[QHGirl]

OK - I may be a stickler about some old fashon trends but we prob should make this clear to all those who are new into showing or wanting tips.

Each event has their own look to the way that the breed should be represented. If you don't want to follow this, that is fine, for those that want more information this is the best place to post and ask questions. We all will try to help!

Tails for Western Pleasure & Horsemanship/ Halter/ Showmanship/ English Pleasure & Equitation:
Stock type horses should have a long and thick tail. If you do not have a long and thick tail, there are some ways to go about doing things to make it look fuller. You can add tail extension in, but would only recommend if you are doing circuit shows or have someone to help you put it in. Those that don't have fake tails, here are some pointers.
If you have a long tail that isn't touching the ground but a few inches off you can blunt end cut them all one length about 4 or 5 inches off the ground, so that way it looks fuller. Those that have straggles draggign the ground, I would suggest to cutting it one length either a few inches off the ground or even with the ground. To do a blunt end cut, take all the clean hair that is straight and tangle free. (I recommend Cowboy magic)brush it all out and from the bottom, be very careful because you will have to crouch down by the back legs. Brush it all stright down taking it in your hand slighly pulling on the tail to make sure all the hair is tight and even. Grasp it fairly hard because you don't want to make it uneven. Close to the ground take and Cut it straight across. If it is just a few hairs that is OK too. Make sure it looks good, brush it out again, making sure it is even. Don't get tooo cut happy and keep shortening it.

For those horses with shorter tails, I personally like the natural look. If you want to trim off some strands to make it look close to the same length that is fine also. Use your judgement on that by checking with pictures that you see on interenet of horses and in magazines. Make sure when you see tails that you like, they are similar to your riding discipline because some other type of disciplines do things differently.

For a show you can do a few things, little tiny braids to make it look full and thick, using hairspray to hold the "fluff". I personally like the straight look becuase I don't like the way the top is straight and the bottom is curly. I also like the way a straight tail looks on a QH or paint or appy or whatever b u t t! If you do little braids don't forget to do some of the top to make it curly too! Sometimes braiding can make the tail look smaller if the hair is thin! Experiment at home to see what the best look for your horse is.

Mane for Western Pleasure & Horsemanship/ Halter/ Showmanship:
When I show in these classes I make sure my horses mane is pulled anywere from 3-5 inches depending on the show. Some I have seen 2 inches. I depends. For starting out, I would work you way up. I would start out longer and pull to desired length. Experiment this winter before show season if you do get it too short, you can always have it grow out. Pulling a horses mane is not that difficult, there are just a lot of different ways to do it. Some cut, some pull some do other things. I do it different and don't want to inform you of my bad habbits so if I were you, I would read some of the other posts, have someone around you help you or even look at tack stores they have a new comb out that will help you with pulling manes. Someone there prob can help you also. When you get it the desired length for showing I would recommend banding. You don't have to but it make the horse look finished. The neat and tidy look the bands give will also give you horse a smoother appearance. If the mane is flopping around it will look more like the horse is rough compared to it staying in one spot with the bands. The have some band helpers at tack stores, I have one and used it at first, but now I just take little rubber bands (from the tack store) making sure they match for my horse. Black mane = black bands, white bands= white/grey horse, red bands - sorrel horse. NOW they do put white bands in sorrel horses. Not sure why but that is the only one I know that doesn't match sometimes. (anyone know why?) So what I do is take and seperate, starting from the top of the neck (ears=top) I seperate small sections and rap the rubber band around the hair. (rubber band maybe should be wrapped 3 or so times around, not too tight but not too loose) I make sure I do not do it like a spike, I pull straight out and put the rubber band in. I also use some Hair gel to get a good grip and hold. Then I take the rubberbanded hair and like you do with your hair sometimes to tighten it, seperate two sections and pull the opposite way. This will tighten it, but when you do pull, make sure you pull in the down (toward hooves) to make it lay down easier. Do this all the way down the mane until you get to the end. Leave some at the end that the saddle and blanket won't rub, you do not need to do every last bit of hair, it won't work anyways. When you get really good at this, it will become easier and take you less time than the first few times. Lots of people also make some extra money doing this if they get good at it so it might work out in your favor sooner or later to learn it.

Mane's and Tails For English pleasure and Equitation: If you show all around (english/western/showmanship, etc..) you can do a few options. I personally do the bands when I show both english and western at open shows, just becuase I do more western stuff than english. The judge never counts me down for it. I do not braid my horses tail either for english. I leave it go natural. If you do braid your horses tail for english I think you have to braid their mane too. If you braid the mane you don't have to braid the tail. Make sure you know the rules before you go braiding. Maybe someone on the forum can inform us more on that. It has been a while. I just band his mane and make sure his tail is nice and neat.
For those JUST doing english, I would recommend to braid. I do not braid, I can do it, but it is hard to explain for me.
**PLEASE someone who braids stock type horses please inform our forum members how to do this in a post below.**

I hope I covered everything, it is a very hard topic to type but I feel that with all the posts out there, someone needs to start breaking these down for everyone. If someone wants to post an arab or saddle type that would be great information for everyone.

I am sure many will have different opinions and please feel free to input the way you do things because I am trying to get ALL ideas out there. Mine might not be the easiest but they are the way I do them, because I was taught just like you guys. Any other ideas are welcome!!!!

[belle4]

What QHgirl does is exactly what I do for my horses. My girls show for the all around high point, therefor, they are in both english and western classes. We band just like QH gril explained. We have 2 bay horses and sometimes we put the white bands in the black mane. You have to be really good at banding when using white bands. The white bands will make you horse stand out and really show off a horse with a good looking neck. If your horse has a not so good looking neck, or you are a novice at banding, don't draw attention to it by using white bands. Stick to a color that matches the mane.

Quick braid or hair gel helps with getting a grip on the mane. I don't use shampoo on the mane if I plan on banding. Also, a dry mane will hold better. If the mane is wet to start with or gets wet, the bands will pop open or stick up. Start with cutting or pulling the mane, band, and then trim with scissors to straighten again. Cut on the underside on the mane to eliminate some of the bulk. Then, starting at the top, even the whole thing up again. Stand back to see if it is even. Have good light and sharp scissors. Put a final coat of gel on and keep everything in place with a slinky.

We also use a fake tail for the bigger open shows. It creates a totally balanced picture if installed correctly. Take a look around. If all of your competors have fake tails, your horse will stand out with the short tail. It will appear as if he is unkept or you don't care enough to have a long tail. It just makes the total picture. Now obviously I know that you care, it's just trying to achieve the complete look, the total picture.

In any horse magazine, all the stock type horses are shown with a straight tail. If you braid the tail after a bath to keep it clean the night before and take it out the morning of the show, it will look wavey. Stock horses are not shown with a curly or wavey tail. You can wash and blow dry the tail and add some hair gel,for a straight full look.

[spyro1]

You guys rock on woot! It is acceptable to band your horses mane at an open show for english classes, however, if you band the mane, leave the tail down, if you braid the mane, you can braid the tail or leave it go....

[tn walker]

Great idea to post this QHGirl! applaud Lots of people have been asking lately woot!

[Blue Ribbon]

I've been a professional braider for 16 years and I recommend the "Lucky Braids" video. A client of mine bought it and we watched it together. It's pretty good. Just don't buy the tool. It's a TOTAL rip off! There's no way to read how to braid a horse, you have to see it. The video is expensive, but if there's no one to teach you in person, it's the best way to do it. The hunter style "yarn braids" done in the video will work anywhere. I stay in business because "hunter braids" are pretty difficult to do and take allot of practice. For dressage shows you could do the big rubber band braids that are frightfully easy and anyone can do, but they're tacky anywhere else. The dressage people actually like them because they make the neck look crestier. A banded (at an open show) or natural mane is better than a badly braided one.

If you don't braid the mane, don't braid the tail. Also don't braid the tail if your horse has a less than ideal hind quarter or of they have an active tail. Don't braid the tail if it doesn't look nice that way (too short or too thin) or if the hair is too fragile and you're going to many shows. ALWAYS braid to the end of the dock or at least an inch away, no matter how long or thin the dock. If you don't, it'll be obvious when the horse moves the tail. Tails are actually easier than manes, but require strong hands. You have to take 2 pieces from one side & one from the other. Always be sure to take from underneath. As you work down the tail, you'll have to drop hairs to keep the center braid even. Sometimes you'll find that your braid is lower than the next spot you take hair from, so you have to take hair from just inside where you would normally get your hair from... <sigh>... this is where it gets confusing and can't be explained, so I give up. Unfortunately, there isn't a tail video yet.

I LOVE braiding even after all these years, but I don't braid a "circuit" & just do monthly local shows. No burn out that way. Anyway, it's like knitting or crocheting for me, but better, because there's a horse involved! Plus, if you can learn to do it, it's good money and can help support your show habit. I started braiding at 13 and was doing it professionally by 15 (I was also pulling, trimming & show grooming). My mother appreciated it and it helped ease her fears about me making it in the industry while my grades were failing...LOL. I also went to dog grooming school and do both now. Most of the dogs I groom are barn dogs. wink It's great extra income!