Do you braid for a one day?

[LadyB]

@beowulf

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.

Ah yes, I forget in the US that many events run DR/XC/SJ and not DR/SJ/XC so I can see the issue there for sure.

In that case, I would 100% leave braids in for all three phases if cross country ran 2nd. In Ontario all of our One Days (which is every event) xc always runs last, so that’s why I take my braids out.

As for braiding takes forever, I braid the night before so I don’t see the issue there. My friend who can’t braid the night before just gets up early (which sucks) but it’s what we sign up for knowing when we enter events.

Maybe scheduling isn’t as good in the US in some states. In Ontario I find the scheduling to be great.

[Highflyer]

Most of ours run d/ sj/ xc, but you go directly from sj to xc so there’s zero time to unbraid.

[Saskatoonian]

I admit that I find braiding really relaxing, and my horses pick up on it and have a nice snooze while I do it (with occasional conversations about the forelock), so I do it. If it’s a one day, I use rubber bands and have them out before I’ve walked back to trailer or stall (breeches and jacket pockets are full of rubber bands!). I hate jumping with braids on a horse with any bit of green in him, but do love the pictures of my T and P horses jumping XC with braids. Makes me feel all cocky!

Second Beowulf’s suggestion for avoiding the permed look (which I can’t stand) with one caveat: if I don’t take them out while I’m riding, I wet them well before unbraiding. Works like a charm, and if I’m lucky, the Mohawk look is back before I leave the start box.

[runNjump86]

@mountainhorse

Yes, braid. Practice it consistently until you can get it done correctly (the right tightness) and quickly. Don’t leave it until the show to get it done-try braiding every time you ride until you get it down.

Yeah I don’t have time for that. :lol: I’m not getting up at 4am three days a week before work to practice braiding.

I stood out at my last show last fall because I was the only one who took advantage of the “if a multiple day event is condensed to one day, coats are not required” rule, so standing out is nothing new to me. I like to keep my horse’s mane pretty short and I’ve actually let it grow out a bit to make it easier to braid. I think a spa day is in order…shorten and thin it up and see if it goes back to a mohawk.

[devvie_continued]

My compromise (don’t love braiding) is giant button braids. Tidy AND quick.

[billiebob]

@mkevent

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.

Honestly I hate it when shows discourage braiding because that’s the one area where I know I won’t look like a hot mess! At my last show I felt like I needed a sign saying “hi my name is billiebob and my horse is doing some interesting interpretive dance moves right in front of the judge but damn his braids look good.”

I’m a good braider, though, and it’s my favorite part of show prep, so YMMV.

[MKV]

I braid for recognized 1 day events because a) I think it looks nice, and b) I think my trainer would murder me if I showed up without braids. I’m only riding at BN so my ride times are usually late morning so I have time to braid and walk my XC course.

[flyingchange]

I haven’t evented in a while but when I did, I usually braided unless the choice was braid or take a chance on being late. It really doesn’t take long and for me it was just part of it - I liked my horses to look like they were, well, at a show. But if for some reason I couldn’t do it, I tried not to let it bug me too much. It’s a personal thing really. I don’t think the dressage judges care one way or the other (ask Asterix - who, IIRC, tends to win or be in the top three or so in dressage and never braids).

[asterix]

Hahaha, fc. I definitely do NOT see a difference in my scores from braiding v not. Entirely traceable to my riding.
I will say that I was once taken to task by a certain Very BNT judge…she was judging our HT I assume as a favor to the organizer (my coach, who used to hate it when I didn’t braid…now everyone has decided the Mohawk suits my bad a** overgrown pony)…I was going BN and had a short neat but unbraided mane (pre Mohawk…)…as I was trotting around the outside of the ring she asked me why I wasn’t braided. I told her it was all hands on deck to get ready for the HT, no extra time, and she said “fair enough”. Of course I was totally freaked out and convinced she’d score me harshly. Test was very underwhelming as it was my young horse’s first time showing at home (WAY more distracting than showing somewhere else!)…my scores were more than fair, which is to say quite mediocre, but fair.

having scribed a fair bit, I will say a well prepared, well ridden test from a neat and tidy pair pleases the judge a lot more than a poorly done test from a pair that is beautifully turned out. I guarantee you that most would swap nice braids for a rider who can properly sit the trot any day.

it does look attractive, but let’s just say it is the least important part of the competition, and I have been thrilled to let it go entirely.

[mkevent]

I totally agree with Asterix. I do think that braids look attractive and I can braid decently and it doesn’t take me too long, but I also won’t go xc in braids even though I also have a neck strap. If my pea sized brain can remember to either grab mane or the neck strap, it is a miracle-so I want to have both options available.

Maybe my issue is that I don’t braid well with rubber bands, so I use yarn. The extra steps to get them out after dressage is sort of a pain, and I also hate the look of the wavy mane xc so I also then have to wet the mane after and comb it out.

For a multiple day show or if just dressage and stadium are run on the same day, I am all for braiding. I just think with the time constraints when you are doing everything on one day, including shipping your horse to and from the event, all the prep up to the event and doing everything in one day-sometimes including the course walk, braiding seems to me like a step that could be omitted. If braiding were discouraged, the dressage judge would know that the rider is not showing a sign of disrespect by not braiding. I also think that if braiding were discouraged, those that did opt to braid would not be penalized. If you have the time and energy to braid, I say go for it!
Maybe because I’m older (57), I try to conserve my energy wherever I can.

[Duckz]

I have braided for every recognized one day except one. It was last July and I needed one final completion at novice to get Lincoln qualified for the AECs. It was balls hot, very early morning, and literally my only goal was to get around xc clean for that qualifying score. So I didn’t braid. Linc won the dressage on his best score to date and the judge gave us a thumbs up after the salute.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t braid, but at the end of the day there’s no rule that you have to do it. For $200+ for an entry I personally feel that it’s worth the extra effort… 99% of the time

[CatchMeIfUCan]

I was once harshly scolded by a dressage judge for showing up to a test for a recognized one day at Novice in a black zip up jacket, tan breeches, and an unbraided but nicely pulled mane. I was grooming 8 horses and barely had time to even ride the test. It definitely affected my score because she spoke with me before I went in for my test which hurt my confidence, and I thought it was definitely a few points high for how the horse felt. I told the organizer who spoke with the judge about the rulebook.

I can put in 8-10 fat button braids in 15 minutes sewing so I usually always braid and sometimes throw them in before show jumping too if the horse is placed well. You don’t have to do the entire mane every time you practice. Just one braid in different locations every couple of days to get used to the motions. Takes 3 minutes.

I am a great braider, but my personal horse is roached. I have gotten many positive comments on it from both judges and fellow competitors. A lot of people don’t even realized he isn’t braided until I tell them.

[andhourspass]

A bit late to this thread but I’d love to see pics of some of your horses who have roached manes!