Running plait on a short(ish) unpulled mane?

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lilyoftheincas

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I'm doing a few little classes with a lovely little 6 year old NF mare that I'm riding atm, and she has an unpulled mane which is about 6 inches long. Given that we're not allowed to pull their manes (she's an RS pony), do you think that we should try doing rosebuds or a running plait? I expect that, if we tried doing rosebuds, they would just look very big :o Any ideas? Also, if we do do a running plait, what should we do with the forelock? Plait it up or leave it out? Thanks :D
 
**Vanner** said:
She should be shown au natrel - so no need to plait.

What classes are you doing?
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Thought that, but her mane looks very scruffy and all over the place as she's not groomed much so thought it would look better plaited? I'm doing a v small clear round, inhand prettiest mare and flat class (best rider u. 16).
 
Just because she is in a RS is no reason she should be unpulled, the RS I have known have kept the ponies tidy and been proud of how smart they look.

Why dont you ask if the ponies could all have a bit of a makeover, they do not need to be really short but neatening manes and trimming tails can make a huge difference, a day of stable management lessons could easily include this and be fun for everyone, the ponies would also enjoy a proper groom.
At the yard I trained at every horse and pony was immaculate for lessons, they were not allowed on the yard unless their tails were brushed through and hoof oil on their feet, it raises the overall impression for the clients and the staff should take a pride in the ponies.
 
Thanks be positive, could try that. The reason they aren't groomed much is because most of them (most are native ponies) live out 24/7 with no rugs, so the RS prefers as little grooming as possible, and that includes pulling of manes and taking the fetlock fluff off (which I can't stand personally :o)
 
I get that they live out, so do my horses and ponies most of the time but in the summer they can be groomed and tidy, it soon grows back when they need it in the winter, give it a try and enjoy the show:)
 
You should be able to get decent plaits in a longer mane if you do plenty of them - and go for a tab, rather than a rosebud. Once you've plaited down, band the bottom as tightly as you can, and then fold up underneath, and fold again. This will give you a short, slightly rectangular plait, which you could then wrap with a couple of white bands, or a bit of narrow tape. You'll need to fiddle a bit to get them to curve inwards towards the neck, but if you get it right, they'll look neat.
Make sure your bunches are dead even - and you plait as tight to the neck as you can. It's easier to do this from above, holding the bunch upright to start with.
 
It is perfectly proper to show her unplaited as a native. But if the mane looks scruffy and a running plait a bit tricky (it sounds a bit short for a running plait - my welshie has 8 - 10 inches of mane and we can do a running plait on him really nicely when we want to) how about one of those andalusian plaits? One of those that looks like a latticework? They are relatively easy to do, look nice and work on the shorter side of long manes.
 
If the class is prettiest pony not native pony then I agree with some sort of plaiting, to stand out you either have to have perfect plaits or do some thing with coloured bands/tape etc.
You can put use rubber bands the night before to divide the plaits in to small bunches, with the divisions being perfect, then the next day you are ready to do the plaiting proper, and half the work is done.
 
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Hi guys, thanks for all of your suggestions! I think we'll comb it through and try and get it as neat as possible and then go from there. I quite like the running plaits that go along the crest of the neck and my sister can do them easily, and as they're quick to do we'll probably try one of them first and see how it looks. Thank you again!
 
As she is is native, leave alone. Wash , groom to within an inch and that will suffice. The classes you are doing will be looking at her overall appearance. Hoof oil and bit of baby oil on her muzzle, hopefully the riding school will let you do this the evening before, good luck and remember to breathe. xx
 
onlygone said:
As she is is native, leave alone. Wash , groom to within an inch and that will suffice. The classes you are doing will be looking at her overall appearance. Hoof oil and bit of baby oil on her muzzle, hopefully the riding school will let you do this the evening before, good luck and remember to breathe. xx
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Thank you :) It's really straggly and moderately thin- doesn't have the volume or 'fluffyness' (not sure what word to use!:o) like the natives you see in shows?! Will washing help?
 
well, give her a wash all over, if the riding school will let you, she will love it given the latest hot weather, its 32 here so very hot, im in surrey. Some native types have thin wacky manes, but as long as you turn her out clean, and well groomed and you are suitably dressed, she is a native and thats all you can do. xx
 
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