Plaiting -what am I doing wrong??

[teamsarazara]

I get the idea of plaiting but it seems no matter what mane I do it on I can't get them to look the same all the way along and sit. Any tips?? Not sewing

 

[PorkChop]

Make sure the mane is pulled so that it is the same thickness all the way up, and use a small comb to measure out your plaits

 

[**Vanner**]

Practice! You need to keep the tension in your plait even and tight so it will roll better.

 

[madmav]

Plaiting a freshly washed mane is hard. So leave it to get a bit dirty. A bit of product also makes it easier to deal with. And neatly pulled beforehand helps lots. But it is practice of dexterity.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

I go down and make all my bunches first of even thickness, I then plait each plait tight ( I use egg white on the plaits and my fingers) Then I secure with another band, then roll with yet another band, I then french plait the forelock x

 

[limestonelil]

practice does help and you do get better. However I eventually had to accept that however hard i practiced and try to plait and want to achieve good results, my efforts are never as good as my daughters who can plait up in a quarter of the time it takes me and results look five times as good. C'est la vie!!

 

[limestonelil]

Sorry that doesn't help much to improve your technique, just pointing out a fact!

 

[teamsarazara]

Thanks, seems I will just have to practice!!

 

[Queenbee]

Don't know what you're doing wrong as I'm pants at plaits, however... I found this last night... Really good video...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=KEJXi_sQzv4&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKEJXi_sQzv4

 

[Bert&Maud]

Make sure you start each plait the same (i.e. always starting from a left twist for example). I use a comb with one tooth missing where the right width of plait is (does that make sense!?) to measure them out, make the hair REALLY wet before starting each plait, plait them very tight and put a band round the end. Put all the plaits in first so you can make sure they all look uniform before you go to the trouble of rolling them up, and then I always stitch them in as I think it gives a better finish.

 

[TandD]

I get the idea of plaiting but it seems no matter what mane I do it on I can't get them to look the same all the way along and sit. Any tips?? Not sewing

get your daughter to do it! so much easier....

really:
never wash mane
have mane at least 3/4inches long - good sized plaits and easier to roll etc.
comb mane throughtly
bunch before plaiting - top to bottom... space evenly but get thickness of each even - or in deceasing thickness from the middle to the edges.
have horse put head on floor
one loose 'fold over' of strands then tight 'folds' the rest of the way down.
band with an end of at least 1/2 an inch left
fold end up (can elastic band them)
roll up and tuck into the neck - so sitting sideways, not facing up...look smaller to people on ground, lookhuge to the rider!
place 2 bands around plait - due to size
11 and 17 is normal for my 15.3 and 17.3 respectivly.

looks smart, holds well! keep practicing

 

[mynutmeg]

Best thing I ever got told was to use a plaiting comb to section off the mane before hand and put each bunchie in a band to hold them seperate then you know you have the correct number and even. then you just have to plait and roll with even tension

 

[Sussexbythesea]

If your showing I would wash a mane before plaiting. Quic Braid is a fantastic product and makes it really easy to plait a clean mane and stops it falling out of the plait aswell.

If dressage no-one is going to look closely it doesn't matter if it is a bit greasy.

I always divide up the mane beforehand and make sure I have a roughly even amount in each plait. Also it doesn't matter if they are a bit bigger in the middle and smaller either end as it can make the crest look nicer and more developed.

 

[D66]

I stand on a chair in the stable and do the top ones first so that when my arms are aching I don't have to stretch up to her ears. I wash the mane beforehand and use lots of cheap styling gel. Pull the mane short and keep it as thick as poss to plait quickly.

 

[zigzag]

Bit of hair gel and SEW

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Start with a well pulled, well wetted mane. I use my thumb as a guide and always start by the whithers for the racehorses for some reason! I don't seperate the mane into sections either I just band out the way the next bit of the mane.

I plait straight down, tight, fold in half, in half again and then band. I only use one band as pulling them out after the race just gets annoying with too many bands! It takes me 10mins to plait a prepulled mane.

My show horses are a different kettle of fish altogether! It takes me about 3/4hour to section out and plait. Again they all get plaited down but then I band the bottom before stitching up whilst losing numerous needles and using my fingers as voodoo dolls and pin cushions! Horse looks fab though! I also only stitch plait for county shows, riding club I band as the judging is that bad I don't like wasting the effort.

 

[AMW]

I was quite chuffed with mine today. Havent had a plaited job for years as usually have natives, got a partbred and she's coloured, talk about total change lol.
i pulled her mane to 3 - 4 inches, she had her mane washed yesterday, I used supreme easy plait this morning when plaiting, started at the bottom and just spaced them out as I went, plaited, sewed the end then rolled and took the thread up through etc

 

[Queenbee]

I was quite chuffed with mine today. Havent had a plaited job for years as usually have natives, got a partbred and she's coloured, talk about total change lol.
i pulled her mane to 3 - 4 inches, she had her mane washed yesterday, I used supreme easy plait this morning when plaiting, started at the bottom and just spaced them out as I went, plaited, sewed the end then rolled and took the thread up through etc

Very smart... Want to come to Cornwall and do Ben for royal cornwall?

How did she do?

 

[cob&onion]

I love plaiting up!!
I start with a 2 day old washed mane then section off into the desired amount of plaits depending on thickness of mane, then plait each one tightly and secure with a band then roll up and secure with 2 bands used together - i find they snap easily otherwise. Start at the top, work your way down, braid the forelock
Just keep practising.

 

[Queenbee]

I love plaiting up!!
I start with a 2 day old washed mane then section off into the desired amount of plaits depending on thickness of mane, then plait each one tightly and secure with a band then roll up and secure with 2 bands used together - i find they snap easily otherwise. Start at the top, work your way down, braid the forelock
Just keep practising.

No matter how much I practice I don't think I could ever love it... It makes my arms ache

 

[Lolo]

For showing, I'd wash before hand so the mane still shines in the plaits. If you plait while wet, it's easy.

One thing that's helped me is plaiting my own hair a lot. Makes getting the tension consistent easier because you end up practising so much!

 

[AMW]

Queenbee, would love to have helped you out but we are opposite ends of the country lol.
My filly won her youngstock class and went reserve coloured champ, really chuffed as she is just a yearling

 

[Tnavas]

When you start preparing the mane for the season - a mix of pulling and scissors to get the mane the same length and thickness all the way along. I like manes around 2½" long for a TB type and around 3 - 3½" for a heavier type.

Wash mane and spray with hair spray and comb over.

Divide the mane into the required number of plaits and band each to keep it separate. Make each plait carefully with the comb in the same way as you do your own hair parting.

Damp and respray with hairspray - having the mane damp stops the spray setting too fast.

Use the comb to divide each plait into three equal pieces. Then plait tightly, keeping close to the horses neck, don't pull down on the plait - it makes it look tight until you begin to roll up and then it becomes loose. Instead as you bring each piece under pull it tight upwards, then each segment of the plait is short and tight. If you want plaits to sit high on the neckline then plait holding the hair upwards.

Wrap elastic band around a couple of times then twist the end of the hair tight, fold under and continue to secure with an elastic band.

Fold plait in three and elastic band keeping the plait laid tight against the neck

 

[Queenbee]

Queenbee, would love to have helped you out but we are opposite ends of the country lol.
My filly won her youngstock class and went reserve coloured champ, really chuffed as she is just a yearling

Ill pay your plane ticket

Seriously she looks fab and well done you and her!! Looks nice and fit for a yearling!

 

[Queenbee]

When you start preparing the mane for the season - a mix of pulling and scissors to get the mane the same length and thickness all the way along. I like manes around 2½" long for a TB type and around 3 - 3½" for a heavier type.

Wash mane and spray with hair spray and comb over.

Divide the mane into the required number of plaits and band each to keep it separate. Make each plait carefully with the comb in the same way as you do your own hair parting.

Damp and respray with hairspray - having the mane damp stops the spray setting too fast.

Use the comb to divide each plait into three equal pieces. Then plait tightly, keeping close to the horses neck, don't pull down on the plait - it makes it look tight until you begin to roll up and then it becomes loose. Instead as you bring each piece under pull it tight upwards, then each segment of the plait is short and tight. If you want plaits to sit high on the neckline then plait holding the hair upwards.

Wrap elastic band around a couple of times then twist the end of the hair tight, fold under and continue to secure with an elastic band.

Fold plait in three and elastic band keeping the plait laid tight against the neck

Yeah, yeah, we all know the way to do it in theory... It's just some of us can't do the practice no matter how simple it seems! I'm hoping my friend will come to my rescue, she used to plait racers... Otherwise im screwed!

 

[Tnavas]

Yeah, yeah, we all know the way to do it in theory... It's just some of us can't do the practice no matter how simple it seems! I'm hoping my friend will come to my rescue, she used to plait racers... Otherwise im screwed!

The just keep practising! Mine used to be crap but I just kept on practising - now I plait horses for HOY and get paid good money

 

[Lolo]

Yeah, yeah, we all know the way to do it in theory... It's just some of us can't do the practice no matter how simple it seems! I'm hoping my friend will come to my rescue, she used to plait racers... Otherwise im screwed!

Just practice! My first plaits were so bad, massive bobbles that always unwound. I used to spend ages just plaiting my pony up and then undoing them all and trying again. Ended up being ridiculously proficient... I only plait once a month now, and mine always look decent enough. When they're stitched, they look good- I am always pleased with them.

It wasn't even a gradual transition. One day my plaits were pants, then next day they looked good!

 

[Queenbee]

Ok, I will try to practice this week and post the god awful results. for public ridicule

 

[teamsarazara]

Thanks what I didn't tell you was I had to plait for today! My boss asked if I could plait his sons pony and I was like ehhhh I can try! And it turned out great for a May Day show here is a pic http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/942006_559854784066303_1181381511_n.jpg?dl=1

 

[limestonelil]

Lovely result - hope you all have fun at the show.