Dilemma...hunter braids vs. natural mane UPDATE: I did the running braid! Pics added!

[SuckerForHorses]

Let me start by saying: I only go to local shows, nothing USEF or breed related, etc.

I have a registered Arab mare that I showed some last year; the plan is to go to some again this year.

When Arabs are shown under western tack, their manes are left natural.

Hunter braids for HUS.

My dilemma - I show my mare in Showmanship and the halter classes under western attire/tack - so her mane is natural.

BUT…I show her HUS in my riding classes.

I do not have time to do Hunter braids between in-hand and under-saddle.

What is a girl to do?

Honestly - last year I just left it natural and kept it tidy - both for in hand and under saddle. It did not seem to affect our placings under saddle at all - we placed above those who had braids.

I would like to do braids for the riding classes because it looks so much cleaner and professional, but I can’t have braids in my in-hand classes under Western attire.

oh, and one other thing…I have never done hunter braids…ever…

[MtnDrmz]

I don’t have much to offer as HUS at a breed show is VERY different then hunter under saddle in the Hunter/Jumper world, but was just going to sggest posting on the western board too since they might face this cross over issue more frequently?

You might get more of a response

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=MtnDrmz;8597133]
I don’t have much to offer as HUS at a breed show is VERY different then hunter under saddle in the Hunter/Jumper world, but was just going to sggest posting on the western board too since they might face this cross over issue more frequently?

You might get more of a response[/QUOTE]

Most of them would likely be showing QHs, which have manes banded for showmanship, and they just leave them like that for HUS (at the open show level that I would be at).

[SuckerForHorses]

On a side note…

Any free videos on YouTube, or elsewhere, that are good instructional guides for doing hunter braids?

[dynamite0319]

I showed QHs for 10 years and did all around with multiple horses at open and breed shows. If I felt like my horse was better English, I’d braid. If I felt my horse was better western, I’d band. I recall most Arabs have longer manes which is not conducive to hunter braids. The mane must be about 4" long to do nice hunter braids. If you are showing at an open show I think you’d be fine to leave the mane natural.
There are myriad videos about how to braid hunter braids. Just do a search on YouTube. The secret sauce to beautiful hunter braids is practice. Practice. Oh, and more practice. Your fingers and hands must learn the muscle memory to get them tight, even and straight.

[SuckerForHorses]

I recall most Arabs have longer manes which is not conducive to hunter braids.

Yep, her mane is long and thick. If I tried to cut it/pull it to make it easy to braid, it would look stupid natural in the western classes :lol:

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=dynamite0319;8597152]
If I felt like my horse was better English, I’d braid. If I felt my horse was better western, I’d band. [/QUOTE]

But did that mean having braids in a Showmanship class in western tack?

[EventerAJ]

If you do not want to pull her mane, try braiding it in a running braid. It looks very neat and tidy to show off the horse’s neck.

[dynamite0319]

That is what I did.

[BAC]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8597140]
On a side note…

Any free videos on YouTube, or elsewhere, that are good instructional guides for doing hunter braids?[/QUOTE]

Not free, but Braiding Techniques was a cheap video that Dover sold at one time, it may be available as a CD, it was excellent. But learning to do good hunter braids isn’t easy so allow time for lots of practice. When you say “natural mane” do you mean long and flowing? Manes need to be relatively short for hunter braids. Lucky Braids is another excellent video/CD but its expensive.

[ace]

Yes, do a running braid!

[SuckerForHorses]

When you say “natural mane” do you mean long and flowing?

Yes.

[BostonHJ]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8597183]
Yes.[/QUOTE]

There is no possible way to do hunter braids with a long, thick mane. Another vote for a running braid.

[EventerAJ]

With practice, it only takes about 10 minutes to do a nice running braid, so you should be able to do it between classes if there is any short break.

Unbraided
[URL=“https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_i9Urq3lSTVa1JjWkFCOXhFYWYwTlpUXzd6Mjdtei1NcF9R/view?usp=sharing”]
Braided with a running (French) braid

Another view of the braid

[ChasPonyCat]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8597157]
But did that mean having braids in a Showmanship class in western tack?[/QUOTE]

When I showed AQHA this is what I and many people did. If the horse did English, the horse got braids. This meant sometimes horses appeared in western tack with braids, yes.

Although i should add that showing at the local level, I generally banded.

[vxf111]

Running braid. It’s quick, works for long mane, and looks much neater than loose.

[enjoytheride]

I braid like this, then I go down the mane every 4 inches and tie it up. It doesn’t move all day and stays all the way up on the crest.

http://weanieeventer.blogspot.com/2012/09/4-strand-french-braid.html

http://weanieeventer.blogspot.com/2014/04/heartland-wrap-up.html

[mypaintwattie]

My old Arab I would show in a running braid, they are quick and easy to do and look nice. Honestly from a distance it was hard to tell that she had a running braid and not hunter braids!

[copper1]

Arab rules state that unless you are showing in dressage, WORKING hunters, or the sport hore classes, the horse must be shown in natural mane and tail unless under hunter tack _hunter pleasure (FAR different than working hunter!!!) so if you are doing western and showmanship in western tack, you must have the long mane so learn to do a running braid. It is not hard but needs practice. If you do it correctly from a distance it is hard to tell the difference. As someone else stated, you can not do nice hunter braids with a long mane.

[SuckerForHorses]

So, show update…

I left her mane natural and NOT braided in any fashion for showmanship (western attire). I also left it like this for my riding classes. I rode in my dressage saddle (which IS ALLOWED per show rules).

We were not placing well despite her going very nice, so after chatting with a friend/acquaintance at the show, she offered to do a running braid for me, and I switched her to my close contact saddle. We placed 2nd out of 9 in the next class, and 1st out of 8 in our last class. And she was going the same in those classes as she was in our first class that we placed last out of 8.

So, I’ve decided that while that may not be why we weren’t placing well, I am going to suck it up and learn either running braids, or I will cut and thin her mane and do hunter braids. I knew it looked better with either, but was lazy and just wanted to get by with it left alone.

And I will use my CC saddle since it’s more traditional. I have no idea if our tack and turnout is why we were placing poorly, but I do admit we looked much better turned out after we did the braid and switched the tack!

Lesson learned.