# Keeping a Mane in Braids: Good, or Bad?



## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

As long as your braids are loose- ish and decent sized sections you should be fine. My trainer keeps her two main mares manes braided and they are both long and pretty. 
So as long as he isn't rubbing them or yanking them loose you should be fine.
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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I have heard both, even for horses that live in a barn let alone turned out.

From the trainers I worked for that braided manes it was important that the first part of the braid next to the crest was loose enough that when the horse stretch his neck downard that the hair would not pull out. And like you said it was redone every week.

Others I have worked for refused to braid manes but braided tails.(but unbraided when turned out for anymore than a day or two)

The only thing I could conclude was that the ones that had the very long manes were genetically blessed with one anyhow.


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## LValentina (Jan 25, 2012)

haha - see, I think it must just be a personal preference. 

At a barn I worked at before, all manes were braided and tails were bagged. At the barn i'm at now, tails are braided, manes are left down. My boy is stalled during the night, turned out during the day. 

but yes - I do keep his braids loose at the top, to prevent from pulling at the crest.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

My horse has a naturally long mane and I keep it in a running braid all the time; it turns into dreadlocks very quickly when left down. I re-do the braid weekly and spray with a conditioner/detangler. I also make sure that it's not tight up on his crest so it doesn't pull when he puts his head down.

A lot of people see the amount of hair that sheds out when you take down the braid and think that it's getting pulled out, but a horse whose mane is down sheds hair continuously throughout the week- a hair here, a hair there. But when it's braided the shed hair stays in the braid, so you see it all come out at once. I see the same thing with my own hair if I leave it up in a pony tail all day.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I kept Indie's mane braided up for about a week and she managed fine. It really depends on how tight they are, for the reasons previously mentioned.


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## Skutterbotch (Dec 1, 2009)

I train for a gypsy vanner breeder up here. I keep the tangly ones in braids, but most of ours are left loose. My technique is to keep them about thumb length thick, I also add a little MTG or tea tree oil to the roots and the tips just to help growth. 
This girl here: is only 2 years old in this picture and her mane has at least doubled!


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## LValentina (Jan 25, 2012)

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## LValentina (Jan 25, 2012)

Oh my - she is just the cutest thing in the whole world.
I love gypsies.


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## BB2 (Oct 22, 2012)

I feel like this kind of braid is really nice. It's loose and open on the top (sorry I didn't get that in the picture) and only uses two strands instead of three so it usually remains looser but still manages to keep the hair together really well. 

Plus, it's prettier









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## averylilly (Oct 17, 2012)

I dont keep my horses manes in braids because it made mine fall out!! I braided it lossely and took it out a couple of days later and some of his mane came out with the braids! Thank goodness this mane is thick and you could not tell.I brush it every day( But i put leave in conditioner in so the brush dose not ripe all of his mane and tail out!) i know every one says dont brush there manes and tail if you want it to be long and pretty but i tryed this and when i went to get all the tangles out i riped put a ton of hair that sould not have came out so i brush it every day WITH come sort of leave in conditioner. I have seen some barns leve in braid for months and take it out and the horses mane was fine but that is not the case for my horse.


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

I love doing those types of braids on myself BB2! They are called fish tails... not sure why though.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Just watched a video on how to do it... I'll have to give that one a try on my horse


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## showjumper09 (Nov 1, 2012)

With a really long mane (I've worked with Friesians in the past), you definitely want to braid the mane into a few thick strands and bag it. When it comes to a more "regular" long mane, as long as you're maintaining the mane (and it sounds like you are, MTG is my lifesaver) and keep an eye out to make sure you're not losing any hair, it's really up to the owner's discretion.


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