Plaiting for Dressage - Do I need to??

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2007
Messages
2,001
Location
Yorkshire
www.wix.com
I have one of these....
129.jpg


For dressage(Un-affil/trailblazers) should I leave her mane au-natural or try and do a running/arab plait in it?

I tried a running/arab plait and it turned out like this, so would need more practise to get it much shorter/tighter...
DSC00277-1.jpg
 
chickeninabun said:
No I haven't tried that, it looks really complicated! I suppose it's not if you think about it but requires loads of plaiting bands!:)
Click to expand...

It's seriously easy, but it's not really plaiting and I'm not sure if people would think you'd made much effort!

All you need to do is separate the mane (as if you were going to properly plait the mane), then (starting at the ears), take the first section and half of the second section, and put a band on it (about 3" down). Then take the half of the second section left over, and take half of the third section and put a band on it. Continue until you have all the sections with bands about 3" down.

Then, do the next layer in the same way. Keep on going until you reach the end of the mane.

However, the YO of where Jazzy is did an Arab plait on her Lusitano stallion on Sunday and it was incredible. His mane is seriously thick and very long, and she managed to get it along the crest from ears to withers - it can be done with some practice. You just need to make sure that the section you pull in is very tight.

Good luck!
 
I'd just leave it natural myself but tidy it up (if it needs it, can't really see from the photo) perhaps just level it off a bit or shorten it a tad but I think natural is the way to go, providing it doesnt get tangled up in your hands or reins.

I would attack the chin hairs though, if you don't..... I'll be bringing my scissors and snipping them off when your not looking when I send you on the butty run :D;)
 
I think I agree that natural is the way to go.

And yes Kenzo she does get a good shave before a party! I was busy faffing around one day trying to trim her with scissors, beard and whiskers, when my friend came along and said "here do it like this" and whipped out a bic razor and shaved all her whiskers off! It actually works a treat and I've done it ever since. Gets her baby smooth round the chops and is surprisingly easy once you got over the panic that you going to slice her face open!!:D

Don't worry about the butty run! I'm bring my groom/driver/husband, so as long as he can hear us shouting him whilst he's in the bar then he'll bring us all the refreshments we'll need!

Kenzo, do you know if it's a am or pm start for the dressage?
 
I don't even know if I'll be going yet :( few days ago I had my instructions from the girls that I can go to dressage anytime, hen party was the priority and that we were stopping over somewhere (it's was the only date they could all do it on), so I couldn't go, but then last night I got a text saying they had changed the date to 28th because it was easier for someone else, so I through a mini party cos that meant Mackenzie could go to the ball....but just found out now that it's been put back to 21st :(:(:(:(

not a happy bunny :(
 
Oh no! :( That's a shame (and very confusing!). It would have been great to meet up. Oh well, we'll just have to do it another time. Think there's another Trailblazers on the 14th Sept or sometime around there. :)
 
I always leave my Highlands au naturel manewise. I sometimes do a running plait if it is very hot but that is just to keep them a bit cooler since it is like a 15 tog duvet under all that hair :eek:

Out of interest, where are you going dressaging this weekend as we are out too (in East Yorks) :)
 
Celandine said:
I always leave my Highlands au naturel manewise. I sometimes do a running plait if it is very hot but that is just to keep them a bit cooler since it is like a 15 tog duvet under all that hair :eek:

Out of interest, where are you going dressaging this weekend as we are out too (in East Yorks) :)
Click to expand...

Ahh, 'tis not this weekend but next, the 22nd, at Sykehouse. Where are you going this weekend?
 
Port Royal this weekend and then Homestead Livery show the weekend after. Gone off Sykehouse now they are running combined training on same day as dressage every time as you have to warm up on grass and it's not a particularly good surface :( I like to work in on a surface if I am riding test on one. Otherwise, Sykehouse has really improved since last year.

What test are you doing?
 
I have a traditional cob and as much as I love long, flowing manes, personally would always plait for dressage as it's the polite thing to do. Plus it makes it easier for the judge to see what's going on under all that hair so they can mark, lol!
Practice your running plait and it will take all of five minutes to do once you get the hang of it :) I always leave it until 15 mins before the test as it will stay in then. One tip is always plait where you want the hair to go ie keep your hands as close as possible to the crest and make yourself plait it tight and high, rather than allowing your hands to drop down, then the pait will be tight and stay at the top of the neck rather than fall loosely down the neck. It will make your hands ache but will look fab (try doing it in the back of a trailer just before unloading an excited horse for hunting on a freezing morning, then it won't seem so bad, lol ;))
 
Times will be displayed on the website around the Thursday before, they will be in the morning and they will be the earlier ones if your doing INTRO but depending on how many entries they have, they won't stick them on too early, mine was after 10am last time.

Yeah warm up is on the grass now when the jumping is on at the same time, however I think this worked out better for me (more space :D) but yes the ground is not great if your horse is used working on a surface.

Busy trying to organise dates now, trying to change hen party to another weekend but it's not looking too good. :(
 
Celandine said:
Port Royal this weekend and then Homestead Livery show the weekend after. Gone off Sykehouse now they are running combined training on same day as dressage every time as you have to warm up on grass and it's not a particularly good surface :( I like to work in on a surface if I am riding test on one. Otherwise, Sykehouse has really improved since last year.

What test are you doing?
Click to expand...

I've never done a test on a surface, in fact I'm not even sure my mare's ever been on a surface before! Eeek!

I'm going to do the Intro A combined training one, with the 55cm jumping (just for a laugh, as we are totally abismal at jumping!:o) and the Prelim 12.

I've been thinking about going up to Port Royal as it's only a couple miles down the road from me, but it seems a bit big and "professional" for little ol' me. I keep planning on going down there one day and just watching to see what it's like before I actually go and try to compete there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top