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Plaiting Tips
Lynn Russell has over 20 years experience at the top of her profession and has numerous high profile winnings and titles under her belt, so whether you plan to dabble in dressage, show off in show-jumping, look the picture of perfection on the hunting field or want to cut out and keep this series ready for showing seasons of the future – this is where we show you how to get that professional know-how!!
Here are Lynn’s top tips for achieving perfect plaits:
- Try not to wash your horse’s mane the day before, as this can make it more difficult to plait, however because I have owned a lot of dirty horses in my time, I know for some of you this really isn’t possible so I have created a product called Quick Plait for Net-Tex, which helps you get extra grip when things get slippery!!
- To get the best plaits, make sure that your horse’s mane is a reasonable length and thickness – too long and thin or too long and thick will both give you very dodgy plaits. When pulling a mane, keep checking you are going along the same line and don’t get too carried away – you will need some mane left! If your horse’s mane is very thin then use a blade to shorten rather than pulling. It is best to pull the mane after exercise, when it is kinder to the horse as the pores will be more open and easier to remove and also when it is dirty for extra grip.
- Try and pull your horses mane at least a week before and comb it in between – if you pull your horses mane and then try and plait the next day he might well not let you anywhere near it!!!
- Stand back and take a good look at your horse’s neck before you plait. If it’s weak and needs more top line then a good trick is to position the plaits so they sit on top of the neck rather then flat to the neck to give the illusion of more top line. If your horse has a cresty neck, you would aim to get the plaits to sit into the neck, below the top line, thus not adding to the bulk. In dressage where the appearance of your horse’s neck is often judged as part of his overall frame – playing around with the number of plaits eg: adding a few extra plaits, can often help a horse that is ‘short in neck’ but experiment at home first.
- I spray Quick Plait on before I start, comb through and then using a large comb, I separate the hair that I want to plait from the rest of the mane and start plaiting. A good idea for those who end up with uneven plaits is to divide up the mane starting at the top and secure the bunches with elastic bands, then work your way down plaiting. Once plaited and the ends secured with elastic bands or if you are really professional with thread - the next stage is to sew the plaits. Double the plait back under itself and push the needle from underneath through the top of the plait and down the middle of the plait to the bottom, then push the needle back into very top of the plait and gently pull the needle through. The plait will start to curl up and guiding with your finger and thumb you can position the plait to where it needs to sit on the horse’s neck. Always stitch front to back – never around the plait – you don’t want to see the thread.
- Practice really does make perfect, so have a few trial runs so that you are not all finger and thumbs when it comes to plaiting him or her up on competition day. This is also a good tip if you have a horse that anticipates because you only ever plait him up on the day of a show – this will help you make it one of those ‘everyday’ events and also make it less exciting when you need him to stand still!
- Finally, always use a cotton un-picker to undo plaits, when you have finished. If you use scissors, you may accidentally stab him if he moves suddenly or cut a chunk of mane off by mistake and remember if you are placed 1st or 2nd, check before you un plait – you might have got through to a championship and will be expected to participate plaited, so its worth checking with the show organizers and schedule!
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Always use a cotton picker to remove plaits |
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