Plaiting for the winter?

P

Popos

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 January 2014
Messages
141
Visit site
Do you plait your horses mane and tail in the winter months? We have a new native with LOTS of hair, I'm new to this! Any tips on care throughout the winter would be appreciated
 
I have done although my cob is currently sporting the feral look. His main is usually plaited in a running plait and his tail plaited just down below the dock. It does really help since it doesn't get knotty.
 
Friesians mane is always plaited, tail is now plaited for winter. I do a few plaits though, not just one big one :) I wouldn't do it if you are in a field with a lot of places where the tail can be caught on. Like jaggy bushes. Several plaits rather than one big one allow them to move the tail around more freely, and if one gets caught its just a few hairs lost rather than a potential accident.
 
I don't plait my Arabs manes I find it pulls the hair out its easier to just pick the mud of by hand and just spray regularly, but there tails are permanently in a bag as they drag on the floor and get wrecked otherwise, I think other breeds with longs manes have thicker hair so it probably doesn't damage it so much so it's a wise thing to do.
 
I'm letting boy boy go wild. His mane is growing lovely but he doesn't get any forelock. It's infuriating!!!!
 
amymay said:
No. Tails get chopped to hock length. Manes pulled short.
Click to expand...

poiuytrewq said:
This, legs also clipped out or at least short and neat
Click to expand...

The OP has a native so cannot clip it's legs out, pull the mane or cut the tail short if they want to show it next season, I am going to have a similar issue this winter with a hairy native breed that must retain all his hair for next season.

I will be putting his mane into loose plaits, tail into several plaits and will be using pig oil to help preserve the feathers, all a bit of a faff as I am used to clipping off all superfluous hair, I have never really had a "hairy" native before, Connies, NF the Welsh breeds that I have had can get away with clipping and trimming during the winter as the little they do need will grow back fairly quickly.
 
I assume the long hair gets pulled out by bushes, or trodden on? Have you seen a wild pony with a full knee length mane or full weight tail that touches the ground?
 
OP, i've had a lot of hairy natives over the yrs, mostly off the hills and have never plaited them for winter.

Usually a good dousing of baby oil or conditioner spray in the mane once a week, and gently teasing out the dreadlocks of mane by hand are enough.

Ideally, best to leave feathers & tail, only ever brush when they are dry or even better, hand seperate the tail. Try to bring in overnight to let them drip dry if field conditions get bad, or you could find you get 'bog burn' and lose the feathers - which isn't good if you have a native that 'has' to have them for showing.

My current ride has a 2ft long+ mane, of course this has wind knots in but I unravel once or twice a week if required. Its no problem to ride with the flowing locks.

:)
 
be positive said:
The OP has a native so cannot clip it's legs out, pull the mane or cut the tail short if they want to show it next season, I am going to have a similar issue this winter with a hairy native breed that must retain all his hair for next season.

I will be putting his mane into loose plaits, tail into several plaits and will be using pig oil to help preserve the feathers, all a bit of a faff as I am used to clipping off all superfluous hair, I have never really had a "hairy" native before, Connies, NF the Welsh breeds that I have had can get away with clipping and trimming during the winter as the little they do need will grow back fairly quickly.
Click to expand...

I wasn't prepared for the extra work keeping them tidy. I'd always had non natives before. My boy takes at least 3 times longer to brush and bath than my others. His mane, tail and feathers are quite high maintenance.
 
No plaiting, uncomfortable and pulls it out by the roots if hair is long and gets caught on something. Mine gets gallons of mane and tail conditioner so if it gets caught it can be easily pulled off branches. A couple of loose pony tails at most tied close to roots of mane. Tail cut to hocks and feather spats for protection
 
Last edited:
Clodagh said:
I assume the long hair gets pulled out by bushes, or trodden on? Have you seen a wild pony with a full knee length mane or full weight tail that touches the ground?
Click to expand...

All of my shetlands have manes down to the point of their shoulder and in the summer their tails are just off to floor, in winter they are about fetlock length. They keep themselves like this, I don't touch them lol! I do think some of these natives (M&M and coloured) are ott with the lengths of the manes and tails that are kept wrapped up until show day when they trip over them.

Though I do know of quite a few fells and and Highlands that have naturally got ridiculously long manes that live wild but the length stays by the shoulder, the higher up towards the head you go the shorter the mane gets.
 
I don't plait mine. In wet weather they come in dripping wet after a day in the rain. A plait would stay wet and heavy all night. I wouldn't like my own hair to be cold wet and heavy for days, so don't imagine my horses would like it either. I run a brush over mine for a couple of minutes each evening while they have their tea, and they stay tangle free (always spray through some conditioner when grooming).
 
Thanks for the replies. I hadn't thought about the heavy wet plaits, that's put me off doing it a bit. I don't want to cut it all off. At the moment I brush her mane when she comes in for dinner! I've been washing her tails every so often and looked at buying a waterproof tail bag. Are they any good? Thank you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top