Opinions please - plaiting for dressage

J

Jo C

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2001
Messages
3,960
Location
Essex
Visit site
As some of you probably know I BD my Connemara, now my personal view on plaiting is that he should be ridden in tests true to type, ie not plaited and legs left in when clipped. However people at my yard keep telling me I should clip his legs out and plait him up for dressage. I am reluctant to do this as I think he should be judged as a Connemara. Opinions please?
smile.gif
 
Ok badly worded on my part but feel he should be judged for his way of going as a Connemara not as a dressage pony does that make sense or have I completely lost the plot.
wink.gif
 
That would only work if judge happened to be familier with normal (breed) gait of horse. Should be judged as dressage pony. Know where you are comming from as wife competes BD (medium) on welsh D but is jusdge purely on dressage criteria. Has to be to produce a level playing field.

Think how you would feel if you did the perfect test but got marked down because stride was longer or head carriage was different from breed norm.
 
You dont have to plait for dressage and the judge will not take into consideration either way whether you did or not. However it is etiquette to plait- shows off the horses topline and looks smarter. I am am judge and it doesn't make any difference to me, However as a competitor I feel if the judge can be bothered to sit there and judge me, I should be bothered to plait
 
plait, but in saying that BD is not a showing comp. But if mine would plait, polish and trim every time, i personnel think it shows respect to judge
 
Personally i would never plait/trim my welsh D for dressage, it just doesn't look right and he does look smarter turned out natural IMO. He would still be neat and tidy.

But thats my opinion, i only ever do dressage unaff anyway
 
Hello, I'm new! I've been lurking for a while but this post applies to me so here goes...

I've started doing BD with my Welsh C and don't plait her as I'm showing her too and so can't be lopping off her lovely hair! We're always clean and tidy but I'm conscious of being respectful to the judge and often wonder what they think of her being unplaited...
 
Yes I would like to show Patrick still so don't really want to trim his legs and I think it would look daft plaited (how I would get that hair into a plait I'm not quite sure) and 4 big hairy legs sticking out. I also feel whilst it is the done thing for adults to ride Natives if I plaited and trimmed him would I look out of place riding a pony? Really not sure on this one.
crazy.gif
 
I think its fine for adults to ride ponies, plaited or not (as long as they’re ok weight-wise) but I know what you mean…

I would always plait non-natives but I’m a bit paranoid about looking like someone trying to be something I’m not – some natives can pull it off but there’s no escaping that my girl’s welsh so even plaited she wouldn’t look like a “dressage pony” (she just looks bizarre – I plaited her to keep her mane out of the way when she was clipped and it wasn’t pretty)!

I also have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about being proud of her “nativeness” – I get a bit upset when I see them plaited and I always compete my girl under her reg’d name!
 
When we take our welsh to dressage, his legs are left untrimmed and he has a running plait in his mane. His forelock is always left and I sometimes do his tail but we only ever compete unaff.
 
I know exactly what you mean about being proud of their 'nativeness' and also always compete under his reg'd name. Its a difficult one and I guess you can't please all the people all the time.
Oh welcome to the forum by the way.
grin.gif
 
I fully agree with DressageChick, plaiting your horse tends to show respect for the show & judge you are competing at. I feel it should make no difference wether you are at an Unaffiliated or Affiliated show, respect is the same everywhere.

Oh & welcome Little-Mare
smile.gif
 
I would personally do a running plait. I know people that do dressage on hairy coloureds,a nd they alwatys have runnign plaits in, keeps mane looking neat but doesnt sacrifice for showing
smile.gif
 
I used to do an running/arab plait on my Arab and I always got comments he was a bit tense in the neck... on a recent lesson with a BD judge I asked her about it (I never plait for lessons) and she said it's obviously the plaits making him tense and uncomfortable so don't plait! She said it's perfectly acceptible to turnout Native Breeds and Arabs in their natural state and I haven't (to my knowledge) offended any judges yet and we don't get the tense comments anymore
 
It’s certainly a tough one… to plait or not to plait!

I’ve seen some people using a running plait and it looks very smart but whenever I’ve tried it stretches out when she stretches her neck down and then looks crumpled up when she shortens again – very disrespectful! Certainly they’re useful for huge manes and I think I would definitely plait if the mane obscured the whole neck/shoulder but my pony’s long mane is quite short as long manes go!
 
I would not want the judge to feel I was being disrespectful at all and always have Patrick gleaming white (we always get comments as to how clean he is) I guess I am trying to make the best of both worlds and compromising on plaiting unfortunately is the result. I have plaited him in the past and he looks absolutely ridiculous strangely.
 
I would imagine most dressage judges are experienced enough to recognise a native breed and would understand why the horse is not plaited - its not compulsory so it should not be taken into to consideration when marking.

Laura Fry (ex-olympic dressage rider) is riding a lovely Highland pony who is left completely natural and if it is good enough for her.......
wink.gif
 
Thanks Sparklet, Laura Fry was one of the people I was thinking of as riding a native and as you say if it is good enough for her it is certainly good enough for me at Novice level
laugh.gif

Wonnder who you would ask at BD to see if you could get their opinion?
 
Jo C - I had a NF pony in UK and NEVER plaited for dressage and I went to regional finals and alsorts. There was absolutley no need and I felt that I didn't get discrimnated against because of that - more becauase he was a little fat pony up against horses.

If a judge comments, then be truthful - you don't plait cos he is a connie and you show so don't want to pull his mane too much.
 
I wouldnt bother asking BD - they will only refer you to the rule book and there is certainly no mention of plaiting.

Native types are often ridden unplaited - there was a fantastic Friesian at the CDI at Frys a couple of years ago and it was mad to see it being warmed up in bandages over its feathers because they all poked out the bottom, but when it came into the ring it looked fantastic with its flowing mane and feathers.

I would go for a clean shiney mane, tail and feathers and keep them tidy with a bit of discreat pulling but be proud of being a naturist (not sure thats the correct term
blush.gif
)
 
Oh good, I'm pleased with these "don't plait" replies too - was getting a bit worried!

I've seen that Highland too and thought it looked lovely!

So far only the "plaitable" natives have been mentioned as having been plaited but I can't imagine how my friend would even begin to try it with her beefy exmoor, now he'd look really disgusting - think it might be classed as abuse!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top