Yes I read the rule book (didn’t find anything) and searched the forums (nothing recent popped up). I voluntold myself into pulling a mane for a friend. Mare is not a fan of mane maintenance and of course 90% of her mane lies perfectly on the left. I have this vague rememberence that the side they are braided on doesn’t matter for eventing but 20+ years as a hunter is making me twitchy. Anyone wanna help a girl out and enable me into leftward action?
I will do the opposite…HATE seeing manes braided on the left.
It doesn’t make a difference. Braiding isn’t even required. As a groom though, I braid them all on the right no matter where their mane lies. It is easy enough, and then it can revert back to the left if it wants to for XC. Traditionally, stallions are braiding on the left.
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In hunters I would absolutely force braid it on the right. For eventing (or dressage or jumpers) do what you want.
It’s not that hard to pull the mane over and braid it on the right and as an experienced braider I would do this because braiding on the left is opposite of all my muscle memory.
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I ALWAYS braid on the left (geldings, mares). I’m left handed. Even at the FEI levels, nobody EVER commented. In the hunters I braided on the left and, again nobody ever commented. I even won a couple of +A show A/O Hunter championships (I can provide COTH magazine write-ups for provenance).
And I ain’t changing until somebody proves to me there is some functional advantage. There is a reason there is nothing in the rules. It is recognized the left or right braiding doesn’t do anything, doesn’t mean anything anymore. So long as the the horse is clean and well presented, go for it.
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No one cares and no one will notice.
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Nobody cares. I have braided my left-maned horses on the left. this is my first right-maned horse, and I braid her on the right.
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In the hunters, the reason I wouldn’t braid on the left is because of under saddle and flat classes, where yours will stand out compared to all the other horses on the rail. If it’s a tidy braiding job and a terrific entry for the class, standing out this way might even be good, but YMMV. If you’re not doing rail classes it wouldn’t matter at all. There are definitely no rules.
I tried for 2 years to get my guys mane to lay on the right side, to no avail. So I braid on the left. Like RAyers I’m left handed, so it works for me. Plus the Germans braid on the left, so it lets me channel my inner Michael Jung:winkgrin:.
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Same here. Left handed person with left maned horse. I braid on the left. Nobody gives a crap. Then again, I’m at the lowest of levels. I only braid to show off my horse’s neck for dressage.
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Lol you inspired me to google him, and sure enough he’s done it both ways.
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My horse’s mane naturally lies to the left and I leave it there. We show rated dressage and unrated hunters. I’m pretty happy if the mane is the worst people can say about me 
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My last 2 horses had manes that laid nicely to the left, so that’s the side I braid on. Braids look very nice and neat, so I wouldn’t change a thing - why? Up to Training, many riders don’t even braid. If’ I’m not at a big show, I won’t braid. If I do, it looks nicer and probably feels more natural/comfortable for my horse to do it left. No one cares re: left or right - including me 
I’m a lefty and all the other left handed people have inspired me to test out braiding on the left this weekend to see if I find it more comfortable.
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I braid left, and no one has said a thing, I compete in all sorts of Area 2 events… I also braid my tail, because my horse doesn’t like it being pulled. So I am not exactly a conformist.
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I braid whichever side the horse’s mane naturally lies. No one has ever commented on it or noticed
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Thanks all! Unfortunately we didn’t make it to far into the pulling before maresy had a meltdown. So I’m un-volunteering myself and her owner can deal with her. I’m not risking life/limb for mane maintenance on a horse that isn’t mine. 
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FEI groom; I never pull, most grooms don’t. You need good scissors a comb, and a damp sponge or body brush.
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I braid dressage horses, and will braid whichever side the mane lays on. It didn’t take very long for me to be able to braid equally nicely on the right or the left. My personal horse hates mane maintenance, and his lays perfectly on the left. So there it shall stay.
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I’ve braided on both sides, horses with the mane on the left it kind of depends on what I feel like doing at any given time. I’m a righty and if I braid on the left side I just start at the withers and work my way up. Keeps the hair out of my way and ends up looking the same as if I started at the poll and went down.
