My daughter is going to show my yearling in 4-H this year and someone asked if I knew how to braid the mane.  I've never shown, so I have never thought of braiding.  Are appys shown with braids?  I've got a picture of my mare when she was shown at nationals and she doesn't have braids.  She does have rubberbands in her mane where she might have been braided, but the picture was taken right after the class. 

The 4-H agent said you show according to your breeds rules.  In Tx, where we just moved from they told me it was my choice.  It's different here, in more ways than one.

Will your daughter show the halter futurity horse as stock or hunter type? Apps can be either.

If stock, like Quarter horses then DON'T BRAID, the mane should be trained over to the left side, leading side and banded...also it should only be about the length of 3 widths of your finger.  It should be short and neatly trimmed(by cutting toward the mane not across it) so that your halter baby's neck looks thin and flawless.

If hunter type, like TB's etc. then DON'T BAND, the mane should be trained over to the right side, opposite from leading and braided...I like my manes that are braided to be slightly longer because then I can get a good grip and really put some tight twists in my braiding.  If you are going to go to the trouble of braiding please use yarn, and not rubber bands...they give the judge the impression your time is more important than theirs and you couldn't be bothered to do it right.  Again once braided and all the ends of yarn trimmed neat the overall appearance should be one of order(all braids the same length and direction and yes they can twist around) and utility.  The reason for braiding is to keep the hair neatly tucked away while the animal does a job, hunting, hacking, etc.  You can space braids slightly to change the necks appearance, longer and thinner is the look you'll want and tiny tight braids are the best method of achieving this look.

One hint with babies, they would rather not stand long enough for all this fussing, they'll need to have them taken out each day, so they can stretch their necks down to eat hay and heaven forbid they rub out a whole chunk of mane because it's itchy!  Older horses can keep braids up to 5 days with a slinky on, but the last few days they get puffy around the base.

It took me lots of watching and a few trial runs before my braids turned out like I like.

I don't pull my bands out, I cut them so they hair isn't pulled out.

If your horse LOOKS stocky then show her as a stock type.  When she grows tall and thin then show her as a hunter type.  Stock types show with proper well fitted halter and western attire for the handler.

I've had Apps and I understand the mane growing issue.  You can choose not to trim it and show the horse without proper grooming(pasture grooming ain't show grooming), but in all my experience both showing and judging if you don't groom the horse it leaves a nasty first impression.  It's better to groom as if you are going to a big show, it makes you look "big time."  This is the same idea as looking like you have money, if you catch my drift.  (Go to a few local AQHA/APHA shows and get their early so you and your daughter can watch them groom the halter horses...you can steal tips left and right.  If not then buy a grooming video showing every detail of halter grooming and yes halter grooming is VERY detailed.)

If the horse is only a yearling the mane, if it's going to grow, will grow back.  If she's going to be a "rat tail" then you'll end up roaching off the mane anyways.

Hunter type horses may be shown in a bridle or a leather halter fitted properly, not the silver type western/stock halters.

If you show as stock type then you should band, not braid.  You can leave the mane longer but it gives a very unfinished look to the final product.

Leave it on the right, the left is just "old school" not a rule.

Good luck getting the answer you seek from the ApHC home office.

Send me a message to my inbox.  I'm about as close to SW OK as a person can get and not be in the TX panhandle.  If we are close, I'll come and train you!

If you were in the Northern part of the state I would be there.

Here are some online directions in my absence.

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse_grooming_tips-3.htm

http://www.huntseathorses.com/articles.php?article=196 these are from Gigi Bailey, she braids almost exactly like me but I don't tie on the side.  When I go over fences I use contrasting color yarn to note my hand position for the fences.  One, Two, Three aproaching fence touch (color) jump.

Good luck is said to come in odd numbers on the braids, FYI.

I couldn't live in Northern/Eastern NM.  Too much pollen.  That's why we left S. Tx.

Thanks for the links.  I posted some pictures of my filly in my album.  Her dam is the one with this years baby, and her sire is the one that for some reason came out fuzzy.

Hi,

I'm putting my flame suit on now as I type. My daughter showed western and english for 3 years at 4H and small open shows. Being an Appaloosa,he was put in stock classes. His mane was pulled(neater than cutting) and banded. He did get 1st in his gelding class at state 4H show last year. He is being trained for barrels and poles(finding pleasure classes can be political at times) now but will continue to do halter. His mane will not be pulled and is being grown back out. The dilemma is the AQHA(last years rules-part 471)states "the length of mane and tail may vary, as long as they are neat, clean and free of tangles. The mane should be even in length...". Our gelding(atypical app) at 3 years old had a mane that nearly touched bottom of neck and a full tail now that has to be trimmed to keep off the ground. Add to the fact the AQHA is suppose to add performance halter classes(reiners,etc) and you'll start seeing more horses with long manes. I've questioned some judges and if they need to see the horse's neck, they can look on side opposite the mane is laying on. Will she get dinged on longer mane(kept neat), probably so. It depends on the judge, we've seen cantered(a.k.a--crippled) horses winning western pleasure classes even though AQHA was suppose to be calling for "forward momentum". Only time will tell what the "trend" is. Good luck in your daughter showing in 4H this year and hope she has fun, that's what 4H is suppose to be for.

Pulling is really only used for thinning thick areas, not as a means to trim the mane.  Pulling on a baby can be traumatic, if it is done to excess.  Thus I recommend trimming upwards as shown by Gigi Bailey for shortening the length and pulling for thinning only.

Thin mane + pulling = bald horse

Thin mane + pulling = bald horse

Thats what I'm afraid of.  Right now my filly has a THICK mane. 

We may have sold the yearling, but my mare foaled in Feb so my daughter may show this years baby instead.  I just have to make sure that both are registered to my daughter by may 1st.  Do other 4-H clubs require the horses to be registered to the child?  When we were in Tx I was told it just had to be owned/registered by and immediate family member(parent/grandparent).

Thanks guys. 

Hi Terri,

I should have stated our gelding has a THICK mane also, just cutting would have looked like crap at such a short length(James Brown look). Wish I could post picture to show his mane. Agree w/huntseat, our guy hates the pulling. Anyway, your May 1st date is the same I believe here in Illinois. Ownership papers(4H club leader issued) turned into county extension office by that date, if using another's horse than a leased paper(again 4H issued) is turned into county extension also. Both papers have photos of horses on them. My daughter shows her mom's pony(1/4" under 14h) in halter and barrels/poles and leases her for $1.00  on the form. Again, best luck.

Hey, my dad has been posting on here and I thought I would give my own two cents. My app gelding had to have his mane pulled. His mane was too thick to cut in any manner. Cutting it would have looked terrible. Nothing in the AQHA rules state that a mane has to be shortened, banded, or braided. My mom's paint gelding which I also show in halter has never had his mane shortened(she would kill me) it is cleaned, brushed, and trained to lay flat with a mane tamer. He always places in 4-H and local open shows. The long manes are hopefully coming back which is what the word on the street is (yeah). I agree that in an AQHA show manes have to be shortened, however that is because it is a fad NOT because it is in the rule book. 4-H shows are for learning and having fun, not to be cut throat.(one reason why I left pleasure)

My best advice to your daughter is to have a good attitude. She has to believe that she has the best horse out there and show it. She has to be extremely happy to be in that arena showing for the judge and no where else(even if it is a 100 degrees outside) Best of Luck to your daughter this show season. And that as long your having fun nothing else matters.

I would call the state 4-H office and ask about the child ownership rule.  I showed 4-H forever and became an officer but that rule shouldn't exist in only one state if I understand correctly.

There are HUGE, MASSIVE differences between showing breed shows and open.  In Texas if you wanted to do well in 4-H you had better show like you were at a breed show, after all that's where we warmed up for youth worlds.  Nothing kills a kids self esteem more than holding a poorly groomed horse next to a monster show horse with every hair in place.  My personal experience training kids is that if the horse is groomed to a "T" then they will focus more on their performance, knowing that grooming isn't holding them back.  I know everyone starts somewhere, I started with a grade horse and no clue...heck I didn't even clip, those where the days.

I would call the state 4-H office and ask about the child ownership rule.  I showed 4-H forever and became an officer but that rule shouldn't exist in only one state if I understand correctly.

I'll have to do that.  It makes no sense to me to HAVE to register the horse to the child, what if she  wants to show my mare or gelding next year or decides she doesn't want to show next year and my youngest does?  I have to pay more membership/transfer fees.  They said leased horses weren't allowed.  The horse has to be owned and registered to the child.

OK Terri I found the rule book online for the NM state 4-H horse show.  It reads just like the Texas book

http://spectre.nmsu.edu/fourh/docs/Revised%20Horse%20Show%20Rules.pdf

only in one passage does it state who must own the horse, 4-H member, brother, sister or gaurdian...it in NO WAY states the individual child must own the horse

Go get'em!

I've NEVER seen a horse project in 4-H that has to sell in the end.  What happens if you qualify for regionals?

Is it a claiming futurity?  Are you just in the yearling halter futurity, or something else?

New Mexico is officially mentally challenged if this is true.  The whole goal of the futurity system in 4-H is that you have a yearling halter/longeline then break it to ride as a two year old, then teach it reining and cow skills it's third year.

It's new to me to.  I don't understand it.  I e-mailed the lady again and it is just the top 3 that must sell, the rest are optional.  So if you want to win you better be prepared to sell your horse.  Or buy it back.  She said if she was remembering right the Grand champions have been selling for about $3000.  The Grand champion steer sold for much more last year.  Oh, well.  We will find a couple of open show and stick to chickens or something for 4-H.

I always thought after the local show you went to regionals then nationals.  Providing you win.  I was  showing steers to long to notice the progression.  Grow em, show em, eat em.  That was our motto.

That's what we did with cattle, but these are horses.  My statement about NM still stands.

    How about I add to the insanity.  I went today to get my trailer registered and get my NM plates, and NM does not have farm plates.  I had to pay $69.50 to get freight plates for my horse trailer. They charge $1 per 100lbs of trailer weight.  6200lbs + $5something for fees.

    In Tx I had farm plates on my trailer and paid $5.30.   I'm almost scared to get my 5th wheel tags next month.