Preparation
for Competition
By
Cathy Hanson
Copyright©2014
Lesson Six
BANDING
Banding and braiding is easier said than done.
It is not that banding and braiding are so complicated, or that the
techniques are so difficult to learn.
The rub comes when your fingers get tired and sore from pulling and
braiding and banding. From the hand’s
point of view, it is a lot of work.
But practice makes perfect---bands and
braids. So practice, practice, practice
and soon it will be almost easy…..almost, but still a job. (At large shows, there are usually a lot of
banding and braiding professionals. If
your time is limited—it usually takes 30 minutes to band and up to an hour to
braid—you may wish to hire the job done.)
The first task is to decide what it is you want.
In many cases the style currently in fashion related to the competition
of choice will dictate whether you band or braid; and if you braid, exactly
what kind of braids. There are styles
for every breed and styles for virtually every level and discipline of
competition. Study the bands or braids
of the winners, and then try to duplicate that winning look.
Considering your horse is a “show” horse, his forelock, mane and tail
should be in good shape—clean with no tangles.
Does the mane need to be shortened?
For banding of most western horses, the mane should probably not be
longer than 4 inches. You should choose a length which is flattering to your
horse. If your horse has a pretty, trim
neck, shorten the mane so it stops just above the big muscle which runs
parallel to and a few inches below the crest of the neck.
If your horse’s neck is thick, it is best to leave the mane about ½ inch below the muscle to cover the bulk.
If you are going to be showing an English horse with braids, you won’t
want the mane to be shorter than about 6 to 8 inches. Once braided, the mane will be about 4 inches
and then the braid will be doubled or made into a button.
If you desire a French braid, running braid or Continental braid, then
your horse’s mane must be very long. In
most cases, only certain breeds would wear such braids, and you should be
familiar enough with the styles of your competition to know what is and what is
not appropriate.
SHORTENING
THE MANE
If the mane is really long—and it shouldn’t be at this point in the horse’s
show career—you can use a thinning comb to cut off large portions at a
time. (TIP: Never try to shorten or pull a newly washed
and conditioned mane or tail. It will be
too slippery. Don’t put any conditioner
on a mane about to be banded or braided.)
Thinning
comb
A thinning comb is small with closely placed teeth and sharp cutting
edges. If you want a mane of
approximately 4 inches in length, take a small portion of hair and place the
comb on it about 4.5 inches from the crest of the neck. Now pull down sharply on the comb. The hair should break off with the desired
irregular edge.
You will pull the mane to the desired 4-inch length.
Using electric clippers is not recommended, however, it can be done with
a very long, thick mane. If using
electric clippers, carefully cut through small sections of the mane, again
about 4.5 inches from the crest of the neck.
If you use electric clippers, check constantly to be sure you are
leaving the correct length of mane.
Again, you will pull the mane to the desired 4-inch length.
Pulling
Comb
A trick to help reduce the horse’s reaction to mane pulling is the use
of a strong leg brace or liniment on the roots of the hair at the crest of the
neck. (You can also use
Listerine—doesn’t even have to be mint.)
You are going to start “pulling” the mane in the middle of the neck, so
dampen about a four-inch long section of mane with the liniment. Apply liniment to each new section of mane as
you work up and down the mane.
To thin, even and shorten the mane, take a few of the longer hairs and
hold them at the end in your left hand.
Assuming your are right handed, use a mane comb in your right hand and
back comb the hair away from the group being held by your left hand. Wrap the hair in your left hand around the
comb and with a quick short jerk, remove the hair. Use the same procedure with a few hairs at a
time. It is slow work, so don’t get in a
hurry.
Keep checking as you move along to make sure the thinning and shortening
you are doing is leaving the mane the even length you desire.
Most horses will not object too much to “pulling”, especially if you
don’t try to pull too much hair at one time.
If the crest of the horse’s neck is being pulled toward you when you
attempt to “pull” the mane, then you are taking too much mane at one time. Pulling a mane is a long process, but will
go more quickly and smoothly, if it is done in little tugs rather than big
yanks.
Whether the mane lies on the left side of the horse’s neck, or the right
side doesn’t really matter. What does
matter is that it lies “flat” and “quiet” on which ever side it chooses.
You can band a longer mane to “teach” it to lie flat on one side or the
other. Or you can braid the mane to keep
it on one side. Finally, which is what I
do, you can have the horse wear a “Slinky” or “Mane Tamer” to keep the mane in
place.
Mane
Tamer
BANDING
THE MANE
If you want to visually lengthen your
horse’s neck, band smaller sections of mane which gives you more bands, making
the neck appear longer. You will have
to try a few, then stand back and take a look.
It will not look good if you use too little amounts of mane in each
band.
If you want to shorten the appearance of a long thin neck, put in fewer
bands by using a slightly wider portion of mane.
A thin, wispy mane will look better is you use a wider section of mane
for each band, while a thick, course mane will lie flat only if you use a
narrow section of mane for each band.
The mane should be length you want it before you start banding. The mane should have been washed, dried and
brushed out.
You need to dampen the portion of mane you are banding. Dip a stiff brush into a small bucket of
water and brush the mane wet and flat.
It is easiest if you stand on a stool so you are well above the horse’s
neck.
CAUTION: Be
sure you are not left or right of the section of hair you are about to
band. You want the section to be banded
directly opposite you. If it is not, you
will tend to pull the section crooked.
Starting at the top of the neck, separate a section of
mane about a half-inch wide.
Using a fine-toothed comb, comb through the hair until every hair is
smooth and flat against the horse’s neck.
Keep the lower portion of mane out of your way by pushing your comb into
it. Having the comb in the next section
of hair to be banded is conveniently handy and the comb doesn’t get lost. You can also you a butterfly clip to hold
the mane not being banded, if that is easier for you.
Take a rubber band in your left hand—again assuming your are right
handed—insert your left index finger and thumb into the band, making it wide
enough that you can grasp the section of hair to be banded.
Hold the section of hair downward against the horse’s neck with you
right hand, keeping the hair strands tight and smooth.
The rubber band is still in your left hand. Place it over the section of mane, grasping
the hair. Using your right hand, grasp the
rubber band just below your left thumb to hold it in place while you pull the
section of hair through the rubber band with your left hand. Try not to pull the hair upward as you pull
it through the rubber band.
The rubber band should now be in your right hand. The hair should be smooth and tight. Hold the hair downward with your left hand
and with your right thumb and index finger twist the rubber band once. This time the left hand holds the rubber
band while the right hand pulls the hair through.
Twist and pull five times (or until you can’t twist it again), having
changed hands with each twist.
I like to finish by twisting 3 or 4 more times without changing
hands. I think this helps create a
neater appearance and holds the band in place longer.
To tighten the bands, split the underneath hair in half and pull
sideways. You want the bands snug, but
not too tight which will be uncomfortable for the horse. This is the step which flattens the band to
the neck. When finished, trim the bottom
of the mane with trimming scissors to even the entire mane.
When the mane has been banded you can decide what to do about the
horse’s forelock; band it, brush it or braid it.
Give the newly banded (or braided) mane a light spray of gel, then cover
the mane with a towel until the gel dries.
This usually guarantees a flat, neat band. Tack stores sell several kinds of mane and
tail gels.
BRAIDING
THE MANE
You can buy braiding kits, or you can assemble your own.
You will need:
1. Twelve-inch stands of yarn
matching the color of your horse’s
mane.
2. Small rubber bands.
3. A braid pull-through. You can make one from some bailing wire
or you
can use a rug latch hook or crochet needle.
4. Scissors.
5. A sectioning comb.
6. Hair gel.
A slightly damp, slightly gelled mane holds stray hairs in place and
gives a great finished appearance.
You will need to stand on a stool.
Start at the top of the mane and comb off
a section of hair to be braided. (If you
have a grooming apron, put your tools in the pockets so everything is handy.)
Start braiding the section, keeping the braid nice and tight as you
go. About half way down the braid, place
a piece of yarn, folded in half, in the center of the braid and continue
braiding, incorporating the yarn as you braid.
When you get to the end of the braid, wrap the two pieces of yarn around
the tail of the braid and knot the yarn.
Continue to braid sections of the mane until you are finished. Now you should have a row of braids with
about 4 inches of yarn hanging from the end of the braid.
To finish a plaited loop, slide the hook down the top of each braid,
through the mane and slip the loose yarn though the eye of the pull
through. Pull the hook up and out the
top of the braid—the braid tail and yarn should now be through the mane and
resting on the crest of the horse’s neck.
You can now crisscross the yarn under the braid, then bring it back
around the middle of the braid and pull tight, creating a small bump, and tie a
square knot. Keep everything very
tight. Clip off the loose ends of yarn.
A slightly different way to braid for a hunter or dressage horse
eliminates braiding the yarn into the braid.
Section off a part of the mane, again starting at the
top of the neck near the poll.
Start a three-stand braid, wrapping right over center, then left over center.
Continue to the end of the hair.
To secure the end of the braid, place a folded strand of your yarn or
linen string behind the braid. Wrap the
string around the braid and take the loose ends through the loop made by the
fold in the string. Pull the string
tight.
Now slip the string through the top of the braid and by pulling the
string, fold the braid in half. Pull
tight. Separate the ends of the string
and encircle the top of the braid. Pull
tight and tie a square knot. Clip off
the ends of the string.
“Button”
or “Rosette”
If you want a “button” or “rosette” then you simply repeat the braiding
process until you have the braided loop.
Using 10 to 12 inches of thread, push a needle into the middle of the
“loop” from the bottom of the braid, coming out the top. Then push the needle and thread down through
the end of the loop of the braid, coming out the bottom. From this position you push the needle
through the base of the braid at the crest of the neck and pull tight.
The result is you have “doubled” the loop and now have a tight “button”
resting nearly on the top of the crest of the neck. Tie the button tightly into place using the
end of the thread, then clip off any excess thread.
BRAIDING
THE TAIL
There are a number of styles for tails.
You will know which is best for your breed and discipline. The most common style is the Hunter Braid.
Clean and smooth the tail.
Dampen the tail at the dock. (If
the horse has a “bushy” tail at the dock, you will want to “pull” unruly hairs
to maintain a neat appearance. Some
dressage competitors like to use electric clippers and clip close to the dock
and both sides to eliminate “fly-away” hairs.)
Start with hair at the very top of the tail and separate three small
sections. (You will have two sections on
one side and one section on the other side.
Take hair from the side and bottom of the tail, not the top.)
Begin a three-strand braid, bringing each new strand from behind the
tail and adding strands from behind the tail as you braid down.
Keep tension even as you braid.
Stop adding new strands when you reach the end of the tail bone.
Braid the loose ends of the three strands you have to make a short
“pig-tail.” Secure the end of the
pig-tail with a rubber band, then sew through the end
of the pig-tail with needle and yarn.
Finally draw the braid into a loop by inserting the needle and yarn
through the center of the upper braids coming out about three or four segments
up. Tie the yarn off in a square knot
and clip off the ends of the yarn.
FALSE
TAILS
To add a false tail for cosmetic appearance—or to just follow the
crowd—start at the end of the tail bone, only using hair from the under side of
the tail. Make a three strand
braid. The braid should be tight and
strong.
You can loop the braid and tie it tight, or you can simply secure the
end of the braid by tying it off with string.
The false tail is attached by tying the false tail head under the braid,
then camouflaging the false tail head by blending the natural hair and false
tail hair.
FORELOCK
BRAID
The forelock braid is just a regular three strand braid.
Once the braid is complete, you can fold it in half and hold it with a
rubber band or thread. The braid can
also be rolled into a “button” and secured.
If the braid is very short, and the horse is a filly, a delicate bow of
ribbon can be tied to the braid.
SOME
DOs
Do give the mane and tail a weekly shampoo. Use a medicated shampoo if the mane or tail
shows signs of dandruff. Be sure to
rinse completely. No shampoo residue
should be left.
Do separate the wet hair with your fingers instead of combing. Separate from the bottom up, not the top
down, to prevent hair damage and breakage.
Do apply a hair conditioner to mane and tail. There are several kinds.
Do use horse or human shampoo.
(There is a myth about using human shampoo, and it is a myth. The “ph” balance of human hair and horse hair
is essentially the same.)
Don’t brush through the horse’s tail every day. The more your brush, the more hair you
lose. When brushing, hold the bulk of
the tail in one hand and brush from the bottom up, never from the top down.
Don’t comb a wet tail or mane.
Don’t use a silicone based product on mane or tail on a daily basis as
it will dry the hair and cause it to break off.
Don’t braid the tail to keep it clean.
Too much braiding causes the fragile hairs to break off. (It is not necessary to braid a tail to use
a tail bag.)
Assignment:
Please
submit photos or videos of you:
1.
Banding a horse's mane, and
2.
Braiding a horse's mane.
The photos or videos should show you doing the work. For example – before, during and after.
It is not necessary to complete the entire
mane. Send the photos to:
Cathy Hanson
at: cathyhansonqh@gmail.com