Spanish Plait - How To?

horsey_jo

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Does anyone have any links to sites that give good pictoral instructions on how to do a spanish plait?

Is it anything like a french plait for humans?

Am taking our pony to a fete tomorrow to give cart rides and wanted to plait him up and put some ribbons through his mane :) but hes a bushy shettie so cant really have standard plaits.

Needs to be pictoral not video as my bandwidth wont allow for vids at the mo.

Thanks in advance! Will post piccies of him all dolled up tomorrow :D
 

ClobellsandBaubles

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don't have a picture instructions but i could try and explain:
1. starting at the top of the neck facing the horses ears gather a small section of mane and divide into 3
2. start to plait down the neck at a slight diagonal angle as if it is half a french plait - so you add a small section of mane but only on the side nearest the top of the neck if that makes sense
3. you should get a little bit further away from the top of the neck each time kind of following the line of the neck
4. when you get to the end of the mane plait down the withers in a straight normal plait to finish

its very easy to do if you can do a french plait and i think should look a bit like this .....(excuse the obese pony she came like that and we were working on it)
Photo0031.jpg
 

Sol

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No photos, but it is basically the same as a french plait, but only 'half' of one obviously!! Just start off with 3 sections at the top of the neck, plait them once as if starting a single plait. then (if mane is on the right hand side of the neck) take the section furthest to your left/tail end of the horse, add another section to it, and cross it over. Cross the right hand side section of the plait over, then cross the left side over again with an added section... and continue all the way down the neck :)
Trick is to keep it tight to the crest, rather than letting it get looser towards the withers. Also, if pony puts his head down, the plait will pull loose! Definitely best done as late on as possible :)
A trellis plait could also work but maybe not, depending on how thick & long his mane is?
 

Lolo

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I'll have a bash, as I did lots when my sister competed a welsh C with a mane over 18 inches long!

1) Comb the mane very thoroughly, so you can run your fingers through it easily.
2)Take 3 sections, each about 1 inch long, and do the first twist of the plait.
3) Before starting the second twist, take another section (all sections should be about 1 inch long) and add that to the piece of mane you're twisting in.
4) Continue, until you get right down to the withers.

If I were you, I'd try and keep it very close to the crest for dressage and the likes, or you might as well not bother really... If the mane is a bit short or very thin, use smaller sections.

P8100202.jpg

^^ After a dressage test and a SJ round!

I also tuck the bit that's hanging out underneath the plait, and sew it in, so all you have is the plait tight to the crest on show. However, the stitches came out with all the movement of the jumping.
 

horsey_jo

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Thanks for your help guys - this is how it turned out...
DSCF2371.JPG

Not quite a Spanish Plait - not sure what it is! Very pleased with it though! :D:D:D:D
 
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