Plaiting advice!

[Mooey]

Does anyone have any tips on how to make plaiting easier?? My horse is a Clydesdale X and has a very thick mane - almost like afro! I can plait it really tight and its fine but its just the rolling as they look like lightbulbs!! I have pulled his mane and its approx 5 - 6 inches long.. if I make the plaits small enough to roll nicely they look silly on his as he is 17.1hh but if I make them bigger they look like lightbulbs when rolled!

Seeing as our dressage isn't up to scratch - its all about the photographs at the moment!

 

[kerilli]

thin it with a tail rake, pulling the mane upwards with the other hand. that worked great on mine, made plaiting much easier.
i think i'd aim for medium-sized plaits, too.

 

[Kenzo]

You can either thin it by pulling it, takes ages, end up with blisters and some horses don't like it and you may have to do it over a week so their not sore.

or you can cheat and use rake like above has said, brilliant little peices of equipment.

I'm naughty because I cut mine with scissors

, then use a thinning rake (just from underneith) then finish with thinning sissors on the ends

 

[kerilli]

Kenzo, i do exactly the same. i'll never pull another mane or tail, some horses don't seem to mind much but it obviously really hurts others, and really, what's the point when you can painlessly get great results that plait really nicely.

 

[Kenzo]

[ QUOTE ]
Kenzo, i do exactly the same. i'll never pull another mane or tail, some horses don't seem to mind much but it obviously really hurts others, and really, what's the point when you can painlessly get great results that plait really nicely.

[/ QUOTE ]

he he hee great results that plait really nicely....I WISH!

narh there not bad, certainly room for improvement, but plaiting with cotten just ends up boiling my blood

ama lova of rubba!

 

[Mooey]

I've tried the thinning things but then I end up with spiky bits coming out of his plaits when they grow back.. So I trim them off and make things 100 times worse!

Hmmm think I will just have to keep practicing... I get finger ache though!

 

[hellybelly6]

I Have a clydey x and do a running plait on him.

 

[LEC]

I have a Cleveland Bay cross and his mane is awful its so thick. I pull after riding him and its even better on a hot day. I use my riding gloves to pull manes. They are slightly rubbery and give you a great grip without hurting your fingers. I pull most of it then thin it with a tail rake. I find if you start plaiting near the horses head your plaits will look so much better than going the other way!