How to Band a Horse's Mane for Western Riding

In Western horse show circles "banding" is the equivalent of the braiding done for English horse shows. The tail on a Western horse is left natural and should look full and healthy from the tip to the bottom. To get a professional-looking banded mane for a Western show class, you must first start with a clean healthy mane. Wash and condition the mane before attempting to band it; keep a bucket of water nearby to keep wetting it down.

Things You'll Need

  • Bag of mane rubber bands in the same color as your horse's mane
  • Fine-toothed comb or braiding comb
  • Hair gel
  • Bucket of clean water
  • Stool (optional)
  • Slinky (spandex hood)
  • Hair-cutting scissors
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut or trim your horse's entire mane to a uniform three-inch length.

    • 2

      Shampoo and condition the mane immediately before banding.

    • 3

      Part the mane into half-inch sections, starting at the top of the mane.

    • 4

      Apply a small dab of hair gel to the half-inch section of mane. This will help the hair to lie flat and give it shine.

    • 5

      Comb through the half-inch section of mane to get the hair to lie flat and remove tangles.

    • 6

      Wrap a mane band around the half-inch section and secure it tightly at the very top of the mane. Be sure to tighten each of the bands as you go so that the mane will lie flat.

    • 7

      Continue parting off and banding half-inch sections until the entire mane is banded.

    • 8

      Comb the forelock smooth and attach the first band at the very top of the forelock. Add two to three more bands down the length of the forelock.

    • 9

      Cover your horse's head, neck and mane with a slinky until it's time for it to show. This will keep the bands flat and clean.