Does it really matter to any judge how many braids your hunter has? Surely a judge doesn’t count the number of braids or do they? Tell me please, they do not. And please tell me it does not matter if your jumper is braided or not, right? No judge can refuse you because the mane isn’t braided for any type/level of jumper class, right? I can braid my own horses quite nicely with rubber bands that match mane color. I hear rumors of braiders charging $275 per horse at the fancy rated shows that last 3-5 days; owner or rider takes out the braids at the end of the day each day of showing and braider re-braids. My gosh, with stall fees + traveling for horse/rider fees…I’ll be braiding my own. 
:winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin:
For your hunter, while they may not physically count, it’s obvious if your horse is professionally braided with 30 plaits, or if you tried to slap in 10 button braids yourself with rubber bands. I’m all for saving money by DIY, but if you do, don’t also try to skimp on the number of braids / effort you put into them. Do your research, practice, and do it correctly. Because, yes, it does matter for rated shows / divisions, and the judge (and everyone else) will notice. It takes time and skill, that’s why they cost.
If you want to do jumper braids that would be a time to DIY with your rubber bands, but you don’t have to.
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If my horse has a longish thinnish neck, I tend to braid with fewer braids; with a thicker neck, I tend to go with more. I can make braids look professionally done-used to do this a long time ago; but $275? I need to do some serious practicing though. Truly a judge will also judge the # of braids??? I am blown away…
They don’t judge the exact number of braids, they judge the overall turnout and nice (standard-looking) braids are part of that, just like clean tack, white socks and tails, etc. Pro braiders often add in several pieces of yarn to each braid if it’s a really thin mane so that they get a standard look. You don’t have to struggle to do 40, but 15 narrow braids might look sparse.
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Jumper classes, which you bolded, don’t require braids at any level, up to and including the Olympics.
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One of my best friends is a braider. And I personally paid $55 for a mane and $35 for a tail/day at WEF a few years ago. No one charges $275 per day…that would be right for 3 days worth of braiding though.
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At the FEI shows I worked, I would say it’s a 50/50 split for braiding, and a neat unbraided mane is one million times preferable to bad braids, and very few people do American hunter style braids.
No, a judge will not count how many braids. You do want to have them done correctly though. I used to show our young horses on the line and always did their fitting myself. It can be done with practice.
I grew up believing it was good luck for odd number of braids on geldings and even on mares, but Ive never heard of a judge counting and using that to deduct points. And was it $275 for the whole show? Ive never heard of anyone charging that much per horse.
275 for the entire show currently seems cheap. I have to write a check tomorrow for 560 for one horse. And I left mane braids in for a few days (gasp). 80 per mane and 40 per tail. And he showed 8 days. This is why I do my own for small shows. But at the big shows like my current one the perfect turnout is worth the money to me. But he’s a hunter not s jumper
I just paid $270 last week for one horse who showed 3 days so that sounds correct. This was mane and tail. And I would rarely ever leave a mane in overnight (exception is maybe if horse had a night class and then went at 7:30 next morning) and NEVER a tail. Would YOU want to sleep with your hair all done up?
Of course judges do not count the number of braids, but if you try and stick 20 hunter braids into a mane that should have 40 it’s going to be very obvious and your braid job isn’t going to look very good.
As far as cost, if you don’t like paying that much then learn to do it yourself to a high level. Problem solved. I’d love to braid my own but he has some sort of Thelwell Chia Pet mane that even pro braiders say is hard. So I write them a check and admire their beautiful work.
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$275 for entire show (3-5 days). I’ll be braiding my own. I was a braider a lifetime ago. But I shall need a lot of practice. :)PS…i sleep with my hair up sometimes.
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That would be the cost for the week/show, not for one day.
we never braided in Europe. jumpers had neat tidy pulled looking manes. here in America things are just done differently. gotta adapt.
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I braid my own. I’m not quite up to the standard of the real pros, but my braids are good enough to not stand out in a bad way in the adult ammy hunters and National Derbies in my area. If I were going to a top, top show I would hire a pro, but that’s more because at that point what’s a couple hundred more bucks? :lol: I usually end up with around 30-35 braids depending on how desperate I am to get it done fast. My horse has a more slender neck and I think doing more braids actually makes it look a bit more shapely lol. Getting the line even really helps.
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Hey get on the income side of those braids! Become very good at it, offer your services, and collect the $275. (times a few horses at the show … 
)
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I’ve heard of judges commenting on braids (both good and bad), but not it affecting placing in and of itself. Good braiding can highlight a nice topline, and not-so-good braids can highlight the flaws in the neck or just look sloppy.
Generally more braids (40-50) make a neck look longer and elegant, and fewer braids/more space between the braids (under 35) can make a neck look shorter; though it also depends on crest and hair texture and amount (some just don’t grow much mane), and how well behaved horse is about standing. And how the braids line up — that’s what draws the eye. no one is literally counting when the horse canters by, but 27 braids on a horse that should get 37 just doesn’t look as good, imo.
It’s not the most important thing ever, or going to win you a class (though it might be an issue if you’re not braided at all), but it completes the picture. (For hunters. It doesn’t matter if jumpers get braided.)
The braiding job/braid count is far more likely to get judged by the trainer and/or person paying for the braiding. $275 is on the lower end for 3 days of braiding, never mind 5 days.
And it is one of those things where, if you are capable and willing, you can (learn to) do it yourself. Some former braiders are more than happy to pay for it, because they don’t want to be on the ladder again, and some like to complain about the cost…and still put their horse on the braid list, because they don’t want to be on the ladder again. :lol:
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Only thing in the rule book any more that requires braiding is Ladies Sidesaddle Hunter. And several of us doing that division decided last year that we were just doing Big Fat Braids, since we all do it ourselves, and it’s easier that way. None of the judges have keeled over in shock, nor have we been removed from the USHJA–actually I think we’ve all ended up with Zone awards I will occasionally use a pro if others in our barn are showing that day or it’s a really big show, like Upperville.
For other divisions, I’ll sometimes do it myself, too. Again, not for really big things, like finals, but regular A shows? I’ll pretty regularly do it myself. Saves a lot of money over the course of the year, and it’s something I find kind of zen to do. Once you’ve practiced enough, it’s not that difficult.
Personally, as someone who occasionally does the rubber band braids for dressage shows, I really don’t think it’s any faster than a hunter braid. They just take less time because you’re putting in far, far less of them.
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I braided my horses in the 70’s and 80’s. Even helped out some braiders by doing pre-greenies, so I must not have been terrible. I could get18 - 20 in and have it look good. I remember the first time a braider put in 30! It was the talk of the braider’s group. Then everyone had to do 30, and I could no longer braid because I just cannot keep the unbraided mane on the left out of the way, even with big clips. How do braiders do it?
Regarding the size and number of braids.
As a judge, I would say that the thing a judge notices the most on a hunter going around the ring is whether it’s braided or not braided. After that, probably 80% of the time, that’s the end of it. Then maybe 10% of the time, the braids might stand out as noticeably beautiful. And maybe 10% of the time, the braids might stand out as the opposite of beautiful. If it’s a class where the horse stands to have the conformation judged, like the model, the quality of the braids might matter a little more to help dress up the horse.
Bear in mind that braids are not required under the USEF rules for any hunter class (except side-saddle), so technically braids are always optional. The braids usually do help the horse’s overall appearance. The better the braids, the more they might help.
Braids on any jumper are completely optional. Personally, I follow the line of thought I’ve heard credited to Frank Chapot for all things involving fashion in the jumper ring: It doesn’t make the horse any faster in the jump off. :lol:
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