Many equestrians love growing a long, luxurious mane on their horses. In fact, for some breeds, such as Morgans, Arabians, and Friesians, it is part of their breed standard. However, when competing in hunt seat pleasure and equitation classes, proper turnout dictates that the mane should be braided tightly against the horse’s neck. In this blog post, we outline how to French braid long manes for the show ring.
Braiding Supplies
Before you begin the running braid process, you will need to collect your tools and equipment. To braid your horse’s mane, you will need:
- Step stool or a grooming tote that you can stand on
- Mane brush
- Mane comb
- Hair clip
- Mane spray (such as Quic Braid or Mane ‘N Tail Spray N Braid)
- A small bucket of water
- Sponge
- Rubber elastic bands (Healthy HairCare Super Bands are popular)
For running braid purposes, many equestrians tend to utilize rubber bands that match the color of their horses’ manes.
How to Running Braid a Long Mane
After you have accumulated all of your supplies, it is time to get started. Running braids are popular because they do not take much time. In fact, once you are a proficient braider you will most likely be able to braid a mane in this style within 10 minutes. For this reason, many equestrians choose to put running braids in just before their classes and take them out if their next class is in another session. For practice, consider braiding your horse for schooling purposes (it will also help to keep your horse’s neck cool on hot, muggy summer days). Please note, these directions are all assuming that your horse’s mane is on the left side of their neck; if not, please reverse all instructions.
- Begin by preparing your horse’s mane. Make sure that the mane is clean and free from tangles. Use silicone-free detangling products in order to avoid making the hair slippery which makes it difficult to braid. It is essential that the mane is extremely clean because dirty hair is often sticky; additionally, we recommend that you wash the mane (particularly at the roots), because braiding the mane will make dandruff and dirt much more noticeable.
- After preparing the mane, use your sponge and bucket of water to uniformly dampen the mane (this will help prevent flyaways). Then spray your mane spray along your horse’s crest, use your mane brush to brush the spray through the mane and perform one last check for tangles.
- Take your comb and, starting directly behind the bridle path, section off three equal pieces of mane, all about a ½ inch in diameter along the crest (small distinct sections will help keep the braid snug and neat).
- Begin by crossing the right section over the middle section and then the left section over the middle section (just as you would a typical braid), keeping your thumb over the cross of the braid at all times to maintain tension and tightness.
- Then, cross the right section over the middle section again. Before crossing the left section over the middle section, use your comb to section off an additional ½ inch portion of mane (directly next to the left-most section) and add to the left section of the braid. Then, cross the left section over the middle.
- Keep the braid tight against your horse’s crest as you add in sections by keeping your hands against the top of the neck and only adding in small sections.
- Work your way down the horse’s neck, adding in more hair every time you perform a twist with the left-most section. Keep the braid snug against the crest in order to keep the braid from going askew when your horse is in motion.
- Once you have reached the end of your horse’s crest, most likely near the withers, continue braiding the remaining hair in a traditional braid until you have reached the bottom of the hair.
- Secure the braid with an elastic band.
- Then fold the braid up under itself in half and secure the buttoned-up braid with another elastic band. This can be done several times to shorten the tail of the braid and make for a neat appearance.
- Step down off your step stool and admire your handiwork!
For additional instructions on how to running braid your horse’s mane, we recommend watching this short tutorial:
If your horse has a long mane, utilizing a running braid in the show ring may be the perfect alternative to needing to pull their mane. A tight running braid along the crest of the neck will accentuate your horse’s shapely neck and allow the judge to focus on your show ring performance. If you have any questions regarding running braids or would like assistance putting your braiding kit together, we encourage you to speak to a member of our friendly and highly-trained sales staff.
This type of braid pulls out really quickly the minute the horse stretches its neck, so to make it look neat, you’ll have to re-do it over and over at the show, as time (and a horse that stands) allows. The alternative is to use a VERY long piece of yarn, and use it as you would on regular braids, weaving it right from the beginning of the process throughout the braid (1/2 piece of yarn to 1 piece of the braid, the other 1/2 to another piece of the braid). When you get to the bottom of the braid near the withers, use the yarn to pull the braid up and secure it, again as you would do on regular braids.