Plaiting

[Young Rider]

Just wondered how many of you plaited up when hunting? I hunt with the Bicester and am really disappointed with how many plait their horses. I always make the effort to turn out smart for the meet and really think that others should too. Some of the masters are letting the standards slip by not plaiting and looking scruffy to, which I think gives a bad example you newbies and vistitors.

Sorry to rant but why are others not bothering?
x

 

[joe_carby]

i agree it really winds me up when people come out with poorly turned out horses. i always make the effort to have my horse plaited even though i get someone else to do it i cant plait

 

[Young Rider]

Shall we start a 'plait up for hunting' campaign?!!

 

[Eira]

We always plait for Opening Meet and there after ! We are exceptionally lucky in the fact that 99% of the rest of the field do too! :grin:

 

[joe_carby]

i can apreciate that you cant always plait up a traditional or M&m but when people dont plait up a regular hunter or they hog a tb cos they cba to plait up or organise some1 else to do it. grrrrrr rant over.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Another bugbear of mine is people who use electric tape to tape up a tail rather than plait it up properly. It looks so tacky...easy I know...but tacky.Spoils a good turnout. (Now waiting for the objections!)

 

[Irishcobs]

We wouldn't be allowed off the yard if we weren't plaited and correctly turnout out.
I do electric tape her tail up though . It is so thick that I can't get it to stay up with out practically sewing the whole thing together. It took me ages to undo. I do make sure I use the same colour tape as her tail.

 

[zero]

We plait as much as poss but given that we get our own horses ready and have numerous other horses on the place to turn out, muck out etc its not always possible. Opening meet and Lawn meets we make the effort but we are very busy after xmas and plaiting the hunters would mean other horses get neglected.

 

[Starbucks]

I think it's quite bad how scruffy people look nowadays.

Make an effort people!

 

[Ranyhyn]

I plait, even though I can't do it well, I try hard! Mind you I think it is a bit harsh to say people are naughty to hog if they cba to plait, lets face it, if they look smart thats the main thing not how they do it :grin:

 

[chestnut cob]

I plait his mane though tail is pulled all year round so don't need to do that. I would plait and tape tail up out of the way when the weather and ground are as soggy as they are ATM, but don't if it's dry.

I've seen a fair few hogged horses out but TBH don't see the problem with that, they at least look smart.

 

[hannahkirkhill]

I have to plait up the two I have in because they whip in. I plait for opening meet, thats it. plaiting up is a fairly new idea IMHO , if you look through old hunting prints most are not plaited. George Coombs never sent his out plaited so thats good enough for me now silly colored whips / numnahs, black jackets / stocks on kids, people sat on their horses smoking these thing have been really bugging me latly !

 

[star]

i didn't plait at the start of last season as he's an M&M and had a full mane. i did him for Boxing Day though and then was quite impressed with how smart he looks so did him for a bit then his rugs started rubbing his mane out so stopped again. this season have been plaiting him again as he is pulled now so looks messy left unplaited. i do tape his tail thugh - have no idea how to plait it up properly.

what i really hate seeing is coloured electrical tape on boots, coloured numnahs/polypads, coloured hat silks and anything else brightly coloured!

 

[SueEllen]

I usually plait, if I dont the mane will be pulled and neat. TBH my horses mane is white and if I plait it hides any little stains, which is prefferable than constantly washing the mane at this time of the year.

I love hogged manes and would hog my mare if I could unfortunatly it just wouldnt suit her, plus not sure how it would grow back for the summer shows.

Not that many people plait over here, well I suppose varies from hunt to hunt. I dont mind an un-plaited nice and short mane but I hate a long unpulled mane (excluding MM)

 

[Aniseed]

I do plait but my mare is a Welsh Cob and before I pulled her mane I used to just leave it loose. It did get in the way though which is why I decide to pull it. Most people have said they hate the use of electrical tape, does this go for when you use it instead of a red/green ribbon as well? I always put red tape in the top of my horses tail as she kicks and I find a ribbon doesn't last 5 minutes.

 

[joe_carby]

horses been hogged is fine but when you see TB type horses hogged it looks blummin awful. ye im not a fan of the whole colour co-ordinated boots numnah and before now even bridle :S i suppose it depends on what the individual hunt expects but personally i wouldnt turn my horse out ever not plaited up after opening meet no matter what.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

... but personally i wouldnt turn my horse out ever not plaited up after opening meet no matter what.

I quite agree. My OH won't hunt if horse not plaited. Call me old fashioned if you like but some standards just have to be maintained. A spotlessly clean horse, always with mane plaited and tail either pulled or plaited. It only takes half an hour max to plait both, and tail plaited up in a bang if muddy. Tack to be plain and workmanlike and of correct weight, none of the coloured/raised/blingy/SJing stuff you often see. Dark brown/black discreet numnah. On the hunting field is one of the few places where standards are, and should continue to be, maintained.........not just on turnout but manners too whether it is the rider or the horse! Too many these days treat it as a glorified pleasure ride!! (Fallout awaited with interest!!)

 

[Weezy]

Completely agree with you .

Joe, my horse is hogged, (not that we are hunting now as it isn't his bag), not through laziness though, because he rubbed most of his mane out during the summer so it had to come off...never thought about people thinking I did it because of laziness, worried now!

 

[IslandLifeRocks]

When I used to hunt my Show Cob who was hogged all summer I let his mane grow for hunting & plaited it as soon as it was long enough (usually by boxing day - Altho they got a lot neater the longer it got) then hack it all off again for the 1st show of the season in May. It is much easier to hunt with a mane to grab on the days when Cobby person is in TB mode!! :grin:

 

[wench]

Would you rather see my horses mane neat and short - or my awful attempts at plaiting...

 

[SueEllen]

Neat and short, then practice plaiting for the next time.

 

[RunToEarth]

If you want to come out hunting you should be turned out properly, which means after opening meet having a plaited horse. Its just sloppy and lazy not to, really gets my back up.

 

[joe_carby]

tbh i would rather see a horse that has been attempted to be plaited up. atleast the effort has been put in then and you have taken your time to make the effort. obviously there are some reasons where lack of mane means you cant plait. but its like when you see a horse with filthy legs at meet ok yes i know the first field you hit they are going to be black again but thats not the point. my coloured has 4 very white legs but they are always scrubbed and clean its just a case of takin abit more time and doing things correctly.

 

[MrWoof]

Simply because there is absolutely no need whatsoever to plait if one's ned has a very well pulled and laid mane.
High Days and Holidays - yes - but not otherwise.
This is a "modern" thing - and is totally unnecessary.
My late (great) father never plaited apart from OM, BD and NYD. Most of his generation did likewise.

 

[joe_carby]

th whole idea of turn out and presentation of your horse seems to be going down all around the equine world and ettiquiette getting left behind. just because there is less people to pose infront of on a normal hunting day is no reason to slack off imo

 

[3CVA]

working for my local hunts master, all horses hunted need to be plaited etc after opening meet. all have a bath and are clipped and plaited ready for the season. the only exception is m & m . horses look a lot better when they are turned out nice and tidy.

 

[RunToEarth]

Simply because there is absolutely no need whatsoever to plait if one's ned has a very well pulled and laid mane.
High Days and Holidays - yes - but not otherwise.
This is a "modern" thing - and is totally unnecessary.
My late (great) father never plaited apart from OM, BD and NYD. Most of his generation did likewise.

I'd love you to go to a hunting yard with that attitude, because I'm pretty sure the hunt grooms could do without plaiting four ar five every morning. It's correct to plait after cubbing.

 

[Starbucks]

TBH I have been known to go out not plaited on some low key meets if my mum is busy (she does him for me!!). But he is clean and smart otherwise.

I think the thing is that if people drop on one thing they seem to drop everything! So if they aren't plaited, they aren't clipped or clean either!

 

[Clodagh]

QR
I don't plait, by the time I've done the horses and got the kids to school its time to load up and go. I plait her tail the night before but her mane is about 1" long and very thin, it has been pulled out because I just don't have time to plait up. I do when the hunt meet at home but thats it.
Get someone else to do it? Trust me, if I could afford a groom I'd have one.

 

[boneo]

This seems to vary with some Hunts, when I hunted regularly with the Quorn, many years ago, we didn't plait, as we found that, over a big drop fence, a handful of mane save the horse getting a jab in the mouth on landing. Sometimes, it proved to be a real 'life-belt' !