Plaiting for BD...

_jetset_

_jetset_

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2005
Messages
11,389
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Has anyone been to a BD competition without plaiting up???

Due to the weather, I am thinking of leaving her au natural for tomorrow as would hate to spend an hour plaiting Han's mane tonight only not to be going anywhere tomorrow morning due to snow/wind etc etc.

Will I have a big black mark next to my name????
 
I never plait!
shocked.gif
shocked.gif
But I do have a Connemara.
tongue.gif


I have seen a few unplaited but mostly everyone round here plaits up for dressage. You shouldn't have a big black mark next to you as the judge should be looking at the way of going not how smart the mane is.
 
I'd rather spend 30 mins doing some rubbish plaits than not plaiting at all but I do know of peeps that have gone au natural to BD comps due to running late (or too hungover to stand and plait
wink.gif
)
 
I wouldn't worry too much my ex boss (Bar Hammond) didn't used to get me to plait up unless she was on her GP horse, her youngster that was medium level never got plaited.
She also wore a hacking jacket and a snaffle bridle, she would be warming up with people with white bandages and white tape round their plaits in double bridles and then she would win with 72%!!

Never did her any harm
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
1. Does it really take an hour to plait?!
.

[/ QUOTE ]

God it would take me days to plait I'm completely and utterly useless at it!
blush.gif
grin.gif
 
I once plaited and made a hash of it and my friend pulled all the plaits before I got in for my test. Now I make sure I have enough time and always plait. I have a native though so it's not 100% necessary but I would plait anyway.
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Does it really take an hour to plait?!
.

[/ QUOTE ]

God it would take me days to plait I'm completely and utterly useless at it!
blush.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

See when you're eventing and have a 4am start, so have to leave your house at 3am (yes, it has happened), you learn to plait very, very fast! I can do a full neck on my 16.3 in 15 mins (using bands!). In fact I can go from arriving at yard to loaded in 30mins. I load the lorry the night before but still have to do tail bandage, rugs, brush off, travel boots, bring lorry round, haylage nets, plait etc!
 
If you are short of time and using the test as a training exercise ,I would rather spend the time working in.
If you want to do your absolute best because you want to qualify ,then plait
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Does it really take an hour to plait?!
.

[/ QUOTE ]

God it would take me days to plait I'm completely and utterly useless at it!
blush.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

See when you're eventing and have a 4am start, so have to leave your house at 3am (yes, it has happened), you learn to plait very, very fast! I can do a full neck on my 16.3 in 15 mins (using bands!). In fact I can go from arriving at yard to loaded in 30mins. I load the lorry the night before but still have to do tail bandage, rugs, brush off, travel boots, bring lorry round, haylage nets, plait etc!

[/ QUOTE ]
Yet another reason never ever to take up eventing
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone been to a BD competition without plaiting up???

Due to the weather, I am thinking of leaving her au natural for tomorrow as would hate to spend an hour plaiting Han's mane tonight only not to be going anywhere tomorrow morning due to snow/wind etc etc.

Will I have a big black mark next to my name????

[/ QUOTE ]


Am in the same situation
laugh.gif


Forecast for tonight/tomorrow is snow and chances of actually going are slim but i am going to plait up anyway. Takes me about an hour too lol x
 
Yes... it takes me an hour because her mane is so bloody thick and has a big gap where she has rubbed it that I have to manage
laugh.gif
laugh.gif
laugh.gif
I sew them in too which seems to take me forever and a day
blush.gif
blush.gif
blush.gif


I am definitely not doing it tonight... will think about it in the morning when I get up. It takes me 1 1/2 hours to get all jobs done, so have to be at the yard at 7am anyway (including walking Grace etc).
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone been to a BD competition without plaiting up???

Due to the weather, I am thinking of leaving her au natural for tomorrow as would hate to spend an hour plaiting Han's mane tonight only not to be going anywhere tomorrow morning due to snow/wind etc etc.

Will I have a big black mark next to my name????

[/ QUOTE ]


Am in the same situation
laugh.gif


Forecast for tonight/tomorrow is snow and chances of actually going are slim but i am going to plait up anyway. Takes me about an hour too lol x

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad it takes someone else all that time too
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you are short of time and using the test as a training exercise ,I would rather spend the time working in.
If you want to do your absolute best because you want to qualify ,then plait

[/ QUOTE ]

Hannah has been really naughty the past few weeks, so no matter what we will not do our best and qualify because she is being a very moody mare!!! I think she is coming into her first season since having Troy as she has bagged up a little (she has always done this when coming in season) and is being very spooky!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Does it really take an hour to plait?!
.

[/ QUOTE ]

God it would take me days to plait I'm completely and utterly useless at it!
blush.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

See when you're eventing and have a 4am start, so have to leave your house at 3am (yes, it has happened), you learn to plait very, very fast! I can do a full neck on my 16.3 in 15 mins (using bands!). In fact I can go from arriving at yard to loaded in 30mins. I load the lorry the night before but still have to do tail bandage, rugs, brush off, travel boots, bring lorry round, haylage nets, plait etc!

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree!! We have had to leave at 4am before for Poplar last year!! And mum had to plait 2 in the morning, got them both done in 30mins!!

Better to have bad plaits then not at all I think at least it looks like you made some effort rather then none!
 
i compete BD & own a grey so if i'm short of time he gets just a bath & no plaits , as thats which of the two makes him look best!

i've never had it commented on & have won & had a couple of seconds unplaited so the judge can't have been that upset!

most other horses tend to be plaited but its often the case that the ones which aren't are semi-pro's so they must think it can't make that much difference!
 
I have never done dressage and not plaited but then i think that my mum would refuse point blank to so much as start the engine if i hadnt plaited.
I have got my plaiting down to about 15 mins with bands
 
I often plait up at an event when we get there - if my partnere is eventing I do it while he goes and walks the course/gets his numbers. 20 mins maxuimum for sewing in - and more like hunter plaits than loads of tiny ones as they are thoroughbreds, so that takes less time as well. So even if you go to dressage, you could do it on the lorry when you get there, assuming you get there in enough time to allow the hoerse a bit of a rest before you get on it.

I did once work with very smart hunters/point to pointers in Leicestershire, and my boss always had them plaited except some of the TBs who were out qualifying for point to pointing - she said a TB mane was ok not plaited (but only the sort that lies nice and flat, is well pulled, and always looks smart)
 
we try not to, not plait but have on the odd occasion we always plait in the morning but we tape so it doesnt take us too long, we have to be quick as we often have four or five on the lorry
 
I have left her unplaited tonight as it was hailing really heavily and I just didn't see how it could run tomorrow... if it is running, and I can get there, we will have to go unplaited. I have plaited up for every other BD competition I have ever done, so this one time I am going to be au natural
wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't worry too much my ex boss (Bar Hammond) didn't used to get me to plait up unless she was on her GP horse, her youngster that was medium level never got plaited.
She also wore a hacking jacket and a snaffle bridle, she would be warming up with people with white bandages and white tape round their plaits in double bridles and then she would win with 72%!!

Never did her any harm
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

How refreshing to hear this
grin.gif
I usually plait for hunter classes but not for Unaf dressage. Ralph rubs his mane out if I do it the night before and it takes me an hour to plait as its so thick
crazy.gif
and I wear my hacking jacket
grin.gif
 
I need 2 scrape together as many marks as i can, where ever i can get them!!! ive never gone unplaited dont have the guts, would love to go unplaited and win!!! How fantastic!!
 
Honestly, I barely notice if horse is plaited so long as the horse and rider look smart overall.

I've been to one comp @ Addington without plaiting as Gitface wouldn't be caught and was thrown in lorry when he decided he'd had enough of self lunging, did ok.
 
Have never plaited for BD. Only did up to novice level though.
Have never plaited for unaff up to elem.

Have also done some judging and I can honestly say I never noticed whether the horse was plaited, as long as the combination looked smart. Really scruffy would stick out but if there's an obvious effort there to look v smart I really don't think it would make a difference to the judge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top