The Colour Of Plaiting Bands

[Elf On A Shelf]

A letter in last weeks H&H (I didn't see the letter it was in response to) stating that the person did not like seeing white bands being used on National Hunt Racehorses. Nor did they like plaited tails as it wound the horse up in anticipation of the job at hand ...

Whilst I do agree about the white bands - I hate them on bays, chesnuts, blacks etc as it makes them look like they have shavings stuck jn their manes I don't necessarily agree about the tail.

These horses are not daft and by being boxed up and put in a strange stable lets them know that their job that day is racing - plaited tail or not. No one routinely takes horses out, pops them in a strange stable for a bit then heads home let alone only plaits the tail on actual race days ....

We don't plait the tails for the BTO - it's a nice bonus yes but for me I take a great deal of pride in the horses that I turn out and none of "mine" will leave the stable yard unless it is absolutely immaculate! Quite often BTO is won by a horse with no tail plait or 1/4 markers, and sometimes no plaits at all ... so it does not guanratee us the extra cash prize in the slightest!

Do you like white bands on anything other than greys?!

 

[ihatework]

Honestly it’s not something I’d invest brain space or use ink for ?

Racing and all other horse sports have far more pressing concerns than the colour of elastic or a tail plait!

As ever, H&H is in a slow demise, they probably publish all the letters they receive irrespective of their newsworthiness ?

 

[Annagain]

I have a grey with a very salt and pepper mane with a lot of chestnut in it He's very fleabitten and his mane has never greyed out completely even at 24. It bothers me that I can't get plaiting bands that don't look daft on him. White stand out but so do brown. I tried a white and a brown together hoping they'd blend in a bit more and they looked even more ridiculous. The quick-knot pins are better as they don't show once they're in.

 

[Fiona]

I prefer discrete bands as near as possible to the colour of the mane, but I certainly don't feel strongly enough about it to write to H&H lol....

I have a pack of purple ones put away that my RC friend gave me, for my grey connie haha. Because purple is my favourite colour.

Fiona

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I have a grey with a very salt and pepper mane with a lot of chestnut in it He's very fleabitten and his mane has never greyed out completely even at 24. It bothers me that I can't get plaiting bands that don't look daft on him. White stand out but so do brown. I tried a white and a brown together hoping they'd blend in a bit more and they looked even more ridiculous. The quick-knot pins are better as they don't show once they're in.

I doubt the jockeys would appreciate having their knuckles stabbed by metal when scrubbing in a finish ???

I was at Bangor one day - duly won BTO with my immaculately turned out, slow as a boat bay, sat on the grass banking to roll up my paddock sheets and 2 girls behind me were complaining that they didn't win turnout and they had spent a fortune on those diamonte bands specifically to win more turnouts. I chuckled thinking there will 3 or 4 bands less when the horse comes back in ??

Fiona - I think I shall get as many colours as I can so I can match the bands to the horses silks colours ???

 

[JJS]

Can’t say that it really bothers me! I have white bands for Mary and Six and black for Flower, but I usually just grab whichever set is nearest to hand. That being said, no one is assessing mine based on turnout: it’s usually just to keep their hair out of their eyes.

 

[Roxylola]

I have a grey with a very salt and pepper mane with a lot of chestnut in it He's very fleabitten and his mane has never greyed out completely even at 24. It bothers me that I can't get plaiting bands that don't look daft on him. White stand out but so do brown. I tried a white and a brown together hoping they'd blend in a bit more and they looked even more ridiculous. The quick-knot pins are better as they don't show once they're in.

I got some little hair bobbles from superdrug for myself as my hair is pretty short. They are just like the silicon plaiting bands you can get except they are clear - ideal for the salt and pepper type mane I would think.
I'm not a huge fan of the whole bling thing that goes on now, I can't see that I'd ever pay that much attention on a racehorse but I can understand the point about white bands looking like shavings. I'm a bit old fashioned now though, can't beat sewn plaits for tidiness

 

[conniegirl]

I hate bands full stop.
Properly sewn in plaits all the way, just as quick, if not quicker and will always get you a better result. Will stop issues with salt and pepper manes aswell

 

[catkin]

When I had a TB I always plaited his tail for parties as he lived out with ponies and it seemed so unfair to pull his tail for the few hours a year he was at a show against the hours everyday through the year that he was in a field and needed his weather-protector. He had a gorgeous full tail.

Shame if tail-plaiting has gone out of fashion - it looks fab.

 

[Pippity]

I hate bands full stop.
Properly sewn in plaits all the way, just as quick, if not quicker and will always get you a better result. Will stop issues with salt and pepper manes aswell

Pfft. Just hog 'em.

 

[OldNag]

I got some little hair bobbles from superdrug for myself as my hair is pretty short. They are just like the silicon plaiting bands you can get except they are clear - ideal for the salt and pepper type mane I would think.
I'm not a huge fan of the whole bling thing that goes on now, I can't see that I'd ever pay that much attention on a racehorse but I can understand the point about white bands looking like shavings. I'm a bit old fashioned now though, can't beat sewn plaits for tidiness

I use clear bands too - on a palomino whose mane doesn't match any standard colour.
You can't beat sewn, but clear bands are a close second

 

[oldie48]

I'd just like to be able to do nice neat tidy plaits! However, I use the colour closest to the mane colour or sew them in as I make a neater job. We used to plait tails but now I just tidy up with a rake. Going to have do them properly though if I'm doing a bit of showing. I don't blame the grooms doing whatever they think will help them win the BTO though, it's a nice bit of extra cash for them.

 

[conniegirl]

I'd just like to be able to do nice neat tidy plaits! However, I use the colour closest to the mane colour or sew them in as I make a neater job. We used to plait tails but now I just tidy up with a rake. Going to have do them properly though if I'm doing a bit of showing. I don't blame the grooms doing whatever they think will help them win the BTO though, it's a nice bit of extra cash for them.

for showing you want a pulled tail not a plaited one. you can get a pulled effect with a rake.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I hate bands full stop.
Properly sewn in plaits all the way, just as quick, if not quicker and will always get you a better result. Will stop issues with salt and pepper manes aswell

I always stitch for showing regardless. If I plan on taking Gray to more than 1 show a year then I will pull his tail but I only took him out once last year so plaited (ssshhhhh!!!!!!!) I do love a good stitch plaited mane but a lot of jockeys like plucking out the first few plaits so they dont batter their hands off of them when scrubbing, and bands are easier to take out whilst cooling off. Time is everything when you have multiple runners ??

 

[oldie48]

for showing you want a pulled tail not a plaited one. you can get a pulled effect with a rake.

Hi yes I have started the process, still some more to come out though. Went to the Olivers this morning and told I need to take quite a lot more out and to cut tail by 4 inches! I might have to compromise on that though, 4 inches, I was thinking 2!

 

[Sealine]

Plaiting bands should match the mane colour where possible. I have a coloured therefore I use both black bands and white bands for plaiting. Clear bands sounds great! I didn't know they existed.

 

[Cob Life]

I have a grey with a very salt and pepper mane with a lot of chestnut in it He's very fleabitten and his mane has never greyed out completely even at 24. It bothers me that I can't get plaiting bands that don't look daft on him. White stand out but so do brown. I tried a white and a brown together hoping they'd blend in a bit more and they looked even more ridiculous. The quick-knot pins are better as they don't show once they're in.

I used to plait a coloured and used the clear primark bands! They're really a strong and £1 for 100

 

[Bernster]

Those silicon bands are really good. Clear ones work best for my grey as the white makes his mane look yucky. Couldn’t give a monkeys ref turnout for racehorses though - what odd things people feel the need to write about in mag !

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Not a white band in sight! Not my best tail plait either but hey ho! We all have off days!