I’m new to the forum, so hi everyone! I am a teenager hoping to begin braiding at local shows, and before buying bands, I just was curious what kind of bands everyone else uses and where you get them. So…what are your favorite brands or websites for braiding bands that last? Also any braiding tips you have that you’d like to share? Thanks!
The thicker the bands the better they are. Measure out your sections on the mane using a marked place on a comb. Make sure to use a spray like QuicBraid or at least some kind of mousse (something that makes the hair tacky). Braid as tightly as possible and down as far as possible. I also always double secure the braids with two bands after I roll them up
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IME there is “plating” and “braiding”, and they are quite different. Plating, or button braids, are for jumpers, dressage, and eventing. These are the braids you would use bands with. I’ve personally never payed for those and I think most people do them themselves or have an in house groom do them because of how simple they are.
Braids are for showing hunters and eq, and are braided in with yarn matching the color of the mane and folded under with a knob at the top. These are the ones people pay for because they are hard to do well and can make a real difference in how a neck looks.
Perhaps there are different conventions at breed shows or shows that cross over into western events, but in rated HJ shows in the US I think that sewn in hunter braids are the only ones you’ll get payed much for, so better buy yarn and a pull through instead of bands.
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You braid with bands for dressage or jumpers, not for hunters. They’re much faster and easier, and from what I’ve seen advertised in dressageland, cost about half of what proper hunter braids do (for good reason). I’ve never paid for them, but have done them myself for dressage shows. While there is the convenience factor, I honestly don’t like how they turn out as well as I do proper yarn braids, and half the time I just go with very fat “hunter” braids for dressage, too. It never occurred to me to worry about the elastics lasting, because I’ve never tried to reuse them.
Frankly, I can’t see much of a market for braids at local hunter shows, which at least around here are very rarely braided at unless it’s a finals, and in that case would be hunter-style yarn braids. Nor do I often see the fatter button braids braids at local dressage shows, unless its someone doing it themselves because they want pictures. You’ll want to practice until you’re good enough to do it for non-schooling shows, and do proper hunter braids.
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Learning how to braid a tail and put in a fake tail are also useful tools for a braider. Hunterland uses both a lot lol.
I second that hunters and a lot of jumpers don’t use elastics (bands), they stick with braiding wax or yarn. Mostly because the same braiders that braid the hunters braid the jumpers too… at least around here. In our corner of the world, it’s eventers and dressage riders that use elastics.
Good luck in your new venture!
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I’m not a professional braider, but I braid for myself and occasionally friends (in return for wine, chocolate or both) at A rated shows.
- You’ll want to learn how to braid with yarn. If someone is paying for braids chances are they want hunter braids. I always found yarn easier than elastics personally, but I never bothered to braid my jumpers.
- You’ll need to learn how to braid forelocks along with tails.
- You’ll want to be good at pulling manes too, often people don’t pull the manes before hand or don’t pull them enough.
Honestly, it’s 99% practice! Find yourself a horse who has a pulled mane and is a happy camper to stand around for a few hours (bring treats ;)) and just braid and unbraid, over and over. Try thicker braids, try thinner braids and see how it changes the horses neck. Try to make all the braids the same. You won’t figure it out in one sitting, but over time you’ll learn to braid quickly, nicely and in such a way that the braids don’t get rubbed out or bent.
Also, download some good podcasts to listen to while you work 
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As someone who grew up braiding for myself - even manes and even braids are your best friend. Seriously, make each braid the same and stop when you get to the end of your “number” even if there’s hair left. It helps make your braids uniform and look so nice! You can just tuck the extra hair in and each braid will be the exact same size (I mean, you may get a little variation but this always helps mine look much much nicer!)
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I second all of the above. Around here the only sort of money you would get is for hunter braids with yarn at a big show. However, you’d need a lot of practice before getting good enough for people to pay for your braids and fast enough to make it worth it. Most braiders charge $40 for a mane, $20 for the tail so if it takes you 3 hours…
Ive been braiding diligently for every show for last season and this season and my braids are just getting to the point I could probably charge a lower amount for them. However, they still take me 2 hours (when I started it would take me well over 3 and the braids looked awful).
Also when you braid other horses, you’re dealing not only with not perfectly pulled manes but horses that maybe don’t stand still or have less than optimal manes (too thin, too thick, bald spots, thin crests).
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Thank you everyone! I know that you braid with yarn for hunters, which is the majority of what I’ll be doing, but I use bands to secure the braid in the first place before looping it under. Didn’t know if anyone had experience with specific bands that were best, that hold tight and long. Thanks for the tips, too! There is a market where I live and I have a horse that I can and will diligently practice on to get quicker and better. Thanks again for all the responses!
Never ever ever try to braid at a hunter show using bands. In fact unless you are banding a wp horse do not uses bands at all. Learn to braid using either waxed thread or yarn (I much pefer yarn). If you are going to sell your services then you need to be really good and really fast. That mane better have the 25th braid just as tight and straight as the 2nd braid. You need to have the mane and tail both done under 90 mins.
If you are going to do tails then perfect the french braid with the braid on the outside and ending with a pinwheel (they are a pain) and learn how to property hang a fake tail.
saw your post about securing the braid with a band before pulling it under, you should not need to, just do a loop with the yarn to tie it off, you are adding an extra step that is not needed
here’s a good video to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9iw35dEVgg
You don’t need to secure the braid with a band. No pro braider I know does that. You may need a different type/brand of YARN if the one you are using won’t hold a knot (some yarn is slippery!) or you may have to change your knotting style. When I first learned to braid, I could not keep the knot tight with a single knot, so I double knot with one strand of yarn. Some braiders knot with both strands of yarn. Some braiders tie the two yarn pieces together (under the braid/their first knot, instead of going around again) to prevent it from loosening.
You may also be accidentally loosening the braid when you add the yarn – that’s just practice to keeping a hold of the hair. You may want to try adding the yarn in higher, sometimes that helps keep it more secure.
Possibly the mane pull is not great and the knot is not holding because the hair is not tapered enough. If it’s thick and blunt at the bottom, it’s harder to knot/knot is more prone to loosening.
Making friends with existing braiders might be something to do too. Most of the ones I’ve meet are happy to help someone else learn how to braid, in exchange for you helping/working for them when they are busy (like on the weekends or when there are conflicting horse shows). Braiding is a feast-or-famine type job, and working at night and doing the same thing over and over again is not for everyone. Anyone who gets into braiding solely for the money tends to burn out quickly. You have to also want to make the horse look good/show-ring worthy, I think, or it may drive you up the wall.
Remember that the eye is drawn to the bottom line of the braids first, that’s why they have to be uniform and line up. Generally, the more braids on the neck, the longer the neck looks (like a model horse might get 50 braids). A good braid job can highlight a nice topline, and less decent one can highlight a lumpy crest. Too thin/too many braids will over-crowd the neck and be less sturdy and prone to twisting. Most horses have a small range of number of braids (within 4-5 braids, depending on braiding style and mane pull; eg if a horse consistently gets 45 braids, but you put in 35, it probably won’t look so great, but if you put in 40-42 (or 48), that’s probably fine) where they look really good. Every braider braids slightly differently from the next person, and has different preferences for mane pull. You figure out your style the more you braid, and you can pick up tips from other braiders. Fake tails are a pain, but most people have them now. Some people have preference for pinwheel or wrap to end the tail braid.
Like riding, you develop muscle memory and when you get on a rhythm, it’s easier/faster to braid. IMO, it’s better to be slow and good at first – then people will want to hire you, even if you only start out doing 3 a night – rather than fast and sloppy; eventually you can be fast and good.
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And buy STRONG yarn! Nothing more frustrating than yarn breaking when you’re trying to pull it through or tie it off tight.
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Yeah nearly every FEI jumper you see braided is with bands so don’t worry too much about that not being a thing.
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i would be concerned banding the braid will make it too bulky for the pull through. In order to get the braid straight and the tail hidden you have to ‘lock’ the part where the yarn is tied off inside the crest. When I was having trouble getting my knots to stay knotted I was going over board with double slip knot and then double surgeons knot and then another slip knot but the knot was so bulky I couldn’t pull it into the crest and it made my braids crooked…
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Yes, but the OP is talking about braiding hunters. Hunters don’t get bands, they get yarn. For jumpers absolutely - band away!!
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I was responding to the aghastedness of those who specifically said jumpers stick to sewing in braids. Because that isn’t true.
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