Really? I don’t think you’d stand out. I think a well done roach (and I do a longish roach too) looks quite smart and tidy. I was just over in the dressage forum and saw quite a few posters there mentioning that they roach instead of braiding.
I only braid for USEA events (I go N with my older horse, so low level USEA stuff).
My trainer would love it if I braided for all but this is my compromise. I also refused to jump in braids as I feel like I got to give that up when I walked out of the hunter ring, so they go in right before dressage and come out ASAP.
Absolutely at ALL levels. Its respect to the judges. I pull them out before cross country. If you do wax string then you just leave them in the whole day, but when you do elastics they’re easy to take out.
The last one day I did ran so fast I did XC with braids, he looked quite dapper.
I think everyone should braid, horses with untidy manes just look sloppy to me.
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I agree with braiding for every show no matter the level. The only time I don’t always braid is for home shows which are not open to the public. I will do everything else but its too much of a hassle for home shows sometimes especially if I’m helping the little kids with their ponies. I even braid for small two phase schooling shows and I always get comments from with the dressage judge or other riders and trainers about my horse’s braids.
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I used to then stopped. Kept it to only the Novice 3 Day (Dressage and SJ) and skipped it at USPC champs (but they prefer you don’t braid). My dressage scores didn’t suffer. When the day comes that I go Prelim I will start braiding for one days.
BTW - dampening the horse’s mane after braids are taken out and brushing it thoroughly is how you get rid of the kinks from braiding. It always makes me laugh when people go the extra mile to braid but don’t go the extra mile to unkink the mane (usually post XC). No judgment, I just find it amusing :winkgrin:
It takes all of 2 m; after you pull the braids, get a sponge or brush can be substituted for sponge, run it through the mane getting the mane damp. Brush out mane. Run sponge. Flip mane, brush out, flip again, brush out. Viola, mane unkinked!
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I braid every time out of habit, and also for the practice (I’m terrible, I need it). That said, I don’t think twice of competitors who do or don’t. What another rider chooses is none of my business; it’s up to the judge if they feel the horse is not presented well enough. (I think terribly sloppy braid jobs are worse than short and tidy loose manes but again, don’t care it’s not my horse. 
)
LOL @beowulf I actually really love the wild mane on xc with the curls. I think its so much fun! Of course if you want the cleaner look for xc I completely get it, especially at the higher levels. I just think it truly makes xc when you have all the awesome colours and the wild mane.
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Another vote for the long roach/mohawk. I did this on my horse a couple of months ago after the neck cover of his blanket rubbed his mane in a couple spots. And I was inspired by all the gorgeous maxi cobs I hunted in Ireland who all had roached manes. I get so many compliments on my horse’s mane. I’m a good braider and pretty fast with waxed thread and a needle, but I’m happy to abandon the practice.
Just looks messy to me so I leave braids in for a one day and just ride with a neckstrap.
I think there is so much to do for a one day-especially if you are trailering and doing the course walk, etc. all on the same day. Essentially you are braiding only for dressage. I don’t braid for unrecognized events but still do for recognized because a majority of riders around here braid.
I don’t mind braiding for shows if you are doing multiple classes, but for a one day event, I would love to see braiding discouraged.
I leave mine in too for XC and SJ - I love the pics with the nice braided mane 
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I really don’t understand why people think a one day is so much more work. I actually think a 2-3 day is more work, you have to pack for so much more and have so much more down time. I wouldn’t enjoy it. I braid the night before, obviously not always possible with every horse as some are naughty. I pack and everything the night before, Literally pull my horse out in the morning, clean off any poo stains, braid his forelock and off we go. I keep braids in ALWAYS for Show Jumping, they never come out. If I have time before xc they’ll come out, but if not, you keep them in.
I love one days.
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I love one-days too! But there’s one-days… and then there’s all-days. I could see how one would be very hard pressed to braid or unbraid during, at least not without help on the more hectic one-days where scheduling was/is not as good.
It all depends on your proficiency and speed braiding, and the organization of the event.
I like to keep my braids in for SJ if SJ is run before XC, which in some events local to me it is. Depending on the horse, some I like to keep them in braids for XC too especially if they are not the type to rub/be sensitive and are not the type to act up (AKA no grabbing mane needed).
I do really love my pictures of my guy all braided up for his first 1-day. It was a big day for the both of us as it was our first event post-track and after many hurdles. So I happily braided for that.
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I braided one time for a starter and my horse had the best dressage score for the whole day. Maybe I should do it again! I will probably braid when I do a recognized; my 6 YO looks awesome in braids and I think my draft x would too (although I still want to roach his mane like Asterix does!).
I always braid. It not only helps me get into the proper mindset for a show, but it is a ritual my horses learn, and it helps us get our minds on the work ahead. Plus it looks beautiful. I was known for running XC with braids when I rode my now retired OTTB (I never thought twice about that until someone - who was fairly shocked I did that - pointed out that “grabbing mane” was no longer an option with braids).
*It is probable that my H/J roots play into my need to see those pretty little knots on my ponies neck while competing.
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As long as the horse has a braidable mane I will always braid for any show, big or small. I just think it shows respect, and it looks much nicer than a flopping mane.
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Hands down the best part! That bonding time to get “in the zone” together is one of the best things about showing. And yes, I normally show one days
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I try to always braid at the recognized shows, regardless of the level. I do have a cut off in terms of how early I’m willing to wake up, and if not braiding means that I get to sleep until 4am, then I might not braid. Now that I’m going Prelim though, my horse will always be braided. Sometimes I leave them in all day because I like how they look, but if I’m having an off day in the braiding department, I might take them out before jumping.
I think at the lower levels it doesn’t really matter, as long as your horse is clean and tidy.
I never braid at the unrecognized level. But I certainly see a lot of people that do, and I always think to myself, “good for them!”
Also, as a former broke college student, I always appreciated the folks that would pay me to braid and/or prep their horses for them (asterix was one of them!). It helped pay for the expensive horse habit!
Yep, paying the youngsters for braiding was my most reasonable solution, but now I’m kind of broke and have totally gone over to the dark side…roaching is fun and easy and suits my pony to a T
