What is your favorite braid for hunting? I want to google image some braid types as I’m paying for braiding this next hunt.
What’s considered:
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most correct?
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most formal?
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most elegant or eye-catching?
1 Like
Button braids are correct for hunting.
Save the fancy hunter braids for show hunters; same with scallop braids, french braids, ribbons, etc.
Yep, I do button braids…and that’s what I see most on the high-holy days. I also do a simple tail braid for those days- with a loop at the end, not the pinwheel. My horse looks better with a neat but slightly rustic tail braid then a super, super fancy one; we’ll save that for horses with refined rumps :winkgrin:
The California way
Our hunt encourages large button braids, and I was told that mares generally get an odd number (5 or 7) and geldings get 6.
That said, most of our hunt simply rides with a pulled mane. 
I only braid because I"m not a member and I want to look as polished as possible.
Looked at button braids. They look great! I’m sure they’ll cost extra! 
Braids I’ve had done in the past were just the maine pulled up in sections and held up with tape. What do you call those?
[QUOTE=wanabe;3921385]
Looked at button braids. They look great! I’m sure they’ll cost extra!
Braids I’ve had done in the past were just the maine pulled up in sections and held up with tape. What do you call those?[/QUOTE]
Taped braids are for dressage. They’re called dressage braids. I don’t know if white tape is still common or not.
Button braids shouldn’t cost extra. They’re the most simple and easy to do.
I kept looking on google images and found what has been done for me in the past:
http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/equestrianworld/phpoBnHPa
They call it plaiting.
[QUOTE=wanabe;3921403]
I kept looking on google images and found what has been done for me in the past:
http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/equestrianworld/phpoBnHPa
They call it plaiting.[/QUOTE]
They call it plaiting in the UK.
In the US we call it braiding.
The picture you linked to is called banding - if that is supposed to be a picture of the finished product. From what I can tell that just looks like someone is preparing to braid/plait. True banding is done in Western riding - but that photo looked like a pulled mane being prepared for braiding/plaiting.
Usually you braid/plait in the same color as the mane. Dressage riders use black or white tape or little plastic covers for their braids - but I don’t know if that is still fashionable or not.
Here are button braids:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/240095568_7c2134333a.jpg?v=0
http://phelpsphotos.com/photos/button_braids.jpg (The button braids I do look more like this image - not that it matters. )
You’ll see button braids on dressage horses too - but you’ll also see the little cigarette style braids with the white or black tape.
Here are braids more commonly seen in show hunters - these are pricey to have done and you’d not see these in the hunt field.
http://lizditz.typepad.com/photos/horse_photos_images/jimmy_braids.jpg
I sew my button braids in but some people seem to do ok with elastic.
Button braids are classic and formal.
The other types (scallop, lattice, show hunter, french/running braid, gaited) are formal as well but are for showing - not hunting.
Button braids are most correct for hunting, although I personally find them very difficult to do, and so do a modified “show braid” in that I do fewer of them and larger.
Hunt horses’ tails should never be left with a loop at the end of a braid. It is a safety hazard, as the loop can get caught on a branch or other object if you are in the woods, and your horse’s tail hair can then be ripped out. Tails should be either tucked up under the braid (most correct) or pinwheeled very tightly.
a secret!
Evenly spaced & sized small braids with the ends tucked under and secured with color matched rubber bands (the ones specifically for horse braids) or sewn in thread are standard. And they should lay flat up against the neck (that’s the hard part imho!) How small and neat you make them gives you the elegance factor. Horses with smaller, finer builds usually need smaller braids in a larger number to look elegant. Whereas large horses w/thick necks might be better with fewer, larger braids. Then there’s those of us who are “braiding challenged” and when we do it; it looks like the neighbor kid came over and did it. So that’s what I tell everybody…“Oh the little girl next door just BEGGED me to let her braid my horse for today so I let her…”!!! :winkgrin::lol:
We’ll just let this be our little secret…:yes:
Honestly, it’s the effort that counts. It’s not supposed to be a braiding contest anyway. You can always tell when the pros have done it. Some of us can’t afford pros. Around here a lot of folks don’t braid anymore for high holy days. Also a trend here is braiding manes only and not doing tails. Whatevah!!! It’s a hunt preference thing mostly. And a complement to the hunt when you do btw. It’s like saying…“I made a big effort for today…even if it’s a crappy job”!!!
I just called and ordered a button-braid.
I asked him what he called the type of braid that I linked to and he said “a hunting braid”, or “a hunter braid”, so I guess terminology varies. I do like that type of braid, too, when the white tape is used instead of rubber bands.
Most of us don’t have the tails done, here, either.
Really? I LOVE doing button braids. Nice big fat sewn in proper button braids. I’ve never been able to master the show braids. Not consistent at all and there is always one sticking out at an odd angle.
I used to do the scallop, lattice and french braids for friends who showed with long maned breeds. Those look really complicated but are super easy. (I think so anyway, especially when the weather is warm and my hands don’t hurt.)
Unfortunately my horses have bit fat butts and the french braid and pinwheel in the tail looks absolutely ridiculous. Looks like a gigantic pig’s butt, poor things…those braids look lovely in the tail of a fine horse.
Wanabe - are you getting ready for Closing Meet or a Joint Meet or something?
[QUOTE=SidesaddleRider;3921481]
Hunt horses’ tails should never be left with a loop at the end of a braid. It is a safety hazard, as the loop can get caught on a branch or other object if you are in the woods, and your horse’s tail hair can then be ripped out. Tails should be either tucked up under the braid (most correct) or pinwheeled very tightly.[/QUOTE]
That’s what I meant by loop- tucked under the braid, not a loose loop. I imagine it would be rather unfortunate for a horse to get his tail caught in a tree.
Yes, Jessica. This Saturday is the end of Longacres’s season. 
And just when I had gotten into good condition!
Yes, I think it’s just from too many years of doing show braids (I braided to pay for my show bills as a junior rider). 
[quote=Little Valkyrie;3921537]That’s what I meant by loop- tucked under the braid, not a loose loop. I imagine it would be rather unfortunate for a horse to get his tail caught in a tree.
[/quote]
Oh, sorry then. I thought you were talking about a loop left at the end of the braid which has been just lightly tucked up, rather than no (visible) loop at all.
[QUOTE=wanabe;3921547]
Yes, Jessica. This Saturday is the end of Longacres’s season.
And just when I had gotten into good condition![/QUOTE]
Nah - don’t look at it as the end of the season!
Look at it as the beginning of the next. Next comes puppy walking and hound shows!
It’s great to walk the hounds out at the kennel. Plus you can practice your braiding so next year you don’t have to pay for it, and you can start working on your green hunters and getting them ready for roading and cubbing.
ss rider - no wonder you are so good at braiding!
Tacky !
I know this is a hunting forum, but ya’ll still might be able to answer my question…
Here’s a guy I’m going to be doing a CT with the end of March (just dressage and stadium).
http://s453.photobucket.com/albums/qq252/carlsylvia/Chappy/
His mane is fairly wiry and poofy. Very ponyish. It is finally getting longer (pulled out in a barbed wire fence) and is certainly part of his charm, but I wouldn’t be averse to roaching it if needed. This is very, very local show. You can even trot in the o/f classes if you need.
I am an english showing NOVICE. My daughter’s done the 4-H thing for 7 years or so (dressage some, lots of jumping) and I’ve always done her braids, but she was using an arabian whom we french braided, and an appendix whom we roached.
So… HELP! What should I do to Chappy’s mane?
Pull (over time and when he’s good and warm) and braid as the video above. If it’s THAT local then just thin/shorten it and go “au natural”.
