How to Braid Draft Horse Hair

Driving your draft horse in front of a beautiful carriage is dashing on its own, but adding that extra pizzazz to your horse's appearance can really dazzle onlookers, especially if you are a professional carriage driver or showing your draft horse in a halter class. If you are simply driving your horse for fun, or even professionally, braiding your horse's mane is just a way to make your horse look flashy. But if you plan on showing your draft horse, you must braid your horse's mane in this way.

Things You'll Need

  • Horse with a mane
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Crossties
  • Stool
  • Mane roll
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Instructions

    • 1

      Tie your horse taut on the crossties so that it cannot lower its head.

    • 2

      Measure your horse's mane to ensure that it is 5-6 inches long. If his mane is longer, you will need to trim it so that the mane roll can hold it.

    • 3

      Stand on a stool so that you can look down at the top of your horse's neck.

    • 4

      Gather a small section of your horse's hair about the width of your finger.

    • 5

      Divide this section of hair in half lengthwise, so that there is a left piece and a right piece.

    • 6

      Drape your mane roll over your horse's neck in between the left and right pieces.

    • 7

      Twist the left and right sections of hair back together (right over left) to anchor your mane roll to your horse's neck, and hold this hair in your left hand.

    • 8

      Throw the side of the mane roll that is hanging down in front of you over to the opposite side of your horse's neck with your right hand, and pull the side of the mane roll that was hanging on the opposite over to your side, so that they now make an "X" over your horse's neck.

    • 9

      Gather another section of hair the width of your finger with your right hand and pull it up to the hair you already have in your left hand, and twist them together, right over left. The "X" should now be wedged between two consecutive bunches of hair.

    • 10

      Cross the sides of the mane roll over your horse's neck again. Gather the next section of hair to join the hair in your left hand and twist the sections of hair together, right over left.

    • 11

      Continue to cross the mane roll over your horse's neck and then gather a new section of hair to be twisted into the bunch in your left hand down the length of your horse's neck.

    • 12

      Finish the braid when you get to the end of your horse's neck by continuing to braid together the remaining hair in the mane roll, and then tie a simple knot to keep it in place.