Braiding a super short mane

[spacytracy]

Welp, I’m kicking myself. I roach my horse’s mane because he’s half haflinger and has such a thick mane that no amount of pulling, snipping, thinning whatever looks good. So I started roaching it because I personally liked the look, I only show in local unrated shows occasionally, and it is easy for me and he doesn’t object.

But now I’m taking him to a bigger show where braiding is required and the mane is thankfully growing out a bit, and is sticking straight up like a trojan horse, but its going to be a challenge for my fingers.

Any tips/tricks for making it look decent? Gel? Quik Braid? Do they make horsie hair extensions I can braid in lol?

[Toblersmom]

I would contact the sow management to see if braiding is absolutely required, or if roaching is OK. I think roaching is uncommon enough in the English world that the show management may have just not considered that option? What would somebody showing a Fjord with traditional presentation do?

[JenEM]

Where are you showing that braiding is “required”? It’s not mandatory even at A shows–if you don’t want to braid, you don’t have to, though you might be the only one outside the jumper ring unbraided. Even in sidesaddle, where it’s in the rule book that we have to be braided mane & tail, there is a specific exemption for roached manes and pulled tails.

Personally, I’d just re-roach it so it’s neat and tidy.

[spacytracy]

Sorry, shouldn’t say “required”. Expected.

[trubandloki]

I am in the re-roach it crowd. No one will complain about a tidy roached mane.

[Toblersmom]

@spacytracy

Sorry, shouldn’t say “required”. Expected.

I think a tidy, “fresh” roach (I think, like body clipping, not TOO “fresh”, you want to do it a little bit before the show?) is going to present much better than a braid attempt with short bits of a super thick, brushy mane.

[atl_hunter]

@spacytracy

Welp, I’m kicking myself. I roach my horse’s mane because he’s half haflinger and has such a thick mane that no amount of pulling, snipping, thinning whatever looks good. So I started roaching it because I personally liked the look, I only show in local unrated shows occasionally, and it is easy for me and he doesn’t object.

But now I’m taking him to a bigger show where braiding is required and the mane is thankfully growing out a bit, and is sticking straight up like a trojan horse, but its going to be a challenge for my fingers.

Any tips/tricks for making it look decent? Gel? Quik Braid? Do they make horsie hair extensions I can braid in lol?

I would pay a professional who is used to dealing with these types of situations, and if I was going to keep showing this level I would invest in MTG and grow it out. I would not roach a mane if it’s close enough to braid if the goal is to eventually braid (having dealt with a roached Appaloosa mane in the past)

[SansPeurDansLaSelle]

Absolutely reach out to a pro Braider and see what they think, I have braided some ponies with extremely thick, short manes and made it work. If you can post a pic that may give us a better idea of what advice to give.

Now, if this is the only big show you are planning to go to for awhile I would maybe just re-roach it slightly shorter than it is now and focus on continuing to grow it out through the winter.

[DMK]

I can say with some authority, that if one owns a haffie or a fjord, you don’t need any topical substance to help that mane grow out!

Also, as a former catch braider, I can’t think of anything I would want to do less than try to braid a too short haffie (or fjord) mane, even if you make it look good, you destroy your hands in the process. I know some people with draft crosses that used to shave the underside and then pull the remaining top part so they got it to “pony thickness” (instead of 4x pony thickness). The only problem with that is you have to constantly keep up with that since (as you know) roached manes grow out in about 2 minutes. But if you were dedicated to braiding part/all of the year, that might be something worth trying.

[spacytracy]

If he was a full haflinger, i would have just kept it long and done a running braid or some other haffie-type braid. But he’s 1/2 QH and IMO does not look particularly haffie-ish (at least not enough to get away with it). So I got the thick part, but not the pretty part.

[mmeqcenter]

I vote re-roach

[greysfordays]

I would re-roach for sure. Side note: he is adorable.

[BeeHoney]

You don’t mention exactly what type of show you are preparing for, but my advice is to re-roach. If it is for a h/j type show, I would roach pretty closely to the crest about a week before the competition–NOT immediately before. You might consider leaving the forelock and braiding that in a traditional manner. You also could do a very traditional braid hunter braid on the tail. Otherwise I would make sure that the remainder of your tack and turnout is 100% perfectly discipline appropriate.

A tidily/freshly roached mane has a very similar contour to braided mane from the side opposite to where it is braided. So I really think you can get away with it. It certainly is a better option than awkward looking braids. If a judge does happen to notice, but the rest of your turnout is impeccable and polished to the nines, the judge will give you a pass on the roached mane. Even fancy, traditionally bred show horses occasionally experience mane and tail disasters that require drastic measures.

If you plan to do this type of competition often in the future, I recommend letting the mane grow out and then pulling it very thoroughly to thin it down as much as you can.

Your horse is quite cute, best of luck with your competition!!

[Pennywell_Bay]

Reroach. We just started leasing an ex event pony (he’s cute and brave so we are using him for miles) that had a roached mane. Being a hunter diva I was like “we are growing this out”.

WEC is coming, yeah- he looks like ALF with his mane straight up - I am reroaching it. A show, ponies. I would be embarrassed but he is so damn cute with such a great neck I’m rolling with it.

[spacytracy]

Thank you all so much! Appreciate it!

[touchstone]

Don’t you wish they sold braids you could velcro on?