Thinking about Braiding

I've never braided a horses mane before, the one time I was in a horse show way back when I was 12 (I think I was 12) the horses I rode already had the simple hunter type braiding done.  Hunter braids are probably the most common braids seen in the show ring but require a shorter mane from my understanding.  Not something I would ever want since I love a long flowing mane but the braids do look sharp.

I have seen some horses with braids that haven't been "balled up" and sewn like the ones above.  I don't know if there is a technical term but they are simple to do with any length mane to keep the mane tidy and from getting into knots I guess.  I think a lot of endurance riders use this so they don't have to fuss with the mane on a long ride.  Of course anytime a horse has a braid in they need to be tended to regularly or else the mane can turn into a big knot or the horse could inadvertently rip out a big section of mane while they are itching on a fence post.

With Arabians, Andalusians, Lusitanos or other horses kept with a long mane and tail, the most common approach is the running braid.  I think it can look quite elegant but seems a bit tricky to do, kind of like the French braid for women's hairstyles.  I doubt I would use it for a trail/endurance horse but to maintain a long mane and keep it nice for the dressage show ring this would be a nice style to perfect.

My all time favorite style of braiding, though it's not a braid at all is the diamond pattern.  The first picture shows how to do this, it looks pretty simple, just time consuming but the end result is absolutely stunning!

Sometimes though, horse hairstyles can go a little far!  Check out this guy below.  Wow!

So that's my little post for today, talking about braiding.  I'm not really interested in showing but love seeing the fancy things people do with horses manes and tails....I mean, didn't we all have My Little Ponies as little girls and practiced braiding way back when?  Still the most striking beauty is a horse with a free flowing mane and tail that floats in the wind.





Sigh.