Putting hair up for horse shows

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Today I am considering the small things, such as equestrian hair styles :p

It was drilled into me when I was younger to always wear a hair net at events (for turnout and safety), hair off the shoulders and not to tuck your hair up under your hat as it changes the fit.

At the moment for shows/eventing, I tend to do a low pony tail at the nape of my neck, plait this, fold up and tie then put a hair net fully over and a hair coloured scrunchie over the bun. This works well for keeping the hair secure however isn’t the most flattering as the bun can often look a bit ‘long’ and the hairnet occasionally pokes out the side of the helmet.

For hunting I perfect the bun at home into a tight small bun by rolling the hair around itself and then secure with pins. This looks super neat at first but can unravel by the end of a long day..

I always see people with beautiful buns that look immaculate and the hair net blends into the hair and it doesn’t move. Although they perhaps are not styling their hair in the wing mirror of a truck!

So my question is how do you put your hair up for horse shows/events? For eventing do you keep the same hairstyle for all three phases? Any tips on keeping a neat bun all day?

:)
 
I wear a bun all day every day for work and the process goes like this:
Hair into a low ponytail secured by two elastics. Twist up on itself. Pin with large hair pins. Bun net over the bun. Secure bun net over bun with one or two more natural (brown in my case) coloured elastics. If required to stay extra neat all day, then kirby grips securing the wispy bits on either side and a liberal spray of Elnette. It takes 30 seconds to a minute to do once you're in the swing of it, and is pretty bombproof. Sorry I can't advise on eventing hair styles, my riding has not progressed this far yet!
 
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Yeah I have similar hair issues. What length is your hair? I do something similar and the bun part isn’t a proper bun and ends up a funny shape. My hair is currently shoulder length which doesn’t make a good bun.
 
broughsuperior said:
I wear a bun all day every day for work and the process goes like this:
Hair into a low ponytail secured by two elastics. Twist up on itself. Pin with large hair pins. Bun net over the bun. Secure bun net over bun with one or two more natural (brown in my case) coloured elastics. If required to stay extra neat all day, then kirby grips securing the wispy bits on either side and a liberal spray of Elnette. It takes 30 seconds to a minute to do once you're in the swing of it, and is pretty bombproof. Sorry I can't advise on eventing hair styles, my riding has not progressed this far yet!
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similar to this for me :) my hair is bra-strap length so I twist it up into a bun of some kind, not overly neat, couple of elastics, hairnet over head and bun and twisted back over bun again to tighten, elastic over that (or scrunchie for dressage, how did that 90s style icon linger in the equestrian sports, lol) and then wedge hat on. pull it all about a bit if I've done bun too high. I just pop a baseball hat over the whole lot if I take my riding hat off during the day :)
 
Bun doughnut! Hair in a low ponytail, bun doughnut, another elastic and pins, wrap the hairnet round, add scrunchie. Doesn't fit under all riding hats though...
 
if you font have long thick hair use a bun ring :)

mine is bra strap length but fine so i use a bun ring to give it the shape.
 
This is something I really struggle with as my hair is hip length so there's just way too much to make a bun as it's too heavy. For dressage I just do a tidy plait which is long but I can't really do anything about that as it's too uncomfortable up. I'm yet to find a solution for showing but I usually end up shovelling the plait into a net which sags down my back every time no matter how many pins. So I will watch this thread with interest.
 
Double netting is the way to go!
I pop mine into a low ponytail with a hair coloured elastic, then i twist the pony tail until tightly twisted, then wrap it around the base of the pony tail into a bun shape, secure using another hair elastic, then use a net just over the bun part, often twisted double to make it fit, secure that with grips and a 3rd hair bobble.
Then i use the really old fashioned hairspray that comes in a green can and makes your hair feel like plastic. Then a final net over all of head securing it over the bun with a tiny hair bobble.
Ive not had it move yet even after falling asleep in the lorry with it still in place!
Takes about 1 min to put in place when you know how.

Where abouts in the country are you? Would it be possible to find a good showing bod to show you how?
 
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But I can never understand how all these buns stay put! We need photos!

My hair was hip length & I never found a comfortable solution. I used to do a long plait, fold it up & hairband it, then net it, but it never looked bun like. Hair is currently bra strap length because I had it cut for my wedding but I am planning on growing it super-long again, so the issue will literally grow...

So, photos, please...!!!
 
I French plait it secure with a tiny band then tuck the end of the french plait as far up through the 'tunnel' (a bit like looping a tail plait but pushing it up as far as it will go) created by the plait as I can and secure with a normal band as tight in to the neck as possible. My hair is shoulder length so this creates quite a short 'stump'. When it was longer, I'd double it up again to make the end shorter. Hair net over the lot and another hair band around the plait in the same place. This is fine while my hat is on, but as soon as it comes off or I leave it too long before putting hat on, it all goes to pieces as my hair is so fine it won't stay in the plait very long. If that happens and i'm ina hurry, I just stuff it all in a hair net then put hairnetted hair in a pony tail, which sort of creates a little bun.
 
Reacher said:
Yeah I have similar hair issues. What length is your hair?
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Hair is currently breast length but fairly thick with layers cut in, it was previously collar bone length which I found a little easier to keep up as it was lighter. The layers really don't help as its hard to keep it all up, but I am growing it for an occasion!

milliepops said:
I just pop a baseball hat over the whole lot if I take my riding hat off during the day :)
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What a brilliant idea! I think this is where I struggle as I tend to take my hat off between phases, if time allows, and to avoid looking slightly strange I take out the bun to put in a pony tail. A baseball hat would mean I could keep the bun in and avoid that problem whilst hiding my face. :p
 
conniegirl said:
Where abouts in the country are you? Would it be possible to find a good showing bod to show you how?
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Not too far from where Equifest is held so I am sure there are plenty of showing people around. Your technique sounds similar to how I put mine up for hunting but with more bobbles so will try that. :)

Thanks for everyones replies so far! Really helpful, and nice to hear I am not the only one that can struggle with this.
 
I have thin waist length hair. I tie it in a pony tail at the base of my skull, plaits it then wrap it round it's base and cover it bands! Then hair net over the top and band that in place too. It wouldn't work for thick hair as the ball at the base of the skull would be too big to get a hat on.
 
catembi said:
But I can never understand how all these buns stay put!

So, photos, please...!!!
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Like making a rope or spinning yarn, it's all in the twist. If you tightly twist a ponytail, rather than a plait, then it grips itself as it twists and this makes it more inclined to stay in place. Also in the bun net, the multiple hair elastics and the Elnette (other hairsprays are available, but I've not found any as good as Elnette). Heavy duty bun nets, just big enough to slip over the bun, are better than hair nets IMHO.

My hair is thick and currently waist length, it has been in a bun at all lengths from bra-strap to 'so long you can sit on it'. There is too much of it to use a doughnut and have any realistic chance of fitting a riding hat on top.
 
Not that I've done this in an age, but when I used to show I had a nifty hair clip thingy with attached bun net and bow that allowed me to not only pop my pony tailed hair in, but also add extra (I have thin-ish hair).
 
I'm anothe rwith long, thick hair. Hairin low ponytail, then twist tightly into a bun, put another elastic round that, double net the bun then put a second net over the whole head and bun and yet a third elastic round the bun. Will stay in as long as needed, I have tried the plait method, but find it doesn't stay in well. I don't use pins as am worried that they may stick in my head if I land on it! :D
 
I use a donut bun and do a low pony with elastic bobble, cover with a donut and then cover the donut with hair, next bobble on and hairnet over the top.
I have under bra strap length hair.

Unfortunately I am not one of those people who can remove a hat, give it a shake and look like a normal human. I blame the cows lick at the front. Baseball caps are my saviour on show days.
 
The bit I don't understand is where the bands go? How ponytail - yep. Twisting back on itself, wrapping round & making a bun shape - yep. But where do the next bands go...? Around the base? But then how do you get them over the bun & what do they hold as they'd just be going over the orig ponytail bands? Around the bun i.e. imagine a bread roll & around the middle over the top? But then what keeps it all tight against the head? I am just not getting this!

I think I must be quite dim as I've *always* had long hair & never got the hang of it!
 
catembi said:
The bit I don't understand is where the bands go? How ponytail - yep. Twisting back on itself, wrapping round & making a bun shape - yep. But where do the next bands go...? Around the base? But then how do you get them over the bun & what do they hold as they'd just be going over the orig ponytail bands? Around the bun i.e. imagine a bread roll & around the middle over the top? But then what keeps it all tight against the head? I am just not getting this!

I think I must be quite dim as I've *always* had long hair & never got the hang of it!
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I think I get what you mean.
The second band sort of sits on the bun a bit, to hold it in place. But this is why I use a donut- then the second band traps the hair that’s round the donut and can’t ‘slip off’ like it can a normal bun.
 
I'm a hair in hat person through and through. Venturing into dressage I'm dreading beginning to put my hair in a bun again. I can do it, I just don't like the feeling anymore.
 
I haven’t competed in a while, and when I did I had shorter hair. But I’m looking at starting again (now with long hair) and I think I’ll struggle to find space for a bun. My hat sits quite low down the back of my head, so even a low bun has very little space to squeeze into between my hat and my collar.
Think I’m going to have to do some experimenting.
Or cut all my hair off again!
 
I used to do a low ponytail but not tight at the base of the skull. I have thin hair, so I'd stick it through a donut ring, wrap the hair around (as best I could anyway, there are always gaps) and then put a band or two behind the donut. Depending on the rest of my hair at the time, I might put a regular hair net on (again banded behind the donut) followed by a heavy bun net.

Because the ponytail wasn't tight to begin with, I could comfortably slip my hat between the bun and my head.

I know several people with short hair who simply sewed a false bun onto elastic, or even the back of their riding hat!
 
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