When to clip?

I’ve heard that body clipping in the spring is “too late” because you’re clipping over the newly growing in coat… What do you think? What’s the best body clipping schedule? – Jessica N., Charlotte, VT

For many people the thought of clipping their horse is seen as daunting rather than a fun time! I wouldn’t even be able to count how many horses I have clipped over the years. Although I wouldn’t say I relish the process, I do enjoy taking a scruffy unkempt horse and turning him into a well-groomed eventing athlete.

For me personally, when to clip is more decided upon what the horse’s workload is and the amount of time required to cool out the horse after work. In general let the horse tell you when he needs to be clipped. I know many people do not believe in clipping after the solstice. If your horse is gearing up for the early spring eventing season this would be an impractical rule to follow. Hot horses that cannot get totally cooled and dried quickly are at risk from getting the chills, sore muscles and ultimately can lead to illness.

Obviously every rider’s schedule is different. Generally speaking, if still competing in October, I would hunter clip the horses for the first time. Knowing that they would be on vacation in November this allows for these horses to be taken care of properly whilst in work, but I can then turn them out to pasture blanketed knowing their legs are protected from the elements.

When the horses come back into work, I leave clipping until mid December. Again, let the horses tell you. I have had some that would need clipping monthly from November till March, no matter how well I blanket. Others I can clip in December and not have to touch them again until late February.

Other factors to think about include where you are training, when is your first event, is you horse on 24 turnout, or stabled at night and out by day. For those of you training in the south and starting to compete early, a hunter or body clip would be the norm, done once in January then on an as-needed basis. If you are aiming for a three day in late April/early May, then you might find that you will need to clip in late March/early April. Should you be aiming for a three day in late May or early June, you need to consider how hot these events can get. Again emphasizing cooling out the horses as quickly as possible after XC is paramount to an all important good recovery and fresh horse for the Sunday jog and Stadium Jumping. Getting rid of that extra hair can shorten your horse’s cool out time by 10 minutes. If you’re worried about losing that summer coat sheen, a couple of tips: prewash your horse prior to clipping and then spray them with a coat conditioner product, my personal favorite is Cowboy Magic Super Body Shine. Once clipped bathe again with Head & Shoulders, this human shampoo is great at picking up the grime that clippers leave behind, but is also gentle enough not to dry out the freshly clipped skin and coat.

For those staying north and not competing until later in the spring, I would be inclined to use either a trace or blanket clip when the horse is not easy to cool out, but still needs to spend some time outside. These clips are quick and easy to do and can be touched up on an as-needed basis. Start with a low trace and you can always take more off if you find your horse is sweating in areas you have not yet clipped. Personally I would then full or hunter clip the horse in March, to be ready for the event season.

To summarize I think you should ask yourself the following questions to know if clipping is required:

• What is the workload of my horse?
• Is he dry by the time I leave the barn?
• What is his turnout schedule?
• When is my first competition?
• Does he take a long time to cool out after XC?

Good luck and happy clipping!

“For many horse owners, our bathing facilities are limited to cold running water or a bucket of heated water. Given these conditions, what is the best way to get a horse show-ring clean when the temperatures are still quite chilly? Thanks!” – Tammy P. via Facebook

Coming from England, limited washing facilities is what I grew up with. Getting a horse ready for hunting or an indoor winter jumping show was something that needed to be done on a regular basis.

Obviously when constant hot water and/ or heating lamps aren’t available full body washes are not an option in cold temperatures. Instead, I would begin the show-prep process by fully grooming your horse. Start with your favorite curry, using steady circular motion to bring dust to the surface. Next take a rag and spray witch hazel onto it, then again using a circular motion move over the horse’s body. I like this product because it is great at picking up dirt and dust without drying out the horse’s coat. Next take a body brush and damp rag, whilst brushing your horse, after every other stroke wipe the brush on the damp rag, this helps to clean the brush as you go. Finally, using a wool grooming mitt, add a touch of spray such as Cowboy Magic Super Body Shine. Wipe all over the horse. This final touch should bring out the shine to the coat without leaving any greasy residue.

Now onto washing tails and any white socks. This can be done by bucket washing, using your favorite shampoo for the tail, followed by a good conditioning detangler. There are many products on the market, but my personal choice is Canter Silk Mane & Tail Conditioner. It leaves the tail with a brilliant shine, detangled and the feel lasts for several days.

When washing white socks again you have many choices of color enhancing shampoos, Quic Silver probably the most well known. If you are having trouble getting rid of the yellow you can try the laundry detergent OxiClean color safe brightener. This has bleach alternative so is not too harsh on the skin. I have used it several days in a row and not had problems, however it can be so effective you don’t need to use too often. Once shampoo is rinsed out, towel dry legs well and then spray them down with a coat shine product such as Cowboy Magic Super Body Shine. This helps to repel dust and dirt when dry.

For Grays and paints, as an alternative spot cleaner, I mix Quic Silver with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. This can act as an easy dry spot remover to get rid of any small stains. For those that like to get large dirt patches, you will have to spot clean with buckets of hot water and color enhancing shampoo.

The night before the show, I like to use neck sheets and I will wrap white legs so that less area is left to get dirty!!

The morning of the show, I would repeat the grooming process, final touches would include wiping out the inside of ears and nostrils with a damp rag. I would then apply a small amount of baby oil to the muzzle and eyes to help bring out the shine. I even like to rub a bit of baby oil into my hands and then run over the horses’ legs, and along the crest of a braided mane. Helps to pick up any remaining dust and leaves behind a nice shine. If you are still not happy with your white legs try to dampen the legs and then apply baby powder to the white areas, this can sometimes be enough to hide those troublesome yellowing areas. Finally apply hoof oil and off you go to the ring.

Happy winter showing!!

When teaching grooming clinics, quarter marks are one of the main items I get asked to show people. There are many styles that can be done, depending on your ‘artistic’ skills you can go from the simple diamonds to your favorite motif.

Getting Started
Always start by brushing the hair in its natural direction with either a wet sponge or brush. Sometimes I will use fly spray to dampen the coat as this gives a little bit of extra hold for the pattern. You cannot get the coat too wet, the pattern will show up better.

Stencil It In
If you are starting out you may want to purchase a pre-made quarter mark stencil. Some people make their own, however I do not have the artistic talent with that one!!
If using a stencil, you need to line the top up with the dorsal line of the horses back. Using a short-haired stiff brush, stroke the brush downward over the entire stencil. Be careful when removing the stencil that you don’t drag it across the pattern. Ensure you lift it clear off the horse’s quarters.

Free Hand Designs
I’ve put together four quick videos to demonstrate the free-hand quarter marks I personally use, along with step-by-step tips on how to achieve the look.

1. “Racing Stripes” and “Shark Teeth.”

The shark teeth can be changed to your personal choice, 3 ,4 or 5 stripes, depending on the size of your horse’s quarters!

Again using a short-haired stiff brush, draw two strokes vertically from the horse’s dorsal line. Put one brush width between each stroke. To tidy up the pattern, brush the coat in the normal direction along the top and bottom of the stripes. This should leave sharp definitive lines.

For the shark teeth, first brush the coat in its natural direction, then, using a semi circle pattern, think about brushing the top half of the circle below your stripes. Now imagine cutting off one quarter of the semi circle. Do this three or four times, remember if you make a mistake, no worries…just go back and brush the coat in its normal direction and start again!!

Last but not least, draw a ‘half moon’ into the horses rear. Standing at the tail, draw a semi circle starting at the top of the tail down towards the top of the hind leg. Fill in the center by brushing the coat in its natural direction.

2. “The V”

At approximately a 45 degree angle, starting at the dorsal line above the flank, brush diagonally down towards the center of the quarters. The second line starts approximately one hand’s width from the top of the tail. To sharpen the image, brush a line across the top and bottom of the ‘V’ in the natural direction of the hair.

3. “Diamonds”

To get this image, take a human fine tooth hair comb. Measure approximately one inch and cut the comb into inch pieces. For a sharper image, use the center section of the comb, as the end pieces have the largest teeth on the outside and therefore do not create such a clean line.

Starting in the center of the quarters approximately one hand’s width from the dorsal line, use the comb to swipe one 1 ” square into the hair. Using the outside corners as a guideline for the next row, swipe two more squares. Do three or for consecutive rows, decreasing in number of squares until you form a diamond shape.

When doing the opposite side, stand on a step stool so you can align the first square correctly with the opposite side.

4. “The Half Diamond”

Again using the comb, draw a line with the edge approximately one hand’s width perpendicular to the dorsal line. Draw in a line of inch squares, leaving a comb’s width between each square. Move down the pattern decreasing in number of squares until you have one square at the bottom.

Practice Makes Perfect
Practice is the only way to get good at quarter marks – as a child I use to put them on my pony on a daily basis when grooming!! I’m sure starting out some of those patterns were not so pretty! I owe a big thank you to Colby Bauserfeld who helped me video and do some of the quarter marks. She was Phillip Dutton’s head groom from 1995 to 2003.

Good luck and remember: practice makes perfect!!

“Are you part of deciding what studs to use? Is so, can you please tell us everything you know?!” – Jean F. from Carlsbad, CA

Deciding what studs to use can be a difficult decision. Nowadays there are so many types, small, medium, large, round, square, flat, pointed, hexagonal…the list goes on. When working for Phillip I would pick the studs at the lower level horse trials, sometimes he would come back from XC and tell me he needed different studs, but for the most part I could make the right decision using previous knowledge from competing at the event and the weather that we had had during the past few days! At FEI competitions he would choose what he wanted to run in, and I would always take a selection up to the warm up in case he felt that he needed to change things up.

First and foremost, when making your stud decision, you need to keep in mind that studs need to penetrate the ground. Studs that are too big can cause serious concussion to the foot and lower limb structures if the foot can not land on the ground in balance. If in doubt, go smaller, and if at all unsure don’t be afraid to ask someone at the show that may have more experience than you.

Taking care of your stud holes whilst not competing is essential for quick and easy studding at shows. I like to use the rubber stud plugs. Personally I find these easy to use, and at shows that run over multiple days they keep the holes clean enough to prevent re-tapping on consecutive days. Repetitive tapping can cause crossed-threads, which are a hassle and time consuming to deal with.

I always recommend cleaning your stud holes a day prior to the show. Nothing worse than trying to keep to a time plan and then not being able to correctly stud a shoe.

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Studs should be kept in a box where you can keep same types together. I like to line each section with either, paper or soft cloth. I then spray the cloth with WD40, which keeps studs slightly oiled and less likely to develop rust. After use I wash the studs off in water, towel dry them and then spray them with oil in their individual sections.

My stud kit always contains:

• Adjustable wrench, I prefer the medium size wrench, if it has an all-metal handle I would wrap it in vet wrap to provide better grip in sweaty or wet conditions.
• Large horseshoe nails to clean out holes.
• Magnetic stud plate. I cannot live without this, as it dramatically reduces the yearly cost spent on replacing lost studs!!!
• WD40
• Rubber stud plugs
• Round flat head tap. I strongly recommend this kind over the ‘t’ tap. Not only are they safer to use, but I find the shorter screw stem allows easier tapping and you are less likely cross threads.
• Hoof pick
• Small towel to wipe off wet hands or studs.

General stud rules:

• Use same type of studs in both front shoes, and always put inside and outside studs in so the foot is balanced when landing.
• Always use more blunt studs on the inside so that there is less chance of the horse striking himself and causing injury. You may want to put a small road stud on the inside and a small grass tip on the outside if a little extra grip is needed.
• Never leave a horse studded without some sort of boot protection.
• I personally would take studs out after XC before removing the boots, anything to prevent the horse from injuring himself.
• If your horse tucks his knees well when jumping, remember to check his belly area to make sure a stud guard isn’t needed for extra protection.

Which studs you need:

• The photo above shows a good range of studs I believe you should have in your kit. The top line of studs would be used in heavy going mainly on the hint feet. The bullets can be put on the inside if you want to pair them up with the large squares.
• The middle row consists of a variety of grass tips. I would use the first five of these in the hind feet on the outside, when the ground is on the hard side, they can be paired up with any of the last four in this row. Just remember you want to keep the height of the studs similar. The last three would be the most used studs in my kit. I use these on hard and/or slick ground. They can be paired together for front feet or I might use them as outside studs in front along with small road studs on the inside…(see third row)
• The studs in the final row are all classed as road studs. These would be the most commonly used at lower level events where speed and sharp turns are at a minimum. I would normally use the same in both fronts although the point of the third stud in from the left is too sharp for an inside. This one I would typically pair with the flatter hexagonal stud on the inside (second stud in from the left, third row).

Suggested stud combinations:
Each of the following photos shows a different pairings of studs that I consider feasible to use. In all three photos, the one on the left of each pair would be the outside stud. As I hope this shows, when studding, you should follow the three simple rules:

1. If unsure, go smaller rather than bigger. But remember, the stud must always be able to penetrate the ground.
2. If not pairing the same stud, ensure the height of each stud is similar, always put larger stud on the outside.
3. The hind studs should either be the same or larger than the front studs.

What are your methods/process for cooling out a hot horse (down to the details like slowly loosening the girth, leaving the saddle pad on for a few minutes while you un-tack so the back doesn’t get cold, etc.)? – Jessica N. from Halifax, MA

Like any human athlete, cooling horses down properly is a very important part of the recovery process after exercise. How much time it takes for this process depends on three variables, the external temperature, the fitness of your horse and the particular workload for that day.

Colder Weather
When your ride is finished you should always go for a quiet walk for 10 minutes, or until your horse is not blowing hard. If I’m taking a horse from a rider and the horse stills needs to walk, I like to loosen the girth and noseband to allow the horse to relax. When breathing is back to normal, I take the horse inside and throw a breathable rug over his hindquarters whilst untacking. Some people leave on the saddle pad so the horses back does not get a chill, if a blanket is not at hand then this is a good alternative.

If the horse is not very sweaty then I use rubbing alcohol and towels to dry him and remove any saddle, girth or bridle marks. Once dry, he can be fully groomed, rugs replaced and put back in his stall.

Should the horse come in somewhat sweaty, I will take a bucket of warm water and alcohol and sponge http://www.smartpakequine.com/natural-sponge-814p.aspx the horse down to remove sweat and dirt. I will then towel dry him, and put him away with an Irish knit underneath a wool cooler. This double layer has a great wicking effect, by allowing water vapor to breath through the layers. The irish knit should remain dry next to the horse’s skin to prevent him from getting chills. It is important to check for dryness, you may need to exchange the top layer once you see the moisture sitting on top.

If the situation allows, I try to give the horse a lukewarm bucket of drinking water, in winter I find they will drink more this way (though I know not all barn set up allow for this!).

Hot Weather & Strenuous Exercise
When a horse finishes a hard workout — e.g a gallop or XC course — he will be blowing hard and his internal temperature will have risen. I remove all tack and equipment immediately so there can be as much airflow and evaporation across the horse’s body as possible. I then wash the horse down with cold water and immediately scrape off the water. The horse would then be walked, if possible all this should be done in the shade, or somewhere where there is a breeze. This process of wash, scrape, walk is repeated until the horse has stopped blowing and his temperature is back to normal. If no thermometer at hand, you can touch their chest to feel how much they are cooling. Also the water being scraped off will eventually be cold once the horse is cooled off.

It is important to know your horse’s normal temperature, before and after exercise, before a major competition. I feel you should take his temperature after your gallops and smaller shows. You should know whether or not your athlete is prone to finishing at a high temperature. This can help you plan your cooling out process efficiently. In my experience, I have had completely fit horses finish XC with temperatures above 104. Knowing this was common for these horses, I would have buckets of iced water as close to the finish as possible so that I could be starting the process of cooling whilst other people were removing tack. Extremely high temperatures are dangerous for the horse’s internal organs, these horses need to be taken to the shade, and washed down with ice water, scraping the water off immediately after putting it on is imperative. And scraping is essential — leaving water on only heats the horse up more and has a negative effect on the cooling out process.

It is important to watch your horse carefully after you think they have cooled off. Some will start to have a high respiration rate and possibly start to sweat again. If you notice this, then you will need to start the cooling out process again until the horse is comfortable and all vitals are back to normal. As with just about any horse situation — when in doubt, call the vet!

I believe in allowing horses to drink as much water as they want when they finish XC. I offer them small amounts at short intervals. Hay is given at least one hour out after cooling down, I will not feed grain for at least two hours. If the horse is interested in grass whilst cooling out I let them nibble, it’s 80% water so should not cause any problems.

Happy competing this summer, and stay cool!!!

“What is your leg care routine?” – Alenna S. via Facebook

Knowing your horse’s legs inside and out is paramount when looking after any horse. Daily checking of legs should be undertaken so that any abnormalities, from the slightest boot rub to a large laceration can be detected quickly and any further issues be put at bay by dealing with the injury correctly.

My daily routine involves a quick check of the legs when I bring the horses in from the paddock. If no shoes are missing and there are no obvious injuries then they get left to eat breakfast. Once they are on cross ties, I first pick out feet and make sure shoes are still in place and not slightly sprung. Before starting to groom I run my hands down both the front and back of their legs. I am looking for the following:

• Cuts
• Heat
• Unusual swelling
• Thickening of tendons
• Boot rubs
• Start of fungus
• Ticks

Assuming all is normal, legs are curried and brushed. Boots or polos are used for exercise. After exercise, if legs are dry, they are checked for any boot rubs and abnormalities, if all ok they are then brushed. Should the legs be dirty then they get washed and toweled dry. I do not daily shampoo legs as I feel this strips the natural qualities from the skin. However if some sort of skin issue has occurred, for example fungus, then legs would be washed with either one of the following…..

• Betadine scrub
• Cortisooth shampoo
• EquiFit Silver CleanWash Max (my favorite!)

Anytime a horse can hand graze dry before being returned to the stall is the best option. The quicker the legs become dry, there is less time for an environment to materialize that’s conducive to fungus!

Different factors effect how I care for the legs after exercise:

• Level of horse, e.g. novice or advanced
• Turn out during day or night
• Amount of work done, flat or gallop etc
• Known issues e.g. horse stocks up when stabled at night

After a jump school, I use some form of tightening product to massage into the tendons. Sore No More is my favorite, however a less expensive product such as witch hazel can be effective also. Intermediate and advanced horses get standing wraps on front legs whilst in their stalls. Once I have put on the liniment I then shake on some baby powder. This helps to dry the leg a little under the wrap, helping avoid skin irritation or fungal growth. If horse is on night turnout the standing wraps come off.

After a gallop, horses front legs are iced for 30 mins. There are many ways to ice, for me personally the most effective way are the whirlpool boots (I do not use the motor). If the horse dislikes these, I will then use tubi grip, placing the ice in between the folded stocking. I will then secure it in place with a polo wrap. After icing, legs are dried, checked for any obvious abnormalities, poulticed with up tite clay poultice and then wrapped.

Obviously this is only scratching the surface on leg care. There are many leg issues that need to be handled in different ways. If in doubt call your vet. Feel free to ask me a question if you have a specific issue on leg care!

“Can you share any of your hoof care tips?” – Angela Z. from Salt Lake City, UT

I believe the saying is…”no hoof, no horse.” If the feet are not taken care of, the repercussions can be costly in terms of both money and time. That being said, every horse is a complete individual and external factors such as season, moisture, weather, length of turnout, and type of work all come into play.

Just as with legs, you should know what normal is for your horse’s feet. When they come in from the paddock feel their feet to see how warm they are, you should also know how to find the digital pulse. How strong this pulse is can be a good sign if your horse is abscessing or a puncture has occurred. Should both front feet be excessively warm and the pulse high, call your vet, these are the initial signs of a horse foundering. If you horse is in a stall, check their feet prior to turn out or exercise.

Feet should be picked out on a regular basis, both before and after turnout and/or exercise. Things to look for include signs of thrush, a puncture wound, any cracks or abscesses developing, and risen clinches.

Because horses are individuals, you may or may not need to put him on a hoof supplement. Should your horse have weak feet, prone to cracking it might be helpful.

What do you apply to the feet?? And how often??? I hate to sound repetitive, but once again this all depends on the horse and his lifestyle!! Whilst at Phillip’s, my biggest problem would be horses that would go from the PA winters to the sandy loam of Aiken and then back to dry hard ground of PA again!! The constant change in footing would be hard on horses that had weak feet. The cycle of alternate soaking and drying weakens the hoof wall due to the constant expanding and contracting of the hoof wall (learn more). I like to apply a hoof sealant to the bottom two thirds of the hoof. This can be done before nighttime turnout and bathing.

If you need to take a stronger approach, you may need to reduce nighttime turnout so that your horses are not standing in dewy grass for a long period of time. Another thing to consider is if your horses are left out all day in the summer, they’ll spend much off the day trying to stomp flies off, and some even pace. This is also an area of concern because of the concussion this causes can attribute to loosening nail holes, cracking feet and eventually loss of shoes. Sometimes it helps to shorten the shoeing cycle in the summer by a week. As with any changes to your horse’s shoeing needs, this should be discussed with your farrier.

How do you shorten a mane that’s very, very thin, almost to the point of being “wispy”? I’ve been a traditional mane puller all my life, but the top and bottom third of my horse’s mane has become too thin to shorten by pulling (I can still pull the middle). I had a clinic recently, and successfully used the Solocomb beforehand, but I’m wondering if professional grooms have any other techniques? His mane was too long just to snip vertically with scissors (I do that mid-season to keep him tidy). Thanks! – Lydia G. from Elburn, IL

Trying to keep manes tidy, under control and manageable is a constant battle for grooms. Maintaining thin manes takes time and practice. There are many products (like solocomb) on the market that are aimed to help you with the task on shortening thin manes. My personnel choice is to use either a bot knife or the saw tooth pocket knife. I find these tools allow you to razor the mane, leaving a pulled look.

Tips:

• Don’t try a new technique the night before you need to braid. Nothing like over-shortening the mane and then having to try and braid it!!
• Always take less mane, you can always go shorter but cannot replace it once gone!
• Always have a dry mane. Wet hair stretches and it is difficult to get the mane even.

Steps:

1. Comb through mane
2. Using the knife, take a few hairs and back comb through the strands of hair.
3. Holding the end of the hair, use the knife to razor the tips off.
4. Comb through the same section and repeat process until the mane is at the required length.

Good luck!

I have a five-gaited American Saddlebred who lives with my trainer and stays in standing wraps when he’s not working. He has incredibly sensitive skin, and we’re having a lot of problems with him tolerating the wraps in the Texas heat and humidity. It seems as though we’re constantly fighting infections on his skin. They are washed daily with betadine, and his groom lets them dry before being rewrapped with clean wraps, but they get sweaty from the heat. He needs to be wrapped with the level of work he does, but we’re stuck. Any suggestions? – Marianne R. from Georgetown, TX

Taking care of competitive legs during summertime is a continual task at the best of times. Add high heat and humidity into the scenario and you have to stay on top of issues that might include stocking up and the dreaded fungus. For many, continual wrapping of legs is required whilst horses are in their stalls.

Washing legs daily with betadine can be very harsh on your horse’s skin, stripping them of their natural oils, which act as defense mechanisms. I would recommend changing your shampoo, and there are a variety you could try. Ivory dish soap is great for sensitive skin, as well as head and shoulders. My favorite medicated shampoos include Eqyss Microtek Medicated Shampoo, Epi-sooth and EquiFit AgSilver Maintenance CleanWash. These are great for removing the fungus and helping the skin to retain its natural oil balance. If possible, I would try washing the legs at least a couple of times a week with just plain water (no shampoo at all).

Towel drying the legs after washing is paramount. Not only does it get rid of excess water, but the massage action helps the circulation in the lower legs, bringing blood to the surface and then helping legs to dry quicker. If horses are put away in stalls wet, the drying process takes longer due to decreased airflow. Hand grazing is the best and quickest way to dry the legs however, if this is not an option then allow the horse to stand in cross ties with a fan blowing onto his legs until they are dry.

Prior to wrapping, apply baby powder liberally to the legs. I find this helps avoid irritation and dampness from developing under the wraps.

What type of wraps and bandages are being used?
I have found no-bow wraps with flannel bandages help to maintain the coolest environment. For me, the pillow quilt’s layer of polyfoam in the center is thicker than no-bows and can add to the heat problem. Regular stretch stable bandages are not 100% cotton therefore not as breathable as flannel bandages.

I hope I have provided some tips that you have not tried yet!! Good luck and let me know if any of this helps.

Please tell me everything you know about braiding manes! – Sarah P. from Nyack, NY

For some, braiding is a daunting task. Having a mane that is not the ideal length or is too thick or thin can be very frustrating. There are many types of braids. In eventing there is no right or wrong way, although I am someone that feels a nicely pulled mane beats a very poorly braided one. For those starting out, practice makes perfect is one of my biggest tips!! I first started braiding at age nine. I can use bands, thread and yarn, but please don’t ask me to do a hunter braid – that is something I have not tried to accomplish!!!

General braiding tips

• Wet the mane first – it makes hair easier to manage
• Divide the mane into sections. This can be done with bands or by using a hair clip to section off each braid. When sectioning off hair, ensure the hair parting is straight from top to bottom (not crooked or angled).
• The braid itself should be tight, and should start as close as possible to the crest of the neck.
• For those horses with a thick mane or one that has been pulled too short, I tend to use the three pronged braiding comb to section off each braid. This comb is a good width guideline for these types of manes. Numerous braids normally have to be put in these manes.
• For horses that have very thin manes, I personally like to keep the manes a little longer and then put fewer braids in the mane itself. Providing it is at a suitable length I will use the width of a regular mane comb to section off each braid.
• When learning to braid, DON’T feel you must use thread or yarn. For some people, using rubber bands is much quicker and you still have good results. Whatever way produces the most even, tidiest look is the best way for you to go.
• Although ideally you should start braiding from the bridle path down, I will at times start from the withers if the horse is a little head shy by his ears. For some, this helps them to relax so by the time you get to their head they realize you aren’t going to pull their mane or attack them with clippers!!
• If sewing in braids, cut the thread to a suitable length, approx 10 – 12″ for each braid. Although it takes longer, it is less likely to cause tangling of the thread than trying to use a long piece of thread to do several braids at one time.
• When I use rubber bands I place several bands on each of my fingers (on my left hand) and then pull one off as needed.

Step-by-step instructions
The following is a way to braid that I feel is easy to learn and is useful for manes that maybe not be pulled to your liking. This particular mane is longer than I would like so I am using the width of a pulling comb to section off the braid.

I braid a tight braid down, using a rubber band at the bottom to end the braid. Fold up the bottom of the braid and twist the rubber band around the bottom to produce a tidy end with no hairs poking out.

Next take a needle and thread and sew into the bottom of the braid. I usually make three loops through the braid and tug at the end to make sure the thread is in securely.

Take the bottom of the braid and fold it on the underside to the base of the neck (you could sew the thread through the base once to help secure the braid, Fold the braid in half once more to make a neat button braid.

Sew the braid from the bottom ensuring you are going through all the folds and coming out the top centre of the braid. Always be careful with the needle, but the closest you can sew to the crest of the neck the tighter the finished look.

Repeat sewing thru the braid until you feel it is secure. I make three passes, you may need to do more. Cut the thread as close to the braid as possible.

I hope this helps some of you on your quest for the perfect braid. Remember…practice makes perfect!!!

Huge thank you to Jessica Lynn for taking these awesome shots. Be sure to check out her site and Facebook page