Horse Show - Getting Perfect Plaits

Plaiting your horse’s hair for a horse riding show can make your horse look neat and stand out from the crowd. If you are competing in showing classes you must check what is correct for your horse or pony’s breed, native ponies and Arabs should be shown unplaited.

Conventional plaits are set in a row along the horse’s neck and another is made from the forelock. Too many plaits look fussy so you should never have more than 11. If you want to keep your horse’s plaits secure then you will need to stitch them.

Plaiting for a Horse Show – Forelock Plait

• Divide the mane into equal parts, dampen them and secure each section with a rubber band.
• Divide an individual section into three equal parts and plait down keeping the braid tight and neat.
• You should plait down the sections as far as you can and secure the end with a needle and thread.
• Turn over the ends you couldn’t plait and wrap the thread round so you do not have loose hairs sticking out from the base.
• Push the needle through the underside of the plait and fold it under so that the plat is half the size and secure with a couple of stitches.
• Continue along the neck until you have plaited and secured all of the sections and you will have made a forelock plait for horse show.

Plaiting a Horse Tail for a Horse Show

• Start as close to the top of the tail as you can get and take a few hairs from the underneath of each side.
• Cross these sections over and take a third section of hair just underneath the first.
• Plait down the tail taking a few hairs from each side as you pass the sides over the centre section of hair.
• Keep your plaiting tight and only take a few hairs from each side to keep this neat.
• Wait until your plait reaches two thirds of the way down the dock and then stop taking hair in from the sides and carry on braiding until you reach the end of the plait.
• Fasten the ends with a needle and thread, double up and secure the end.