Plaiting Up The Night Before a Show?

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Jo1980

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Help please!

If you HAVE to plait up the night before a show, rather than on the morning, do you do anything in particular to keep them in place?

Would a rug with a neck cover on help or hinder!? (only a breathable cooler as it's still reasonably warm at night isn't it)

Do you plait the hair down then roll the next day?
 
If I needed to I would plait the evening before, (I tend to use thread not bands). I used to put a hood on (one of those light silky material ones from mark Todd) and a light fleece/sheet just to keep him clean. (He was quite messy in the stable).

I was quite lucky that he never used to rub his mane.

The only downside was that it's used to make them a bit flat, but as I was BE'ing or doing dressage so to me the finer elements of presentation didn't really matter!
 
Personally i like to plait and eat my bacon sarnies in the morning for a show :P nice bit of horse hair to add to the taste!

I used to find that no matter what we did he would get them out over night or makes them look a mess... but would be nice to other peoples solutions!
 
I would normally but if I plait on the morning in this case, I would have to leave my house at 3.45am so you understand my reluctance!

I just don't know what's best to do to keep them in! I could try thread instead of bands?
 
I always had to plait just before tacking up with my last competition monster - he would hike his back leg up and rub them all out (thread or bands). So it was plait, tack, hop on, warm up, compete, take them out if eventing for the SJ as he would get them out in the wait!

If you plait night before just stick a hood/ninja mask over the top :)
 
Hairspray and a skinnyhood, you should be fine (ETA, I'm a slow plaiter, I always do it the night before). Thread is better, and looks nicer anyway.

No to the tail plait the night before!! Most horses would rub, it would be uncomfortable for them, and there is every chance you'd have a bald tail by the time you got there the next morning.
 
Ok, so tail plait on the morning whilst eating breakfast, use thread instead of bands, use plenty of hairspray and put a lightweight hood on!!

Do you plait on the evenings and then roll the next morning or do them completely the night before?
 
Jo1980 said:
I would normally but if I plait on the morning in this case, I would have to leave my house at 3.45am so you understand my reluctance!

I just don't know what's best to do to keep them in! I could try thread instead of bands?
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Ouch! I see why your trying to do the plaiting the day before!
Hairspray is something i always used to put on so i would spray that on and cover with a neck cover if possible (not a fan of the snuggy hoods)

For the tail i would leave that for on the day too like others have said as its easier to rub.
 
Jo1980 said:
Do you plait on the evenings and then roll the next morning or do them completely the night before?
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Ive done both, personally I think they turn out neater when rolled the night before with a hood over. They otherwise go a bit flat and fluffy from where the hood has made bits come out of the plait.
 
Just to throw a spanner in the works, we plait Kal's mane the morning of the competition and his tail when we get to the venue . . . he wrecks hoods and pulls or rubs plaits out if we plait the night before, and he likes to balance on his bum and rub his tail in the lorry on the way there, so would ruin a tail plait.

It does mean that we have to factor in extra time the morning of a competition - and arrive at the venue with enough time to plait - but it's worth it for a nicely turned out boy :).

P
 
I plaited down and stuck a lycra hood on H the day before and then rolled them in the morning. Be prepared for a few of the plaits to need re-doing though.
 
I usually plait them down and roll up and plait tail in the morning. Although I've seen a good idea on fb recently - plait and roll up then secure a baby wipe over the top of each plait to protect them, going to try this next time :)
 
Never tried this one but I'm sure I've seen something about plaiting up then putting a pair of old tights over the mane and attaching it over the plaits with plaiting bands. Could work ;-)
 
penina said:
Never tried this one but I'm sure I've seen something about plaiting up then putting a pair of old tights over the mane and attaching it over the plaits with plaiting bands. Could work ;-)
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we use tights at work as does a friend who plaits for a wage, cut one leg off the tights, then cut from top to toe of tight, the toe goes over the forelock plait ans is secured with a band then you work your way down to the wither
 
I do the plaits but don't roll them. Then in the morning it's either a quick job to roll them, or if they're a bit messed up it's quick enough to unfasten the bad ones and plait them again, since they're already mostly curled to the right shape.
 
why would you have to?
I'll be up at the yard at 5 tomorrow morning (should really try to go to sleep now) to plait up.
i suppose if you have no electrics plaiting may be difficult but a headlight does wonders, just really dislike horses with plaits overnight, must be so uncomfy for them!
 
I usually plait night before but don't roll them up. Then next day I tend to undo each one and gel it, redo and finish. Mine generally have pretty scruffy manes so I find it trains the mane overnight so takes the "volume" out of the plaits a bit! I dont use any neck covers, I've tried but generally found they rub them up the wrong way and make them messier than left alone (unless horse has a tendency to rub his neck overnight but I just don't do the plaits up too tight so they never tend to itch).
 
Pair of tights always worked for me and my scruffy cob, plaits looked perfect in the morning despite her best efforts! Although my mother was not impressed at loosing her tights haha
 
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