Plaiting up - any advice?

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_jetset_

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I am going to try plaiting Grace up for the first time on Sunday morning. I have never plaited up before (I know, I am very ashamed
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) and need some tips, any websites that might help etc etc.

I have both bands and thread in case...

Rebecca x x x
 
make sure you leave lots of time to do it, id suggest around 1 1/2hrs as you have never done it before.

This is what i do:

- Comb through mane
- Separate it out into equal sections using elastic bands
- Get a small face brush, dip it in water, smooth down the first 'section' so its wet, then plait to the bottom
- Repeat until youve done them all
- Then go along with the needle and thread and wind them all up into tight little balls
 
roll them upwards like sausages, so you curl them underneath if you see what i mean! I think you really need someone at your yard to show you how to do it hun, as its a really hard thing to explain x
 
That's what I meant Ronniesgirl...

So do you fold them in half, stitch them, then fold them in half again and stitch again? How do you tie the thread?

Most people use bands on our yard
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[ QUOTE ]
make sure you leave lots of time to do it, id suggest around 1 1/2hrs as you have never done it before.

This is what i do:

- Comb through mane
- Separate it out into equal sections using elastic bands
- Get a small face brush, dip it in water, smooth down the first 'section' so its wet, then plait to the bottom
- Repeat until youve done them all
- Then go along with the needle and thread and wind them all up into tight little balls

[/ QUOTE ]

interesting - I plait from the bottom up?! Always have done, and never seen it done top -> down as it were.

Bx
 
I start at the top as ours get more and more fidgety as they stand for longer, and cos I'm short, easier to plait the ones nearer the wither if they are moving around than have to stand on a box to reach the top of the neck
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When I used thread for the first time the other week this is what i did - whether its right i dont know lol:

-Sectioned all the bits and got needles and threads ready, hanging of my shirt lol
-Put some hair gel on the bit to plait and plait to end - holding onto the end, push the needle through and do this a few times round the sides and up through etc...
-Then push the needle/thread into the centre base of plait as close as you can and pull - this will fold the plait in half
-Then repeat again if necessary to make smaller ball
-Then thread needle through from either side a couple of times making sure its pulled tight
-Go through middle, pull a small loop and go through that and cut of the end.

This is how I did mine and they looked ok and stayed in all day
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Good Luck

P.S Do you have to plait for affiliated dressage?? Got our first this weekend hehe
 
LadyMagoo... how exciting! So you have affiliated
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Our first affiliated is June 13th (as we missed this week's through lameness) so having a practise run at plaiting up for an unaffil on Sunday
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
make sure you leave lots of time to do it, id suggest around 1 1/2hrs as you have never done it before.

This is what i do:

- Comb through mane
- Separate it out into equal sections using elastic bands
- Get a small face brush, dip it in water, smooth down the first 'section' so its wet, then plait to the bottom
- Repeat until youve done them all
- Then go along with the needle and thread and wind them all up into tight little balls

[/ QUOTE ]

interesting - I plait from the bottom up?! Always have done, and never seen it done top -> down as it were.

Bx

[/ QUOTE ]

i dont understand what you mean
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There is only one way you can do a plait!!
 
Top to bottom of neck rather than individual plait I think? Ie I start at the poll and work down rather than starting at the withers and working up, if that makes sense?
 
[ QUOTE ]
i dont understand what you mean
confused.gif
There is only one way you can do a plait!!

[/ QUOTE ]

From the withers up the neck to the poll? Unless of course Bandit has another very clever way of plaiting lol?!
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Hb
 
[ QUOTE ]
interesting - I plait from the bottom up?! Always have done, and never seen it done top -> down as it were.

Bx

[/ QUOTE ]

I plait from top of the head down, that way when they are fed and start to fidget it doesn't affect your plaiting.
 
I think you should have a few trial runs before the day. Generally it takes me about 15 mins to plait up but it depends on how much plaiting people have done before, often people who are relatively new to plaiting do beautiful plaits!

Di
 
I plait from top to bottom too!!

Make sure you don't get the sections too big, i tend to do them half a comb width.
Plait down as tightly as you can - if your fingers dont' hurt they're not tight enough!!! I band them at the bottom then when they're all done roll them up.

I usually use bands and imo they look just as good as sewn and have won me plenty of turnout prizes at 3DE's and looked good at badminton/burghley!!!

i fold the bottom under, then the rest in half then band round. As long as your mane is a good length and been plaited tight they look v good!
 
Hard to say without seeing her - why don't you take a quick snap tomorrow of her mane then it would be easier, and could also perhaps suggest how many plaits you should aim for.
Ben has rubbed the bottom 3rd of his mane, and I had to pull the top to be quite thin, so there wasn't too much of a difference.
FIona
 
First attempt at plaiting - dont use thread!!

Have a practice run too at some point
Dont wash her mane, much easier dirty
Dont get too wet, you cant keep hold of it (i use saliva, a little gross but works really well)
When you get to the end of the plait, tuck the ends in and put the band round it, the more whispy bits you can tuck in the neater they will loook
Plait all the way to the end, including the tiny bits which give you cramp in your fingers!
Look at her neck, and work out what needs to be improved and plait accoringly eg. longer neck = more plaits

Good luck!!
 
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