Huh, I’ll have to give that a try. I was only adding at the top.
It was dirty and sticky, but I could tell it was going to come apart in the middle, when I got to the ends of the starting strands.
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I do my old gelding’s mane (which is to his knees) like this, to keep it up and out of his way. It will stay in for days – would need re-doing if going to a lesson, for instance, but looks fine for around barn.
To make it last, and be comfortable for my horse, I don’t start the braid tightly to the crest, instead, the first cross of hair strands is a few inches away, but it’s a tight cross. All along the way, I make sure each cross is snug, but I’m not pulling much on the roots of the hairs (if that makes sense).
I normally pick it out with my fingers after several days, finger comb it, then spray Showsheen or the Vetrolin product on it, and re-braid. Holds well with my gelding’s extremely thick, not fine (but not super coarse) mane hair.
ETA Somehow, this posted before I was finished.
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I do my French braid on my mare in 2-3 sections. Her mane is thin and short near the poll, thicker and long in the middle back to short and thin at the bottom. If the purpose is just to get it out of the way, just braid about 6-8 inches…band off that section and do another. I even showed my horse that way (in 2 French braid sections) and nobody even mentioned it.
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The other thing I do, for a just getting the mane out of the way running braid, is to use thick sections – maybe 1.5 inches wide (and the depth of his very thick mane, so a decent hunk of hair); measured by eye. Makes it go faster and, IMO, may also lessen the tension on his crest. I believe that tension there is the enemy of a long-lasting running braid.
If I had to do this with narrower strands (say half-inch), I’d be there all day. As it is, I can knock one of these out quickly.
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I just did his mane, took 12 times of grabbing the extra to add to the plait, goes very fast when not trying to do small sections. He was eating hay from a bag the entire time, lol.
This is an 800# horse not so different in size than Grundy.
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Even the braid in the picture took me maybe 10 minutes. I’ll try the bigger chunks, see if it holds better!
His mane hadn’t been washed with shampoo for a couple of weeks, although he’s still being hosed off on the really hot days and it gets wet then. So, a dry somewhat dirty mane (he loves to roll), very lightly sprayed with the Vetrolin product (nearer at hand than the Show Sheen).
Big chunks, not tight/close to the crest, but with each plait itself snug as one can make it, grab n go, fly right down the mane. Good luck!
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Having taught myself the running braid for an Arab pony, braid closer to the crest all the way down. It’s what worked for us
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I know this thread is about the Great Grundy, but that barn is beautiful. As in too nice to poop in!!
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Aww thank you! It is a labor of love, and was a year straight of hell. 
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I finally found the pictures of the quilt in it’s original location. I think it looks better in the barn, it looked small on the shed.
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I LOVE that! Do you mind if I save the image to try to create a fabric version?
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I think Grundy is enjoying the princess treatment. Under “tack” she looks a lot like a pony a new kid at the barn is riding. He’s not real hunter fancy, but looks like a really fun all arounder we would have all loved to have as kids.
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That’s what I’m hoping she can be - the one you can take anywhere and try anything. You may not win, but you’ll be safe and have fun.
I’ve been missing the “fun” part of riding ever since I lost Confession. She was game to try anything, we clicked so well, she’d go through hell and back for me. She had a plethora of personality traits that were not so pleasant, but the good most certainly outweighed the bad (plus, I was stuck with her due to her cancer - she was mine and I was hers, for better or worse, ha!)
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Not at all. Be my guest.
Yay. I have a friend who would love it and I may try to make it for her for Christmas. Just possibly smaller…
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Please share photos of your masterpiece when you are done with it.
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I can see why you would’ve preferred something larger in that space, but the flowers sure did set it off nicely!
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That was a volunteer sunflower that I couldn’t bear to pull based on where it chose to grow!
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