# Hunter Braids anyone?!



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

For the past 2 years, I have been practicing my hunter braids, and have been braiding all the show horses at my barn, and my own at every show. Tell me what you think? I'm charging anywhere from 25-30 per neck. I've only been braiding at local QH shows, and open shows. They go from recent to oldest!


































































Let me know what you think! Positive critiquing and comments are greatly appreciated!


----------



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Those are great! I went out today and practiced a bit on Excel, but I forgot yarn so I used a piece of baling twine :lol:. Question, what do you do when there's a bunch of short fuzzy hair at the top of the mane? It doesn't seem to want to fit in the braid.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

equiniphile said:


> Those are great! I went out today and practiced a bit on Excel, but I forgot yarn so I used a piece of baling twine :lol:. Question, what do you do when there's a bunch of short fuzzy hair at the top of the mane? It doesn't seem to want to fit in the braid.


Like, when the horse is fuzzy? And their coat grows up kind of in the mane? I either hair spray it, or, if the owner gives me consent, I trim it. If it's long enough, I can braid it in!

And thank you very much!


----------



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. Also, do you use one of those hook-and-pull things to bring the yarn up through the top of the braid?


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

equiniphile said:


> Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. Also, do you use one of those hook-and-pull things to bring the yarn up through the top of the braid?


Yup, it's called a latch hook! You can get it in the crafts isle at WAL mart
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Icyred (Mar 31, 2009)

For the quality of those braids you could probably charge even more than you do now! Great job, I am quite jealous


----------



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Would you be interested in doing a video of how you braid them? The ones on YouTube are pretty crappy, the horse is usually almost black with a black mane and black yarn and you usually can't see anything :lol:.


----------



## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

You do a good job. I hate braiding more than almost anything else horse related I can think of, I would be fighting to pay you $30 to do that for my horse.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

equiniphile said:


> Would you be interested in doing a video of how you braid them? The ones on YouTube are pretty crappy, the horse is usually almost black with a black mane and black yarn and you usually can't see anything :lol:.


Haha yeah I think I might!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

AlexS said:


> You do a good job. I hate braiding more than almost anything else horse related I can think of, I would be fighting to pay you $30 to do that for my horse.


Haha thank you very much! I really appreciate it the first two pictures I have I charged 25
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Icyred said:


> For the quality of those braids you could probably charge even more than you do now! Great job, I am quite jealous


Thank you so much! I wish I could go to shows and just braid all night, but im always worried that the horse will rub them to death or the person won't be satisfied:/ I think the most horses I've braided in one day was like 14.. That was back when I was first learning and charged 20 a neck.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Piaffe (Jan 11, 2010)

Wow! Those braids are amazing! I cant do that braid at all  lol...you should make a video if you get a chance


----------



## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Wow, not bad! Definitely takes lot of patience and practice to get them looking that good! I'd start advertising at local shows and getting your name out there. I'd say you definitely have a future as a braider! If you start braiding at rated shows you can make looooots of $$$$!


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

upnover said:


> Wow, not bad! Definitely takes lot of patience and practice to get them looking that good! I'd start advertising at local shows and getting your name out there. I'd say you definitely have a future as a braider! If you start braiding at rated shows you can make looooots of $$$$!


Wow really?? These are good enough for rated shows?! Thank you everyone!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

They look really nice.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Alwaysbehind said:


> They look really nice.


Thanks!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

Your braids are really very good. Yup, I'd venture to say good enough for rated shows. You could easily charge more per neck at those rated shows. I have a niece who worked at a show barn and she braided all the show horses. Word got around at shows about how good a job she did and got more horses to braid. Her price quote was $50 per neck and got it many times over, although sometimes she would negotiate with the horse's owner and come down only slightly in her asking price. So up your pricing quote and go from there.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

candandy49 said:


> Your braids are really very good. Yup, I'd venture to say good enough for rated shows. You could easily charge more per neck at those rated shows. I have a niece who worked at a show barn and she braided all the show horses. Word got around at shows about how good a job she did and got more horses to braid. Her price quote was $50 per neck and got it many times over, although sometimes she would negotiate with the horse's owner and come down only slightly in her asking price. So up your pricing quote and go from there.


OMG thank you so much! I really appreciate all the nice compliments

I think the reason why I'm so nervous about braiding for other people is because I cut the mane at 15 crossovers, which is a pretty short mane. It never turns out choppy because they're all the same length, but I'm afraid that people won't like me cutting their manes. I got a pro braider to do my horses mane at the last minute one time, and she didn't have a problem with it being short. Any tips on how I can change my habits? Or is it not that big of a deal?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

Wow! Great job! I wish I could braid! And I would love to see a video of how you do it too


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

justjump said:


> I cut the mane at 15 crossovers, which is a pretty short mane.


I am not sure what that means? You mean you braid down and after 15 braids you chop the rest off with scissors?

A real pro braider is not going to complain to the horse owner about the mane. So even if your mane was too short for them to deal with how they wanted to, they would not complain to you. The most the pros I know will do is tell the horse owner or trainer (depending on who they actually deal with) that they are going to have to pay to have a mane pulled if it is totally unruly.

If you have a habit of cutting manes to make them the length you want them to be to braid I do not thinking braiding professionally in the hunter world will work for you. You will make a bunch of annoyed clients very quickly.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

I braid down to ten, put the string in, continue to 15 and then tie it off. I leave some hair afterwards and trim it. I saw someone tie the hair she didn't braid to the braid? I need to learn how to do that.. I'll ask her the next time I see her.

And the braider has a bill that charges extra if the mane is too short, choppy, slick thick etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

The two people I know that make very good money braiding at rated hunter shows do not have an extra fee for bad manes. They have relationships with the trainers and they simply ask the trainer to have these issues addressed and they are addressed. Period.

They would never cut a horses main. NEVER.


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Alwaysbehind said:


> The two people I know that make very good money braiding at rated hunter shows do not have an extra fee for bad manes. They have relationships with the trainers and they simply ask the trainer to have these issues addressed and they are addressed. Period.
> 
> They would never cut a horses main. NEVER.


I'm sorry.. That's just what she does. And I'm not a professional, nor do I braid for other trainers.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

justjump said:


> I'm sorry.. That's just what she does. And I'm not a professional, nor do I braid for other trainers.
> Also, she does nightwatch at every show. Literally. Rated and QH shows. She braids basically every horse at the show, and even has people helping her. I don't think she charges extra unless it's to the absolute extreme.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## charina12fun (Feb 1, 2011)

*Wonderful Braids*

I also braid and you are very good. Alot of people are very stuck up and if they will hire you you must do it there way. Though you are very good. I would say you could do 50$ a braid and still get people interested!


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

charina12fun said:


> I also braid and you are very good. Alot of people are very stuck up and if they will hire you you must do it there way. Though you are very good. I would say you could do 50$ a braid and still get people interested!


Thank you!! I really appreciate it! I braid for QH people who are normally easy going.. I've only been to a few hunter schooling shows and one A show. Some (not all by any means) do seem a little.. strange. A braided for a lady who trains with another trainer and she loved my braids! I guess it all depends on who the person is and what they're used to!


----------



## notfartofall (Sep 8, 2011)

i cant do hunter plaits, my normal plaits just fall out after dressage anyway -_- if you lived in the uk i would pay you loads to plait my horse before an event :L x


----------



## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Wow those look very nice!


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Calmwaters said:


> Wow those look very nice!


Thank you 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

IM curious - as they kinda look like double plaits for each one... as oppose to a single rolled plait like Im used to ... I noticed it watching an equitation thing from over the states too...

How are they rolled up - do you have a close up of the actual braid... is that what makes them hunter braids?



I must say you do a lovely lovely job and you would get plenty of work at the major show in NZ


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

jody111 said:


> IM curious - as they kinda look like double plaits for each one... as oppose to a single rolled plait like Im used to ... I noticed it watching an equitation thing from over the states too...
> 
> How are they rolled up - do you have a close up of the actual braid... is that what makes them hunter braids?
> 
> ...


Hunter braids are pulled up, and then tied a different way than the dressage or button braids (which is what I think your talking about). For hunter braids, people want more braids in the mane to give the illusion that the neck is longer. Certain braiders can also create the illusion that horses have the same neckline (YouTube search johnthebraider he's AMAZING!!) 

And thank you very very much!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

[












Let me know what you think! Positive critiquing and comments are greatly appreciated![/QUOTE]

You braiding is gorgeous, but I got a chuckle from THIS ^ one--the angle makes it look like a dinosaur skeleton! lol


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Corporal said:


> [
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You braiding is gorgeous, but I got a chuckle from THIS ^ one--the angle makes it look like a dinosaur skeleton! lol[/QUOTE]

Haha I see what you mean! At a glance it kind of does 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

justjump said:


> Hunter braids are pulled up, and then tied a different way than the dressage or button braids (which is what I think your talking about). For hunter braids, people want more braids in the mane to give the illusion that the neck is longer. Certain braiders can also create the illusion that horses have the same neckline (YouTube search johnthebraider he's AMAZING!!)
> 
> And thank you very very much!!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


ahhh thanks for the description  our hunters over here use normal braids - I really like the look of these ones so will go have a nosey


----------

