A braiding "fashion" question

[yellowbritches]

I’ve seen it mentioned here before (but for the life on me can’t think of a good search term for my question), and have seen pictures along those lines, as well (Nickelodian’s blog actually reminded me of it…), so can we talk some about using colored yarn in braids?

In anticipation of needing to do proper hunter braids for some shows next year, I need to start brushing up on my hunter braid skills (I’m a good braider, but have done most of my braiding for event horses and only hunter braids a few times). The pictures I’ve seen of the colored yarn have been subtle but fun, in a very classy way. I also seem to recall some talk that a subtle contrast in yarn color can help, somehow? Am I remembering correctly?

Anyway, I’m just curious about this option and wondering if some more in the know can tell me more about it. I’m assuming I wouldn’t use bright red in my black horse’s mane, but maybe a navy or charcoal?

[GoneAway]

Navy provides a decent contrast in a black mane, very useful for folks taking out the braids, who are searching for yarn with a seam ripper. Not visible from far away, but a neat little bit of fun when you’re close enough to notice. I’ve seen a lot of navy blue in black and sometimes chestnut manes, light/powder blue is popular for greys. Not personally my thing, but if people dig it, that’s cool. I can definitely appreciate the extra help removing the braid without taking any extra hair by mistake.

[gottagrey]

i’ve seen dark navy on black/dark manes as well. and a friend of mine who showed in the A/Os at Harrisburg and WIHS had a fairly subtle pink braid in her horse’s mane at the release point as a tribute to her mom and breast cancer month. You see more colors in pony and maybe children’s hunters than in adults.

[Denzel]

I like burgundy in dark manes as well. Basically any dark colors work well in dark manes, how adventurous you get depends on either what level you are at, or how much you want to stand out. If it is at a local show where as long as you find 8 fences and leads and stay on in the process you get a ribbon, you can probably get away with being more adventurous. If you are showing at WEF, probably better to be a little more conservative unless you are of the Tori Colvin/Kelley Farmer ilk with amazing horses.

[FLeventer]

I do navy with black manes as you can see the yarn as another poster said. Honestly unless you are three inches from the horses mane you cannot notice the difference. I would not do charcoal with a black mane. I try to match within a few shades of the mane.

[hype]

If you are using colored yarn your braids need to be almost perfect. The colored yarn draws attention to the braids and decent jobs can look pretty poor depending on how much your yarn contrasts with the mane color.

[Trixie]

I feel like charcoal might almost look dusty from far away. Navy works well because you can see it against a black mane easily when you’re taking them out but not from far away. I did one Culpeper with navy with just a tiny, tiny bit of sparkle. It was very cute and you couldn’t see it unless you were right there.

[HunterJumper_3]

I’ve seen light blue on gray and red on chestnut, and personally, I love the little pop of color! It’s one of the few ways it’s acceptable to bring some fun colors into the hunter ring - nothing too crazy, of course… :lol: For a black mane, personally I’d go with the navy or even hunter green.

[Soaponarope]

I think you are referencing my colored yarn apocalypse thread? That was a fun discussion! I had a bad experience with some bad blue braids in our horse’s mane this past summer::no: Granted, these were bad braids. Since then I’ve been checking out braids at other shows. I think the pastels on greys look pretty if the horse is really, really nice like Nickelodeon’s pony:) Otherwise, I’m still not a fan. Just prefer the classic match to the mane. But look around and see what you like and have fun, especially if your horse has a lovely topline. To each her own yarn!

[CHT]

Way back when we would sometimes braid with Navy or dark green in a dark mane. The “rule” was that the yarn colour had to match the hunt coat worn that day. I liked the green on my liver chestnut. Never thought to use a light colour on my grey.

[Soaponarope]

For the OP, if you decide to braid with color it is likely you will be able to see it in pictures although the judge probably won’t be able to see it.

[ssandstr]

We (meaning myself, the pro I work for, and her other braiders), use a ton of navy. There were definitely navies showing in the Maclay finals.

We also love dark purple, pale purple and pale blue (on greys…often ponies), some hunter green… It’s typcially what the clients want. You do see more color on the ponies, but some of the eq riders are asking for it as well. I personally love a little color as I think it looks really nice (assuming you’re not using hot pink or bright yellow), and it typically means that manes don’t get as butchered when braids are taken out… Which keeps the braiders happy.

You do have to be damn good though, as your mid line has to match all the way down (and if you’re using matching yarn, then you mostly worry about top and bottom lines… So to match the middle also perfectly… You have to be good and focused).

I love the color. But don’t get me started on pom poms.

[sma]

I think color has a place… A very specific place. It makes it a lot easier to remove, especially if the braids are very tight, or the mane is very monochromatic black against very monochromatic black yarn. However-make sure that the yarn is DARK navy or DARK hunter or REALLY DARK maroon! It will always look brighter and more obvious against the mane than it does in the store, and it will always highlight any inconsistencies or uneven-ness of the braids. I will share a favorite horror story… I made the mistake of buying yarn in a rush and while sleep deprived during a horse show in an unfamiliar store while corralling three equally sleep deprived pony riders, and the “Navy Blue” yarn I bought was Navy in name only–in DDs ponys black mane, it was a horrible bright navy that was not flattering in any way shape or form, and was far more obvious than is appropriate in a rated pony division. That being said, we almost always braid with dark navy in a black mane, very dark maroon in a chestnut mane, and off-white-pink-gray (really subtly pink) in a gray mane, since we are the ones unbraiding and it saves a ton of time as well as a ton of mane!

[comingback]

Slight hijack, but what brand of yarn do you use? I use lucky braids with no issue, but every single brand I have seen recommended here breaks on me, and thus I’m stuck with black, grey, and chestnut colors. I really want to use navy, but I’m not willing to risk my braids popping at inopportune moments;)

[FLeventer]

[QUOTE=comingback;7839280]
Slight hijack, but what brand of yarn do you use? I use lucky braids with no issue, but every single brand I have seen recommended here breaks on me, and thus I’m stuck with black, grey, and chestnut colors. I really want to use navy, but I’m not willing to risk my braids popping at inopportune moments;)[/QUOTE]

I always have had luck with the heart brand. The package with the red heart on it. never had issues with breaking. Also comes in a major range of colors and shades.

[Nickelodian]

Ah yes, I am apparently a pony rider at heart, as I love not only colored yarn, but poms, and even an appropriate holiday related charm has been known to adorn my horse’s necks.

TJ has been in purple!

https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1937155_138610442959_6472761_n.jpg?oh=026f109eaf7390a8bd451b24374e88e6&oe=54E98F83

(It kind of photographed more bright blue, but it was really a deep purple)

DC showed in gulfport in Lilac, with the dreaded POMPOM!

https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10303764_10152169739812960_1423028425371439219_n.jpg?oh=3241640df0408ffa2739cd0ef2e93467&oe=54E1F2E8

Blurry and you can’t really tell, but he also showed IN WELLINGTON IN BABY BLUE!

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/574658_10151928354262960_1533614289_n.jpg?oh=8173c6d214072f4807300ae2a7ce877e&oe=54DC0422

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1509694_10152001376232960_108456176_n.jpg?oh=abb249708fa8e7c181e47c811fc2f06d&oe=54E3F8F9

(oh the horrors)

The braider found it fitting that my two Derby horses should match in navy poms!

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10491069_10152228038922960_6672323974714508247_n.jpg?oh=bf6ac5cbd789dc044063616ec9ec255d&oe=54AAA000

We have even done Colorado in lilac too!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/v/t1.0-9/1012793_10151500084667960_1351790230_n.jpg?oh=d82b2fa77a38fbf1a501c0ddd5cc8bbb&oe=54F2FAA4&gda=1425168336_b29df187bfb48fa92f41467b7b83443c

We have had Mardi Gras Braids in Gulfport

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLPLv8ZbR_Q/UxY4VJy0oqI/AAAAAAAAD48/9URckXfZTlY/s1600/GP+Day+2-6.jpg

And a snowflake in December (in Texas, where we don’t see snow!)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/150866_10151252046122960_504259957_n.jpg?oh=36b159a58a4e505f84a7e8f08b3b74ed&oe=54E25706&gda=1420422869_42d876831e0df19831c1306d113fe26b

Ok yeah it’s blurry, but I promise, that’s a snowflake.

And throughout all of my randomness of braids, I can say with confidence that not even once has it affected my ability to miss on the long approach to the in and out.

I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU IN AND OUTS.

[comingback]

[QUOTE=FLeventer;7839294]
I always have had luck with the heart brand. The package with the red heart on it. never had issues with breaking. Also comes in a major range of colors and shades.[/QUOTE]

I’ve tried several varieties of red heart with no luck. It used to be my go to in the past.

[QUOTE=Nickelodian;7839497]
And throughout all of my randomness of braids, I can say with confidence that not even once has it affected my ability to miss on the long approach to the in and out.

I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU IN AND OUTS.[/QUOTE]

This made my morning:) Too funny!

[ssandstr]

The pros order heavyweight polyester rug yarn as it’s pretty much impossible to break. It comes from trait-tex… But not in lots of colors or skeins, so there are a few yarn ladies around that get it custom made from the company and then braiders order from them… The stuff is amazing.

[Go_Fish]

I saw a chestnut braided in dark hunter green recently. I really liked the look of it.

I would agree with another poster - if you’re going to use an non-traditional yarn color, your braids better be perfect, with the yarn tied off on each braid in the same place. Otherwise, it would look uneven.

[salymandar]

I mostly use the Caron yarn. I do use rug yarn, though, when I braid red chestnuts because I think the Caron is better suited to chestnuts with less red. I don’t use the rug yarn all the time because it rips my hands up and it is a little harder for me to find. I have not had any luck with the Red Heart. I break it all the time.

Most of the manes I braid are brown or black and I generally braid in matching colors. On my own horse, I sometimes use a pretty navy and dark purple. I think they provide a nice contrast, while allowing my gelding to feel very manly and me to humor my inner pony rider. I’ve used hunter green or burgundy on chestnuts sometimes when feeling festive and am more likely to use contrasting colors in the winter when we show indoors and have to take braids out in the dark.