Getting horses ready and well turned out - plaiting?

Sunshine-x

Sunshine-x

Well-Known Member
Jul 31, 2008
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We have 6 horses on hire this Sunday to the draghunt randomly, we usually only have 1 or 2 to the drag. It is the hunt ball Sat night so I plan to get all my horses plaited and washed on the Sat, with clean tack, so Sun morning I can just wash any stable stains, tack up and put in the lorry.

So question is how long would it take you to get 6 horses plaited up? Do you enjoy plaiting and getting a horse ready to go out? Some people hate it, others love it. I don't mind doing 2 or 3, but 6 drags a bit!

I need to pull a few of the manes as well, so it will probably take me 2 and a half hours to pull and plait the horses.

Also why do people not bother to plait their horses for shows and hunting? I hate horses not turned out properly, everything should be plaited unless it is M&M for hunting! Is it just me being anal?

I am obsessive about my plaits too, they are always perfect! We had one girl who took an hour to plait each horse, and they still looked horrendous! I think I learnt about age 7 on a pony week lol and could plait well by age 13!
 
I would love to be good at turning horses out nicely, but I am absolutely hopeless. I think for me to have six plaited and ready to go I would probably have to forfeit the hunt dance and start that evening!
 
I'm not bad at plaiting but it really hurts my fingers, so I'm not very quick, it takes me about 30-40 minutes. And don't even ask me about tails! I couldn't even begin to imagine doing 6 :cry:
 
whitby which said:
Ready pulled manes: 20 minutes each, with needle and thread.

That's doing a sensible 9 per neck, not fiddling around with 15 or more:eek:

I can't do laggy bands, they look a mess and fall out quicker than I put them in:(

Ps how do you keep them neat doing them the night before?
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Lycra snuggy hoods! ;) I use bands for hunting, as everyone else seems unable to take them out at the end of the day if I sew them! I either have 9 or 11 depending on the horse, our 18hh is going to take more than the 14.3!
 
It took me 4 hours to bath and plait E and K for shows bout E hours each and that was pulling before bathong as well manes and tails.

If you had to pull and pait without bathing I'd say just over an hour per horse.
 
It would probably take me all day :redcarded:.
And my plaits are not very neat at all. You would be horrified sunshine.
Sunshine-x said:
Also why do people not bother to plait their horses for shows and hunting? I hate horses not turned out properly, everything should be plaited unless it is M&M for hunting!
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Perhaps because they just don't have time, rather than not being bothered.
 
They all need washing, legs at least, but the coloureds will need a full on bath! Why do horses with white bits lie in the most poo?
 
I love nothing more than a smart plated clipped neddie :wub:

Ive plated my ponies mane once, it took 2 hours and looked like :poop:

My wooley natives look as far away from smart as can be! :redcarded: *Sigh*

Sorry pretty usless reply really :tongue:
 
Rhein said:
It would probably take me all day :redcarded:.
And my plaits are not very neat at all. You would be horrified sunshine.

Perhaps because they just don't have time, rather than not being bothered.
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Practice makes perfect! :angel: Its the one thing I'm anal about :eek: Oh and women not wearing hairnets, that also irritates me. I'm too OCD maybe. :giggle:

I don't know perhaps its just me, but if you've got the time to spend the whole day hunting, why not get up an hour earlier and whack some plaits in?
 
I have a native now so don't need to but I'd have to have him rugged and hooded if I hunted now as he is a filthy beast.
I agree with you. Need to show some respect to the quarry same as shooting and dress accordingly. I wear full tweeds for shooting and wouldnt dream of turning up for a days hunting unless I had fully clean horse and I was immaculate. Its etiquette!
Must admit I hogged for this reason. Far less hassle!
 
It's funny though - I had little concept of hunting - I have the envision of horse and risers trawling through mud, covered in mud shouting loudly at each other... And to me if your doin that then you wouldn't wear your best gear - when I saw some pre hunt pictures I was bordering on horrified - I couldn't believe how clean you have to be!!!!!

As for the plaiting. I haven't plaited in a while properly. Silvers mane is too thick and I dont want to pull it (m&m and she rubs it out!) so just trim it. :eek:
 
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