse's neck musculature. Just as I wouldn't go out with messy hair, neither will my horse if it's a formal occasion like a show. If horses are perhaps reacting to being plaited, why not try plaiting at home and see if that makes a difference? I have a horse which used to get very overexcited if I put hoof dressing on (which I used to only do for shows), now we do it randomly at home and he doesn't associate it with going out.

Oops, sorry see you've just said that ^^^
 
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