Sorry…I have not used my photo gallery before so I was not sure how to post the link…let me know if this works.
If you want to find the original article, it was in the 2006 Dressage Today with the photo of the lady from Cavollo riding the grey horse bareback on the cover…
I do mine a bit differently but find that they are very effective. I plait just like GS says to. When I get to the bottom, I just tie the plait into a knot, tuck the tail bit up under the button into the base of the neck and rubber band. The rubber band will lie behind the button and is not seen at all. If the end hair is a little long, I just trim with upward strokes. If the mane has thinned due to cover rub, I just tie into a couple of knots to make it match the others. Easy peasy. I’ve had them stay in for 3 days but easy to fix if you need to.
Okay, I dont quite follow this part:
How do you tie the plait into a know? Like shoelaces?!? Or a knot in the whole braid? Help!
Yes, the whole length of the plait into a knot. Holding the bottom firmly (you can band it), pull it out to one side (say to the left) and cross over the top of the plait leaving a loop on the left side, bring it around behind the plait and out through the loop, pull firmly, tuck the tail under and rubber band behind the knot. Perfect!
I imagine the mane has to be a bit longer to be able to tie into a knot? I am going to try that, it sounds really interesting…thanks for that idea!
My horses’ manes are never longer than a hand’s width - so I don’t think I could do that knot style, but I will try it on a client’s horse for sure… 
I have watched a braider do that knot thing for a button braid. She was really fast, so I could not really follow along. The braids lasted from Friday to Sunday and looked great. I am not sure that I could duplicate. I can just sort of fold them under and band again.
Oh it’s so easy. And a hand width should be fine as long as you don’t have them too wide and thick. And if the mane is thin in places, I just tie a couple of knots to make them look the same as the others.
At home we would usually roll up the braid into the rubberband.
It’s always easier with a nicely pulled mane, about a hands with.
Originally you would braid down and secure the braid at the bottom until you have just enough rubberband to fit your index and longfinger in a sligt spread, then use your thumb to roll the braid up into the loop. At the top turn the rubber band around the braid once (or twice if needed).
I secure the rubberband around the braid and then use a second for the roll. It takes a wee bit more time and double the amount of rubberbands but in case the rubberband breaks at the top (I used to keep my rubberbands in my mouth and couldn’t help chewing them while I was braiding so they would sometimes become brittle) you don’t have to redo the whole braid and they are easy to give a quick fix if needed for some reason. I like a wet sponge to wet the hair as I go and some heavy duty hairspray can always come in handy for flyaways.
The braids turn out very nice and even every time with little practice.
I like the look of this braid and it’s quick and easy but the biggest plus is that braids done this way won’t pop out if touched or rubbed the wrong way. Worst case scenario they will become a little looser but still be presentable.
You can easily use this system even for longer unkept manes, the braids will just be a little bigger and as long as you stay even you can get away with slightly bigger braids if you are short on time!
I like the tip of leaving the base a little loose. Thx.
I am a professional braider, and I have generally done the “double-fold” buttons. However there is a trainer I am friends with who does her own braids in the “knot tying” way, and hers always look quite nice in my opinion.
I am considering testing out that method a bit this year to see how it works and how well it holds together when stitched. My current braids are known (and virtually guaranteed) to be nearly bombproof, so I have to be careful about doing something different- I don’t want to surprise anybody! LOL.
On the other hand, I also get a few horses at each show that have longer and/or thicker manes than ideal, so I would love to know if one of these methods is better for those types of manes than the other.
Spectrum.
