[GeorgieGirl]

Hey Lil!
I know you have already been to the show, but for future reference, and to anyone else that was still curious, for braiding it is customary to use the yarn technique, using bands to do the braids is "gauche" LOL Myself, being "gauche" use the bands because it is ******** easier, and I have never had someone come up to me and point a finger yelling, "She used bands! She used bands!" As for the number of braids, that is going to be a kind of trial and error thing. Having been a professional braider for almost ten years, I can "eyeball" the horse and pretty much tell how many will look best. For hunters, unless the horse has a really LOOOOONG neck, the more braids the better. Thats the unwritten rule, the longer the neck the fewer the braids, she shorter the neck, the more braids you want to elongate it. For the very big Hunter shows I did yarn, but for all the run of the mill B and below shows I did band braids. Now I do jumpers and eventing so I don't have to do much braiding on my own horses anymore.