The summer time display season will probably be right here ahead of you realize it, so now’s the very best time to comb up to your plaiting and Alan Davies is right here to lend a hand. We listen from the highest groom, who stored Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin’s horses in pristine situation for a lot of the previous decade, to be told his most sensible pointers relating to highest plaits.
From prepping the mane to why he prefers bands to sewing, uncover Alan Davies’ plaiting secrets and techniques…
1. Don’t be frightened of the use of scissors
Alan explains that the way you take care of the mane depends upon the person horse and their form of hair.
“For horses with thick, wiry manes, like Uthopia, I’ve to infrequently pull the mane,” he says. “However horses like Valegro or En Style, as an example, have rather tremendous manes, so I generally tend to trim the ones with scissors.
“I allow them to develop so long as imaginable, then backcomb them a bit and trim with scissors. I exploit the scissors on an perspective so the reduce doesn’t pop out too immediately, and it manner you’ll be able to quite feather the top of the mane.
2. Stay your neck covers blank
“In case your horse has neck covers on their rugs at evening or all through the day, be sure to stay the covers in point of fact blank so that they don’t rub out an excessive amount of hair, particularly on the base of the neck,” says Alan, on episode 42 of The Horse & Hound Podcast.
“Manes incessantly get skinny there after which the plaits simply fade out which doesn’t glance so just right.”
3. Take care of the mane each day – and make a decision which aspect you need it to lie on
“Attempt to stay it blank, however with out brushing it out an excessive amount of,” advises Alan. “I exploit a comb at the manes day by day, simply to get any shavings out within the mornings.
“Carl and Charlotte like horses’ manes to lie at the off aspect, so if we have now horses arriving with manes at the different aspect, I’ll do part plaits to coach it over onto that aspect.”
4. Don’t trim the mane too as regards to plaiting
“Let the hair develop for so long as imaginable to lend a hand it thicken, however don’t trim too as regards to a display in a different way the hair will probably be too thick on the finish,” says Alan. “For plaiting, I need the mane to be great or even, however quite thinner on the ends.”
5. Don’t flip your nostril up at elastic bands
It’ll marvel you that Alan’s highest plaits, that experience graced the quilt of H&H on many events, are accomplished the use of elastic plaiting bands, no longer thru sewing.
“I in finding that it’s nicer for the mane and also you don’t chance snipping hair with scissors when taking the thread out,” he explains.
“I exploit a plaiting spray to make the mane in point of fact swish then plait down, making the plait looser on the most sensible and tighter on the backside. I flip over the top of the plait and put a band round it. Then I put every other band spherical the top, retaining it looser, then roll the plait up throughout the band, turning the band spherical it as I roll the plait. Then I twist the band on the most sensible of the plait and put it beneath so you’ll be able to’t see it.”
6. In case your plaits stick up, you may well be plaiting from an excessive amount of peak
“I’ve adjustable steps I exploit; no matter you select, make sure that it’s protected so that you’re no longer going to fall off and the pony received’t get its legs tangled,” says Alan.
“I love to be about eye stage with the highest of the neck. If I stand too prime then plaits generally tend to come back out sticking up a bit, and if I’m too low they may be able to be slightly droopy. I love great perky plaits proper at eye stage.”
You might also be all in favour of…
Credit score: Andrew Sydenham/Horse & Hound
Credit score: Jon Stroud Media
How smartly have you learnt the dressage supergroom? Listed below are 9 issues about Alan that you could no longer have recognized….
Credit score: Jon Stroud Media
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Long term
Horse & Hound mag, out each and every Thursday, is full of all of the newest information and stories, in addition to interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and coaching recommendation. To find how you’ll be able to revel in the mag delivered for your door each and every week, plus choices to improve your subscription to get right of entry to our on-line provider that brings you breaking information and stories in addition to different advantages.