Don’t blame Canada for having any influence on fox-hunting in the US - too few, too far apart, and too much bad weather. We do sometimes enjoy a shared stirrup-cup, or two, with our friends from below the border though. (my belief is that you can’t fly on one wing!). Back east it is more traditional, but here in the west, heck, cowboys are welcome.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;2774862]
Don’t blame Canada for having any influence on fox-hunting in the US - too few, too far apart, and too much bad weather. We do sometimes enjoy a shared stirrup-cup, or two, with our friends from below the border though. (my belief is that you can’t fly on one wing!). Back east it is more traditional, but here in the west, heck, cowboys are welcome.[/QUOTE]
Hey, Foxtrot’s, how far west are you? About half our personal good buddy Irish horse folk are just north of the Border, and our stud is dual registered - matter of fact, inspected and approved in Canada! It is NICE to have two wings 
I grabbed one of my old books (The Year Book of Show Horses - 1936) and looked up the Hunter horses (when REAL foxhunting horses were shown in the Hunter classes). Lo and behold – the boys were sporting 7 braids (on the right)!! (Knew they were guys because the write-ups said “he”). The riders were in classic hunt 1930’s hunt attire (top hats and bowlers), flat tack, and the hunt jumps were big and sturdy!
I also saw one photograph of a Hackney pony mare – with 8 braids. (Guess her owner was a foxhunter! :lol:)
I was also amazed at the number of horses that had roached manes back then!
We have opening meet next Sunday… and my endurance pony (being pressed into service as my 2nd foxhunter) is going to be sporting the traditional 7 braids for a boy. 
[QUOTE=Seven;2772051]
While it may be just an American thing, it still may be traditional to us. America’s been around for just a bit now and doing our own thing, so it’s okay if we have some traditions too. Especially considering how not everyone from here arrived from one place and might have added some different ideas into the mix.[/QUOTE]
Amen!
Especially considering how American fox hunting evolved for the territory and, ahem, OUR traditions still permit us to hunt.
I will have to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are just misinformed.
http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/hunting-campaigns/hunting-views/hunting-continues-to-grow/
It would be interesting if you could relate how your hunting has evolved.
[QUOTE=Hilary;2772264]
I do miss the mane to grab when she takes a big fence, [/QUOTE]
You put in only 8 or 9 sturdy plaits and each will be of a size to be quite the handle. Grab one!
I got Daphne Moore’s Famous Foxhunters off the shelf and it shows the 10th Duke of Beaufort, who ought to know, at his 70th Birthday Meet (1970) on a horse with either 6 or 7 plaits, plus forelock.
Also shown with definitely less than 9: Capt. Ronnie Wallace (1952), Lt.-Col. SIr Peter Farquhar, Mr. W.W. Brainard, Jr. (Old Dominion).
Shown with no plaits at all (so use these as your precedent when the fashion police criticize you):
Sir Edward Curre (1921), Major W.W.B. Scott (1921, Old Berks), and a different photo of Capt. R.E. Wallace from 1964.
Your aching fingers will thank me.
so then… how many braids for stallions???
