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Equestrian Stylist

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How To Braid Your Horse For The A-Circuit

This @EQSTYLIST Tutorial was written by Grace Bridges, Equestrian Athlete from University of Georgia.

Let’s face it, expenses can start adding up when you’re horse showing on the A-Circuit, especially if you’re out of town and paying large bills for renting housing, transportation, and more. Braiding horses or ponies for the horse show hunter ring can be quite expensive, costing upwards of $40-$100 a mane and $50+ for tails. If you’re looking to save on horse show expenses, or just pick up a new hobby, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to braid for the A-Circuit Horse Show Ring. These step-by-step Equestrian Stylist Tutorials can be printed out and sealed in your tack trunk for reference.

  1. Braiding comb – this will help comb through the hair and separate the sections
  2. Hair Clips – these will help keep excess hair out of the way while you focus on your braid
  3. Scissors – these are only used to trim the yarn once you’re finished with the braid. Note: Do not cut any mane!
  4. Latch Hook – this is a technical tool to help pull the yarn through the braid
  5. QuicBraid (or Hairspray) – this will help prep the hair and help it stay in place
  6. Yarn – anything strong enough to hold a good knot will do. Try to match the color of you’re horse’s mane with the color of the yarn.

Mane

SUPPLIES

  • Yarn: can be found at any craft store, just make sure it isn’t too slippery. You will want to cut about 30 even pieces
  • Comb
  • Scissors
  • Latch hook
  • Clip: to hold adjacent hairs away from braid
  • Exhibitor’s brand Quic Braid (or just hairspray or a damp sponge or cloth to wet mane)
  1. Comb through the mane very well and make sure it is prepped for neat and tidy braids. I like to use QuicBraid, hairspray, or even just a damp sponge to wet the mane. Start from the top of your horse’s neck and grab a section of hair close to one inch wide (this varies of course depending on the thickness of your horse’s mane).
  2. Start by separating the section into 3 equal sections of hair. Begin by braiding down like you would normally braid hair, ensuring the braid is super tight and you are braiding in a downward direction.
  3. About halfway through your braid, place a piece of yarn behind the braid and braid that in with the hairs.          
  4. Once you have reached the bottom of your braid, tie it off by wrapping both sides of the yarn around the braid and tying a not. I like to secure the end of the braid with one extra knot afterwards too.
  5. Once your braid is secured, stick your latch hook through the very top of the braid, place the yarns in the hook, and latch it shut.
  6. Now, pull the latch hook up through the base of the braid so that the yarn is basically laying behind the braid.
  7. Place one strand on either side of the braid and tie a knot underneath the braid to secure it.   
  8. Now, take your yarn strands on either side of your braid. Fold the braid into the appropriate shape and tie a knot on top of the braid near the middle of the braid. Continue this step, but now tie the second knot behind the braid and make sure it is tight! Cut your yarn strands off and you are done!Forelock SUPPLIES
    • One piece of yarn
    • Comb
    • Latch hook
    • Scissors
    • Hairspray or QuicBraid
    1. Forelock braids are much easier than you would think! Once again, start by combing through the forelock with some QuicBraid.
    2. Start a forelock braid by doing a normal French braid. French braid by grabbing pieces of hair from the very outside of the forelock and pulling them into the braid.
    3. Once you have gotten to the bottom of where the forelock hair is attached to your horse’s head, start braiding down regularly and braid the yarn into the braid, just like you did with the regular mane braid.
    4. Braid down to the end of the forelock and tie the same knot at the bottom that you did with the mane braid.
    5. Now take your latch hook, making sure it is closed so you don’t pull your French braid out, stick the latch hook through the middle of your French braid, starting at the very top of the braid.    
    6. Place your yarn in the hook, and latch it shut. Pull the latch hook all the way up through the French braid, making sure the yarn strands come all the way through with it.
    7. To tie a forelock braid down, start with placing one of your yarn on either side of the top of the braid.     
    8. At the very top, place your latch hook through the braid horizontally and pull the sting on the right side underneath the braid over to the left side. Repeat this step and pull the left yarn over to the right side. Take both yarn strands and tie a not on the very top of the braid and you are done!

Tail

SUPPLIES

  • One longer piece of yarn
  • Tail brush/ comb
  • Latch hook
  • Scissors
  • Hairspray or QuicBraid
  1. Start by combing through the entire tail very well to ensure there are no knots. Spray the top of the tail with QuicBraid and start braiding at the top of the tail the same way you would start a normal French braid. If it looks loose or like it will fall out, don’t worry, you can secure it with yarn after you have finished the tail.
  2. Continue French braiding down the tail, but the most important part is that you are adding hair from the very outside, almost near the back of the tail bone. Pull very tight to make sure the braid is tidy and straight.    
  3. You want the braid in the middle to stay relatively the same size and not grow too wide as you continue to add hair, so as you get about halfway down the tailbone, start dropping some small chunks of hair as you continue to add new hair from the outside to ensure the braid stays an even size.     
  4. Continue this French braiding until you get to a good spot for the pinwheel to sit (I like to go until there are only about 2 inches of tailbone left). From this point, start braiding your hairs down into a regular braid.
  5. Add your yarn in around the back of the braid just like you did with the mane braid and the forelock, and braid until you have enough braid to make a good pinwheel (which for me tends to be about 6-8 inches).
  6. Tie down this braid the same way you did with the forelock and mane braid, by wrapping both yarn pieces around the braid and tying a good extra knot at the end.
  7. Now you are ready to start your pinwheel! Begin by putting one yarn strand and half the hair hanging from the end of your braid on either side of the braid. Start rolling the braid up into a very tight, pinwheel.
  8. Once you have rolled the pinwheel up to the base, ensure you are holding it tightly so you don’t end up with a hole in your pinwheel. (This part took an extra hand for me the first few tails I did). Grab your latch hook and put it through one side, behind the tail braid, say from left side to right. Place the yarn on the right side into the hook and close the latch. Pull this yarn strand through and behind the tail braid to the left side. Repeat this step with the yarn strand on the other side.
  9. Once the yarn strands are in place, grab them carefully and tie a knot underneath your pinwheel to secure it. Next tie a knot on top of the pinwheel and continue these steps as many times as you’d like to make sure the pinwheel is very secure and will stay in place. I like to finish with a knot on the bottom of the pinwheel, then cut your yarn, and you are finished!

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