Plaiting tips and tricks?

[Katieg123]

Looking for some tips on peoples absolutely perfect plaits! Or any products that are a must have? Smart grooming plaiting wax seems to have a fan club but I've never used it - is it worth the hype? Or any of those plaiting sprays - there seems to be plenty of options!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It depends on the mane and the type of plaits you are going for. If you are stitching or banding.

We band for racing and I just use water, don't want any gimmicky products getting on the reins making the jockeys life harder.

For showing I use water, band the bottom then stitch up and finish off with hair spray to hold them if I need them in for a few classes.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Following with interest as I just can't plait. I have tried so hard, using every product under the sun, and every method. I've even had several private lessons in plaiting to get through my Stage 2. Which I managed 2nd time of asing but barely. (I only failed on plaiting!). Nothing makes them look anything other than dire.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

The biggest thing I've found with plaiting is mane prep before hand.

To get small perfectly neat 'showing' plaits, the mane needs to be short, thin and all the same length so you don't get any wispy bits poking out. Mane should be clean, wet it down or use plaiting gel, section so all plaits are the same width with the same amount of hair (always an odd number on the neck, with the forelock making it an even number, so it doesn't cut the neck in half). After that it depends on what you like best, I tend to plait down and band the bottom and tuck the end in, then either roll and sew in if showing or band if I don't have to get them as neat. When showing, I'd also trim any stray hairs and hairspray in place.

If you don't want tiny plaits then the mane can be thicker and longer, but I still fine getting the mane all the same length and thickness, and then keeping all the plaits the same width gets the polished neat look at the end.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Following with interest as I just can't plait. I have tried so hard, using every product under the sun, and every method. I've even had several private lessons in plaiting to get through my Stage 2. Which I managed 2nd time of asing but barely. (I only failed on plaiting!). Nothing makes them look anything other than dire.

I'm the same. I've given up and hogged

 

[Katieg123]

My horse has an incredibly thick mane (cob thick!) Which I have been raking to try and make it a reasonable thickness. They would be used for showing and working hunter. My biggest issue is that they seem to come out during working hunter as my hands run over the plaits when jumping! Ideally they would be bullet proof

 

[millitiger]

I prefer a longer mane than many people expect- I think you need a little length to get them to roll up properly and give you a nice shape.

Plait down and secure with a band, fold plait in half under itself and then roll up.

Don't worry about buying equine products, just get some styling wax from supermarket.

If you are banding, then buy the silicon bands- they are more expensive but they seem to 'grips the mane better and also they aren't so prone to snapping!

 

[humblepie]

Yes agree preparation key. I keep mane a bit longer than most but I find that easier. I wash the day before the day before the show as if too clean can be more difficult. I used water to dampen, plaiting mousse (used to use human hair gel but splashed out last year on horse product) then hair spray. If early start I thread needles before hand. I used to have a piece of beeswax I ran the plaiting thread over to make it stickier. I don’t splash out on anything else. Most important thing is care unplaiting not to damage mane. I use a stitch unpicker.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

My biggest tip, other than preparation, is keep the plaits tight. Loosey goosey plaits mean its harder to make them neat and tidy, so keep them tight and away you go.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Could be worse, I have to plait Raffia and ribbons in.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

My advice is practice, lots of it. And having a well trimmed and managed mane.

But the best short cut, find some kids on the yard who love doing it and let them do it for you.

 

[sportsmansB]

1) Use silicon bands
2) wet the mane and keep wetting it as you go
3) start from the top
4) Make all your plaits the same width apart with a straight line between them made with a comb - you can bluff this a little if you have thicker sections in the middle and make those ones a little narrower to keep the rolled up plaits looking similar, but ideally same width apart if poss
5) really pull the plait tight as you do it and have the band ready (mine are in my mouth)
6) Roll the bottom of the plait under and band it tight
7) roll it up either using thread or roll then band, keep all the same angle from the neck (helps if you are at a consistent height to the mane). You can roll in thirds, or half and half again, depending on how long. Band as close to the neck as you can

 

[humblepie]

Just to add I can’t plait with bands. I can’t organise my fingers somehow but plait pretty well with cotton even if I say so myself.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

My tb has a fairly thik long mane and it's so easy to plait. I usually only do around 11 plaits or so. I have been using plaiting wax but find water is just as good to be honest. I do large loose plaits ( at the neck) so they don't pull unnecessarily.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I also like doing this plait (when I’m not showing), as it meant I could leave Skylla’s mane long.


You section as normal, then start at the top of the mane and plait down and band. Then thread the end of the plait through the base of the plait to make the ‘ball’ and then introduce the long bit of plait into the next plait. A little like this but I plaited down further as I liked the scalloped effect:

 

[HeyMich]

This is a very timely thread ('scuse the pun!), as we've decided to learn to sew in plaits for a comp my son is doing this Sunday and Monday - we're thinking if we spend Sat afternoon prepping and plaiting, they should still be in on Sunday morning, and then we can redo any that fall out by Monday (pony will be stabled overnight and we have a hood thingy to use). We've been watching YouTube vids and everything! I'm ok with the normal way using bands, but as my son is next to useless, I've taken this as an excuse for us to learn together, in the hope that he can do it by himself from now on. I'll let you know how it goes...

 

[fetlock]

A long time since I've plaited a mane, but I only ever used water.

I would always divide the mane into even sections first (secured with a band to keep the sections separated) then start plaiting from the top down, using the band to secure the bottom, then rolling up, and always with thread. Better still, if you can wrap thread round to secure the bottom, rather than bands - better looking plaits doing it that way but far more fiddly.

I found it easier and quicker to pre-thread a pack of needles, rather than re-thread the same one.

If using thread, be very careful with the needles and ideally don't do your plaiting in the stable incase you drop/lose one and it ends up inside the horse.

Practice lots, without the pressure of doing them for an actual event.

 

[cauda equina]

Also the needles that come with plaiting thread tend to be tiny and fiddly
I used to use big fat needles with big fat eyes eg embroidery needles

 

[eggs]

I don't like the mane to be too clean as I find it gets too slippy.

Damp the mane down with water - definitely helps if it is not too thick and not too short
I use an old fashioned metal tail comb with an elastic band between the 3rd and 4th tooth as my guide to how much hair to take for each plait (from far end of comb to the rubber band)
Measure the amount of hair for the plait
Use a clothes peg to clip the mane next to the section I will be plaiting out of the way
Stand on a step so I am up level with the horse's neck
I prefer to sew plaits to I have enough needles pre threaded which I keep lined up on a square of felt (point of needle through the cloth and then back up through the cloth so they don't fall)
Do the plait keeping it the same tightness all the way down
Holding the small bit of unplaited hair at the bottom of the plait tight push one of the needles through the middle of the bottom of the plait and pull the thread through leaving about 1cm not pulled through
Wrap the thread tightly round the bottom of the plait a couple of times
Roll the plait how you want it
Push the needle through the middle of the rolled plait from underneath
Wrap thread round the plait
Needle pushed back through the middle of the plait but this time from the top of the plait
Snip of loose thread

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

OK I plait way differently to you lot I start at the withers xand find a thumbs width is perfect for 9 or 11 plaits on a tb neck. I wet the mane slightly, get my section, band the next bit out of the way, plait down, pinch the end, fold in half, in half again then band it. It makes it dead easy to pull out then for both me after the race and the Jockey if they want them out. Then move onto the next one. I don't section it out. I also don't cut bridle paths I plait them forward into the forelock.

I've never been able to do hooded plaits.

Everyone does it differently

 

[mini_b]

My horse has an incredibly thick mane (cob thick!) Which I have been raking to try and make it a reasonable thickness. They would be used for showing and working hunter. My biggest issue is that they seem to come out during working hunter as my hands run over the plaits when jumping! Ideally they would be bullet proof

Don’t rake it!
I had very spiky plaits after raking a thick mane

 

[Katieg123]

Don’t rake it!
I had very spiky plaits after raking a thick mane

What do you do then?

 

[ponynutz]

Use thread to roll them up and secure them and bands at the bottom of the plait. Push the thread through the band towards horse and then towards you at the top and pull, do the same to half it again and then a couple more times to secure it. I can’t seem to do it if I fold them outwards or try and secure with bands.

For the tail I used to practice on my old rocking horse and also taught myself to dutch braid my own hair and then I found it a lot easier! I also water down the tufty bits at the very top and start with slightly longer pieces below or the tufty bits come loose and stick out.

 

[limestonelil]

I practiced loads, but never got any better or quicker. DD used to banish me to withers to put in a couple that end, whilst she did all the rest effortlessly, both quickly and beautifully. I think she quietly took mine out and reinstated them when I was sorting tack or something.!

 

[mini_b]

What do you do then?

I confess I have ruined 2 manes by raking them. They looked good until I had to plait them up. Disaster.

I have gone back to pulling. If the mane has got long and out of hand, cut it off first with scissors. Only fair really.
then I pull a tiny bit each time, don’t work in one section just go over the mane. Best done after work when horse is warm.

if they need sedated for anything, I go in and give it a good going over.

 

[WelshD]

The best stuff I found for plaiting is the cheap blue hair gel in a tube from Tesco, I see it in a lot of people's kits so its clearly a favourite.

I do have the plaiting wax and thats decent too but the gel is so cheap

 

[muddybay]

I have the NAF plaiting stuff and it's made my plaits look 10x better and neater

 

[Katieg123]

I have the NAF plaiting stuff and it's made my plaits look 10x better and neater

The naf plait it up?

 

[JGC]

I use cheap hair gel. I am pretty bad at plaiting but my look OK like with that. Also, plaiting down mine look much better, i.e. not doing it standing on a high step.

 

[Katieg123]

I use cheap hair gel. I am pretty bad at plaiting but my look OK like with that. Also, plaiting down mine look much better, i.e. not doing it standing on a high step.

My lad is 17.3 so a step stool is a non-negotiable