It boggles my mind that there is a job for braiders.
In our ponyclub we were supposed to do it ourselves, not even with our parents help.
We all were quite proficient by the end.
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I suspect you donāt customarily put in the ridiculous numner of tiny identical little braids, though.
(Not arguing that it doesnāt look spiffy, but it is a somewhat over the top affectation compared to the original.)
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Later when I was going for my Instructorās and working as a trail guide rider, we went to a dressage Day. I was slower at braiding than the other girls, but I did it.
We took video. Az and I came down the centre line and turned at C and the girls next to me gasped. All in unison. What? I couldnāt see that I had done anything wrong. We hadnāt tripped or anything.
They gasped at the perfect braids. They were there in person, they didnāt say anything when I was riding.
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Suzie,
Lots of people braid, groom, clip, etc. for themselves and lots of people donāt. So thereās a market for performing this service for people who donāt. Just like a service for people who donāt want to do their own grocery shopping or pick up their own takeout or change their own oil or any number of tasks.
There are shortcuts everyone takes in their lives, I donāt look down or care if other people want to pay someone or pay a premium for something I can do myself. Different strokes.
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Kate over in a Maryland Horse Network FB arguing over her magical alfalfa from AZ lol
https://www.facebook.com/groups/578301165572563/permalink/7257686980967248/?mibextid=W9rl1R
ETA: The usual arguing, letās see if this image uploads. Wouldnāt work for me earlier in the week.
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I canāt see it. It wants me to be a member.
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That group is private.
Did you breed her back to stallions who were so prepotent that they overcame her flaws? Unlikely.
Why not start with beautifully-conformed mares, ideally with their own or progeny performance records? Start with a higher probability of a lovely foal?
@Kasheare also answer actual questions instead of deflecting. Do you have pictures of mares that look well cared for RIGHT NOW just prior to foaling time? Have you checked on them recently? Or are you again trusting lowly-paid employees that you are managing remotely?
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When I was showing 3 horses at different levels I didnāt have the time or the energy to braid. Also, there are people who arenāt good at it or are too nervous (although a friend of mine finds that braiding helps her stay calm)
There are a lot of reasons why people hire braiders and why itās big business.
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All I can say is my vet looked at a starving Kate filly and said ādo not feed thatā. She doesnt feed any type of grain for worry of OCD, yet my vet said the amount of protein in that hay could be a top fault.
High end hunter braids now are different from dressage braids, or what any of us used to do. I donāt know many who can do the current version of hunter braids well.
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How exactly my horses are mistreated according to Kate: https://internethorseauctions.com/auction-phip-detail.php?aucid=536&Id=29184&Start=0&closeinc=50
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The woman who refuses her youngstock feed.
I have messed up hands that cramp to the point they are unusable (think of getting a charlie horse in your hand) with excessive repeated use. That is why I use a braider. Also I have friends that braid, why not support their business / side hustle.
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Kate doesnt have a single horse on her boardered farm look this good? Mine all do.
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Unfortunately your perfect dressage braids, whilst lovely, would not be acceptable for the hunter ring. Iāve managed to do decent hunter braids in the past, but if I was paying the equivalent of a few months mortgage to show and flying in from my job to do it, Iād rather someone who really knew what they were doing was doing so instead of getting up at 4 oādark to try to get it done perfectly.
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I can do a Devon-quality tail. I can do really good-looking Dressage braids. I cannot do A quality hunter braids. Mine like to lean a little, and Iām slow enough that I irritate the horse/pony Iām braiding. AA quality hunter braids is a really specialized skill.
11 cuttings of hay in AZ? Is that possible?
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I havenāt braided like that for years. No hunters here. I love long manes and did a running braid for years, dressage showjumping and jumping equitation.
Everyone told me I could not do that.
I do not suffer from peer pressure and never have.
Funny that we still won with the running braid. I also never used black it on their hooves unlike everyone else. I read last week that has now been banned.
I also never cut whiskers or hair out of ears that everyone else did. I see that has been banned in Germany.
I told my hubby when we went to a lesson that my instructor would ask him when are we cutting Simās mane. The answer is never. He was asked in under 5 minutes.
Sim is from there and I know they pull manes. Obviously someone did that to Sim all at once and while he was cold.
Yes people say that it doesnāt hurt. Just ask Sim, he doesnāt even want to be braided now. He remembers.
We can finish this sidebar and go back to the topic of broodmares and foals being starved and now suing anyone she can.
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You can get a short mane without pulling it. I cut my horses mane with scissors and I think the look turns out basically the same. If you do it correctly, cutting the mane doesnāt have to be horrible (despite what I was told for my entire life). I think if I can manage to cut my hair without pain my horse can get their mane cut without pain too.
BTW I donāt āsuffer from peer pressureā. I cut my horses mane because I (as in me alone) like the way it looks. Additionally it is easier to keep clean and i donāt have to constantly brush out a long mane to avoid tangles.
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Yeah Iām wondering about that 11 cuttings. Iām not there so I donāt know but it seems excessive. Iāve heard of 5 cuttings and 3 or 4 is very common.
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