Perfect your plaiting

Being able to create neat and tidy plaits is a skill that needs a little practice to perfect. The stunning braids so often splashed across social media don’t come about overnight – but don’t let professional-looking plaits feel totally out of reach. With our simple and easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be succeeding in no time.

Step one

Having made sure your horse’s mane is suitably trimmed and thinned, you’ll need to wet the hairs first. This will help you grip the strands and create tighter plaits, which will give you a smart finish and ensure they stay in for the duration of your competition. Simply sponge water onto your horse’s mane until it’s wet through – use warm water if it’s a cool day to make sure he doesn’t get cold and start fidgeting.

Optical illusion

Larger plaits in the centre of your horse’s neck will give the illusion of a stronger topline. Fewer plaits can make a long neck look shorter, whereas more can help lengthen a short neck – you’ll need to play around with the pattern so you can find what looks best on your horse.

Step two

Next, comb the mane through until it’s tangle-free, but don’t be tempted to speed up the process by using a mane and tail detangler because this will make the hair slippery and difficult to grip. You can also pull stray hairs as you go to make sure the mane’s level and a similar thickness throughout.

Step three

Next, use your comb to section the mane into evenly sized bunches. It’s helpful to measure each section against your comb to help you keep them the same size all the way down your horse’s neck. Use plaiting bands to bunch each section of hair to keep it out of the way as you plait – you could also use a clip to section the hair away, too. Bunching the hair before plaiting will help you make sure you have an odd number of plaits down the neck before you start, too.

Continue creating your perfect plaits with May Horse&Rider, on sale 21 April 2022.