[Solly Jumper]

Well, I know HOW to braid but it looks more difficult on a horse. Can anyone give me the lowdown of braiding a horses mane?

(I wasn't sure if I had to post it here or on horse grooming).

[Chester]

Here is a couple of sites for you.

http://users.pandora.be/vandenberghe.jef/plait.html

http://www.eques.com.au/howto/tails/tails.htm

http://www.newrider.com/Library/Hors...ting_mane.html

Hope they help

[*lauren & jp*]

i love braiding manes...it's my new love! HAHA! i just learned about 2 or 3 weeks ago but my trainer told me i do a pretty awesome job and i might get to braid for them and other people at the big shows this fall!
anyways-i found that it was MUCH easier than it looks...i really don't know how to explain it though. The links that chester posted might help but the one about mane braiding just seemed confusing to mean. It had the same basic principal as the way i learned but it did several things differently and just made it seem more complicated...
anyways-i'll try my best to explain what i do and if you don't understand it i'll try to get some pics of it all....
anyhow-i start by (obviously) brushing out the mane
then i seperate my first piece and clip the rest of the mane to the side with a hair clip.
then i spray my first piece down to dampen it, separate it and braid it-when i get about a third to half way down the braid i take a piece of yarn (about 10"-12" long) and fold it in half. I place one half of the yarn on one piece of hair and the other half on the piece next to it (and the third piece should just be hair-no yarn) then i continue braiding, braiding the yarn into the braid.
when i get to the end of the braid, i wrap the yarn around and pull it through to make a knot (like the one on the mane braiding link)
then i take a latch hook and stick it down through the top of the braid. i catch the extra yarn in the latch hook and pull JUST the yarn up through the space where i had the latch hook. (the braid should now be looped) then you take the two pieces of yarn like you're going to tie a knot but "wrap" the yarn 3 times before pulling it tight and then pull the looped braid through the yarn loop and pull the yarn tight (you want the knot to be on the underside of the braid loop)
then take the yarn again and make another "3 wrap" knot (i think they're called surgeon's knots) but this time the knot should be on top of the braid. as you pull the knot tight, push the braid (the top of the loop) up a little so your knot ties about 3/4-1/2 the way up-you should know have a little "ball" with the rest of the braid looped under it (sorry that's the best way i can explain that...not very good....sorry!!)
then make one more surgeons knot-this time, on the underside again.
trim the excess yarn and there you have your braid!
just continue that down the whole mane!

**make sure each section of hair you take to make your braids is the same size so you get the same size braids. also, make sure that your braids are tight and your knots are tight to make a nice, clean, tight, finished braid!
-and, a bright colored yarn that stands out in your horses mane works REALLY well for practicing so you can see the yarn and see what you're doing better until you get the hang of it (my boys mane is black so i got bright blue yarn!! it was super easy to see and it looked really cool when i was done!!)
*o-and, the braids can easily be removed with a seam ripper-just lift the braid up and catch the seam ripper on the yarn on the underside-when all the yarn's been cut the finished braid will fall and then you just undo the long braid and get all the yarn out!
(also-before you take the braids out, sponge or spray them down with water-the hair will fall much easier and won't be all frizzy and "everywhere"!!)

good luck and i hope i helped!!! sorry if it's confusing...i tried, but it's hard to explain! but if you don't understand something just ask and i'll try and explain it better!!

[painthorses711]

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com...840-post3.html

Thats for like Hunter Braids.