Braiding for Hunting

[Gloria]

[QUOTE=wanabe;3921249]
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:

3. most elegant or eye-catching?[/QUOTE]

Most elegant or eye-catching braids are the ones done right that fit your horse. If your horses have long mane, button braids will look absolutely ridiculous. If your horses have pulled mane, you cannot do french braid. If your horses have fat neck, scallop will make the necks look thicker. If you have fine horses, big braids will look overpowering. If you have drafty horses, little braids will look funny. And the list goes on and on…

I do french braid when I go hunting with my Morgan. I love his long flowing mane and because french braid is easy and quick to put up (less than 10 minutes).

[Romany]

[QUOTE=SidesaddleRider;3921481]
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 [U]never[/U] 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]

Really? I’ve never heard of that concern - how interesting! Have you heard of this happening often?

I loop the tail-end back up and stitch it very loosely, no knots, so I suppose the loop would pull loose in that sort of situation, or sometimes I do a long running stitch all the way down the loop to keep it flat, so it wouldn’t catch on anything anyway.

[SidesaddleRider]

@Romany;3922053

Really? I’ve never heard of that concern - how interesting! Have you heard of this happening often?

I don’t know if “often” is the correct word, but I’ve seen it happen at least 2x when the loop was left, resulting in varying amounts of lost hair. Poor horsies.

[Romany]

Ouch! Something to consider next time. But…jmo…I really do not like the look of the pinwheel.

The other thing I’ve done, now that I think about it, is stuff the tail-end back up under the base of the braid and stitch it, so there’s nothing hanging down at all.

[SidesaddleRider]

@Romany;3923393

The other thing I’ve done, now that I think about it, is stuff the tail-end back up under the base of the braid and stitch it, so there’s nothing hanging down at all.

And that is the most correct! And safest, as I said. Pinwheels are acceptable, but the above is best.

[sisu27]

I roached my horses mane in November. It was super thick and he hates having it pulled no matter how warm he is. I love how it looks but it has grown in to about 3+ inches already…mowhawk. I think it looks really cute but I don’t know if I should let it keep growing and try braiding it (daunting task…I only know how to do show-hunter braids and he has a lot of mane!)or re-roach it. Or can I show up with it in a mowhawk? Could I trim the mowhawk to a reasonable length? He will be eventing, hunting and maybe doing the jumpers a bit this season (jack of all trades master of ???)!

Thanks!

[Nlevie]

I can’t vouch for correct-ness, but I see no reason not to trim it to a neat mohawk ? I had a friend who did that with her draft cross with a ridiculously thick mane and it was adorable on him ! She clipped a bridle path and kept the mohawk like an inch or so ? It looks a whole lot neater than most manes. . .

[Little_Valkyrie]

I had to roach two of my hunt horse’s mains because of their thickness, and it looked 100x better then the unruly mess.
Waldo
Shrek

[ArtilleryHill]

“Oh the little girl next door just BEGGED me to let her braid my horse for today so I let her…”!!!

Same kid clipped my husband’s horse last season! :lol:

[Romany]

[QUOTE=sisu27;3923688]
I roached my horses mane in November. It was super thick and he hates having it pulled no matter how warm he is. I love how it looks but it has grown in to about 3+ inches already…mowhawk. I think it looks really cute but I don’t know if I should let it keep growing and try braiding it (daunting task…I only know how to do show-hunter braids and he has a lot of mane!)or re-roach it. Or can I show up with it in a mowhawk? Could I trim the mowhawk to a reasonable length? He will be eventing, hunting and maybe doing the jumpers a bit this season (jack of all trades master of ???)!

Thanks![/QUOTE]

I don’t like the entirely nude look of a fresh roach, so I use plastic clipper guides - the kind that barbers use (apparently!); they come in 1/8" increments and clip on to the clipper head, so you can easily clip the whole mane to, say, 3/4" long, which looks quite nice.

The 3" mohawk as you describe does look pleasingly warrior-esque, though, plus it works wonders for a scrawny neck! :lol:

[IrishRydr]

Equibrit, thanks for the video! Very helpful.