How on earth do i braid my horse?

Answers:
Braiding isnt an easy thing to learn, but once you do it a lot, then you will become a pro at it and can do it quicker. If you dont have the time to practice or really need great looking braids, I would suggest looking for a braider at the show. The average rates $45 hunter mane, $20 French mane, $45 scallop mane, $60 crochet mane, and $20 hunter tail. There are other types of braids out there and the kind of braid that you use depends on what level of competition you are in, what breed of horse you have, what event that you are showing in, and how long your horse’s mane is. Never use colored bows, ribbon (unless a small red bow in the tail for a kicker or in the forelock for a biter), or yarn because this is not allowed in most shows and most judges will not place you for it. Yarn, braiding thread, and rubber bands should be of the same color of the hair or should blend in.
For any kind of braids, you can wash the hair but do NOT put conditioner in it. Also you will want the hair to be damp to braid the best, but I like using a styling gel better than anything. It needs to be extra holding. Extra holding mousse also works great. Brush through the mane (and top of tail around the tail bone) first, then put the styling product in it. Then brush it through again. After that, you will need to let it sit for a few minutes to let it start drying up a little. As a braider, hair clippies work great to keep the hair that you do not want to braid out of the way. Also, doing underbraiding (where the hair is taken behind the other section) instead of overbraiding (normal braiding where hair is taken over the other section) will create tighter braids.
For longer manes, you will want to use either a scallop, crochet, or French braid. The scallop and crochet is appropriate at lower levels of competition. French braids are appropriate all the time if your breed can have long manes. For the scallop braid, you are going to get a section of the mane that is about ½ inch to 1 inch wide depending on the thickness of the mane. Then divide that into the three sections (use the hair clippie to keep the other hair out of the way), then start braiding at the very top and braid all the way to the bottom. When you are about 1/3 of the way from the bottom take a piece of yarn or braiding thread that is about a foot long (longer if the mane is really long) and but the middle of it at the center of what you are about to braid. Then put the left side of the yarn on the left section of the braid, and the right on the right section of the braid, just as if it were part of the hair. Then continue braiding all the way to the end. Once at the end, take the yarn/hair and bring it behind the braid then through it in order to make a knot, pull down as you do the knot so that it is as far down on the braid as it can be and as tight as it can be. Do this the entire way down the mane. Once at the bottom it is time to tie them up, starting with the first braid, take it behind the braids up to the top of the bottom of the third braid and bring one piece of the yarn through the top of the braid. Tie the two pieces of yarn in a knot around one section of the top hair. Triple knot it tightly. Then cut off the excess but do not cut too short as it will loosen. Continue taking them to the third section all the way down. When you are at the end, the end sections will come back up the mane towards the ears by doing it to the third one. This will make the mane look like it has scallops in it.
Crochet, which will involve you banding the entire mane in about ½ to 1 inch sections at the crest of the neck all the way to the withers. The next row down about 1 inch below the top bands you will take the first band and divide it in half, the right part will not go to anything yet, the left one will go to the right half of the second band. Rubber band that together. Then continue down the neck for that row. Then go to the next row about the same distance down, the first section’s right part will go to the row above’s right part. You can also make it slope back by using the first band of that row as a whole piece instead of splitting it. Go all the way to the end of the mane doing this in even rows.
For longer manes, the best bet is the French braid. This is done by starting at the very top of the crest at the top of the mane. Divide into three sections that are about ¼ inch wide, cross the outsides over until you have done them at least one time, and then the you have a section on the left again ready to be braided. Hair is only added at the top/left section to the braid, continue down the mane pulling it very tightly. Once you are at the end of all of the hair, put a rubber band in it or braid yarn into it and knot as described above. Then take the excess and pull it back up under the mane braid. Take that and fasten in place with rubber bands or with yarn. A word about rubber bands, after you get them tight if you make the end of the hair loop back up into it, it will make the finished look nicer because there will not be any loose hairs poking through. If your horse’s mane is very thick, you can do a double braid by parting the hair on the crest in half. The first braid will be the lower hair, do it all the way down pulling it tight but letting it come a little down the neck. Then do the top section. The top section should lay right on top of the braid for the bottom section.
For shorter manes, you will want to go with the normal hunter braids. These can be done by plaiting (using rubber bands) or braiding (using thread, yarn, etc.). To do the braids, use your hair clippie to keep the extra hair out of the way. Divide the hair in little parts about ½ or smaller wide. Then divide that into three sections. Braid all the way to the end (if using yarn remember to braid it into it). Then do the next one. Do not tie up the braids until you are all the way done or you will move them by braiding the next section. Remember to start the braid all the way at the top of the crest. Once all the way down the mane (you should have at least 40 of these on the mane if you are doing it of the right size most horses 15 hh plus will have around 50 to 60 of them or more), go back up to the top of the mane and then pull the braid up under it. If you are using yarn, you will need to use a pull through object (like a yarn latch hook to do this or you can take a piece of wire and make a loop for it). Pull the end of the braid all the way to the top and then fasten it. If you are using yarn, then take one piece of the yarn only and take it through the top of the braid on the top of the crest. If you are using rubber bands, put another rubber band around the bottom 1/3 if doing knot braids and if doing flat braids then put one at the top to hold it together and one at the bottom. For knot braids, push the bottom of the now folded braid up towards the top and then when you have it sticking out put double rubber bands on it to make a knot braid. These are also called buttons. They give a more formal look in most breeds and keep the bottom of the braids down. Continue all the way down the braid.
For the forelock on any type of horse, you will do a braid much like the tail. Start at the top of it back towards the mane and divide into three sections. Only add hair on the side pieces not in the center. When you get down to where there is no more hair on the sides and only on the center section, then split up between the sections and braid. Braid all the way to the bottom (if using yarn then remember to put it into about 1/3 way from the bottom). If using bands braid all the way to the bottom. Then fold the bottom of the braid up to the bottom of the forelock area, and put a rubber band on it. If you want to knot it, then push it up and put double bands on it. This should not be over 1” from the bottom of the forelock area (where it will just be under the browband), so keep folding and tie it tightly down if it is longer. If you are using yarn, then pull it through with your pull through in the same way as the mane braids by going through the very top of the braid. Then tie it there and then tie again at the bottom of the forelock area to hold it together. If it is still long, then fold the bottom again.
To do the tail, you will braid in the same fashion as the forelock by only adding hair on the sides. I find it very useful to take the center section and twist it prior to braiding it so that it will stay together better. Usually the center does not have any hair so you have to take from the just the left and right of the center, twisting it will keep it together. A correct tail braid will be the length of the tail bone. For some horses, this is really short or really long. The tail braid should be as small as you can possibly make it in size, so use the smallest sections of hair that you can as you add in hair. Braid to the end of the tail bone, and then continue just braiding the hair that you already have about another 8 inches. Put a rubber band on it. If you are using yarn, you will need to braid it in at that time and it will be a much longer piece (about 4 feet), you will need to braid to the end of the hair that you have if you are using yarn (you can do just a small section and then knot but then the extra hair may poke out). If you are banding, then put double bands right up under the last section that you added hair into, then remove the other band further down, unbraid and pull tightly (this will make it lay flat). That will look as smooth as the old pulling it up. For the yarn, pull it through the higher part of the tail, and then tie in a knot around the braid. Do not do the first four sections of the braid because it may pull the braid loose. Then use the extra at the bottom and tie the yarn around it to make it lay flat. If it is over 3 inches long at the bottom, fold it under and tie more yarn around it.
After any braiding, spray thoroughly with hair spray extra extra hold (aquanet works really well). For the tail, get a pre-washed standing leg wrap and wrap it around the entire tail braid tightly (but not overly tight) to make the hairs lay down and keep your horse from rubbing it out (just remember to take it out prior to showing). If you have stray hairs anywhere then use your scissors to trim them off. Mane braiding (unless your horse is not a bad roller and you have a neck sleazy hood and you have NOT done a French braid) should be done the morning of if not later. If you have done a French braid, you should not do it until before the show and should keep the horse tied to where they cannot get their head down past their withers or they will pull it out. Tail braiding should be done no more than an hour before you show as the horse may rub it out or get shavings into it with more time than that. Remember to fly spray your horse too so that they are not swishing or tossing their head around.

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Divide the hair into three strands. Loop the right strand over the middle strand and then loop the left strand over the middle strand. Continue this until the braid is complete and tie off with a ribbon or leather strip.

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I can't exactly explain over the tinernet so,enjoy!
http://www.thetackbox.com/braid.htm...
http://horses.about.com/b/a/257832.htm...
http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/hor...

If you would like,you can also just braid 3 small sections of hair like human hair then tie it with a special, small,clear elastic then you sort of roll the braid around itself and make a little bun a secure with another clear elastic.
http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/img/img00...

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Okay well there is not really an easy way for me to tell you how, but here is a site that might help you!! http://www.thetackbox.com/braid.htm...

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Pay for it for the first time and then have your trainer show you how. It takes a lot of practice. No braid is better than a bad braid.

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Like you braid your hair, but really tight, you will need someone to show you how to do a braid for the tail

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i dont know

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it's a really difficult thing to do and learn. i'd leave it up to a braider. if it's a big show, you'll be able to find a braider there.

good luck!

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here is some neat tricks

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try to get a male are female horse

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ok first you make sure the mane is brushed and pulled, it should be 3 to 4 inches long first you start at the top and separate a clump of hair about 1 inch across , separate it into 3 smaller clumps the braid it nice and tight or well or wateva, so wisps arn't flying out, turn up the tip part and tie it with one of those little rubber bands that you use for braces so the bottom part of loose hair is in a nice bun, then you bring it up to the top and tie it with another rubber band! simple huh! it should look like a little ball, you could also use a TINY bit of hair spray to keep it from frizzing to much. good luck!

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I found a good site that has directions as well as pictures
http://www.huntseathorses.com/articles.p...

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yeah i know what you mean but it can get easier.