# Professional Braiders



## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

Lots of people have braiding businesses and make tons of money, depending on the area and need for braiding that probably varies though. A woman at my church had a friend who made a couple hundred dollars at each show from braiding jobs. Some people charge around $30 for braiding, some more and some less.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

cool. thanks for the reply. i really appreciate it.


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

I don't know about any prof. braiders but if you need practice i suppose i could...err..sacrifice my horse.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

HorseOfCourse said:


> I don't know about any prof. braiders but if you need practice i suppose i could...err..sacrifice my horse.


 ok im not THAT bad, i wont massacre it! :lol: i have a lovely 16 horses to practice on. everything from a 2yr old with the biggest thickest mane ive ever seen on a standardbred, to an old horse with practically no mane (wait no, i just roached his...heh....), i have horses that are jittery and hate to stand, ones that kick, etc. so i have about every kind of horse i will probably come across lol. i have one with a pulled mane (he came to us like that, hes a racehorse but the girl was a rider too, so she did it. everyone makes fun of us for it, he looks horrible with it) but anyone who lives nearby i would gladly practice on... maybe even in exchange with some help learning how to ride? i can drive a horse to hell and back, but i know nothing about riding, and would LOVE to learn. ive only ridden a few racehorses, nothing huge, just little rides here and there to see if they ride.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

It's about 45 or 50 for a mane, with about 30 - 40 braids in it, and 25-30 for a tail. Many braiders charge an expense fee, which can either be per horse, or like a travel charge for coming out for just one horse. Many also give a small discount for a mane and tail combo, which can be anywhere from 65 -75. It's a hard business to get into, and you have to be willing to travel. It can be nice pocket change if you go with your barn to a show and do it for them, that way it's like a working vacation. Even if you think you can braid, you can't, everyone thinks they can braid until they really learn. If you are intereseted, practice, because no one is going to let you leave in ugly braids, and until you are good, ugly braids just get uglier as the night goes on and a horse rubs them or sleeps in them. You are up all night, and it is mighty cold some nights if you really persue it as a career. It's not something you can just walk into, you would need to talk to a local braider and prove you are serious, then they might take some time and give you a horse to practice on while they are working, that way they can look over your work. Learning how to do a decent job can help offset show costs, or horse expenses, without stepping on anyone's teritory, but people get very possesive of their barns.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

ok well i dont show and i dont plan on showing, i dont have the money for it. all my horses are standardbred racehorses, ive thought about showing but i cant afford it at all. im not saying im great at it, but, i CAN braid, ive done it. its just a matter of perfecting it. im not talking about just walking into it either, im wondering if its worth looking into. if there is no business for braiders, then i wouldnt really bother looking into it much further. its just something i enjoy doing, i think its fun. maybe if i get some time tomorrow i will do some braids and take some pictures and post them, then hopefully get some advice, and also display what level of braiding i am at right now  but this is if i get some time, by cousin who is in the barn with me rolls his eyes everytime i start and b*tches about how dumb it makes the horses look :roll: ....men....


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Buy a skene (sp?) of yarn and wrap it around your hand to elbow when it's held at a right angle. Essentially loop it over and over again, until you have for 100 or more wraps, then hold it in one hand and cut straight across making 100 longish strings of yarn. It doesn't even matter the color but fold it over once and tie a string around it, kinda loose because your going to pull these strings from the middle and add them to your braid. Make the braids small and add some yarn into your braid about halfway, 6-8 twists down, then when you are ready pratice taking one end and loping it around the whole braid and knot it so it ties off the braid. Make your sections even, parts straight, wet the mane throughly, and make sure you grab the same amount of hair as you go down, manes are thicker and require smaller parts in some areas, and larger parts in thinner sections. Try to keep them small but even, so each one looks exactly the same as the last, keep them tight and try to end in the same place on each braid. If you practice that and get really good, another braider might be willing to tie them up and show you how too complete the pakage. It took me about 40 or 50 tries of braiding a horse over and over again for hours before I got a slgihtly acceptable mane. That's hours of standing on a ladder, and that can be more tiresome than the monotony of braiding itself. Be prapered for it to take you up to four hours a horse, but after a while it takes about an hour a horse.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

^-------These are some braids I did for my friend at her last horse show. Just so you know that I'm not trying to give out advice about something I don't know about. That's his butterball but and tail I did also below.








These were just some camera phone pics, I wish I had better ones, but I remembered I had them so I just thought I would share.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

the pics didnt show. and like i said, i know how to do the braids, i have done them, im just perfecting them.... i know how to cut yarn, i know how to braid it in, i know how to loop and tie..... youre not telling me anything new. like i stated before, i just wondered if there was a real business for it or not.


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## hunterjumpergirl (Jan 11, 2009)

The person my barn gets charges $50 for a 2 day show and she'll come out redo the braids if they need it. (mane and tail)


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

I'll figure out how to put the pics up, but your kind of being rude for someone asking advice. I've been paid to braid at Devon, but you apparently already KNOW how to braid, so I will shut up.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

TB, I'd love to see your pics


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Here goes, I created an album with the two pics in it, but I still want to figure out how to add pics on here correctly, so here is the tail, hopefully, 








And the mane, 









I think what upsets me about the OP's comments is that I'm sure they know HOW to do a braid, but the sublties of flaws that may see minor, have been mulled over by many people longer than her, and to assume someone with no experience can tell me they know how to braid, a simple braid, without tying up, but adding yarn and tying off as well as I is presumtuous. Especially when I highly doubt they would even know how to do a french forelock, an industry standard. Braids that look acceptable in ones hair, do not stand up to the wear that a horse can prepare. They have to be tight, and even, and equal, I'm sure this all sounds easy, but it's not, especially when you can't even pull a mane to make it easier on yourself.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

lovely work, Tb. Just lovely!


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Thank you very much! Not really my best work , but I wasn't complaining (and neither was his owner), These were just some shots from my phone from the last time I had braided. I hadn't braided this horse before so I didn't know his neck, and the more I do the same horse repeatedly the better they get. Some I could do in my sleep and have it look awesome. Tails were always kind of my forte, they always look good, and he had a good tail to start with.


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## BerkleysTops (Feb 13, 2009)

Wow! Beautiful Tb ~ you are very talented!


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

you know TB you may think i am being rude, but you yourself are being rude aswell. to think youre better than someone else without even seeing what they have done is rude. i didnt say i was the best, and i didnt say this was something i was just going to start run out and doing and charging for. all i was wondering was if there was any business in doing it, and how much these people were making. i never said i was going to run out the next day and do it. and for you to say "people THINK they can braid but they cant", well im sorry, get off your high horse, youre not the only one who can. yes i will say you are good, heres a pat on the back for it. when i said you werent telling me anything i didnt already know, i was being honest. 

*think what upsets me about the OP's comments is that I'm sure they know HOW to do a braid, but the sublties of flaws that may see minor, have been mulled over by many people longer than her, and to assume someone with no experience can tell me they know how to braid, a simple braid, without tying up, but adding yarn and tying off as well as I is presumtuous. Especially when I highly doubt they would even know how to do a french forelock, an industry standard. Braids that look acceptable in ones hair, do not stand up to the wear that a horse can prepare. They have to be tight, and even, and equal, I'm sure this all sounds easy, but it's not, especially when you can't even pull a mane to make it easier on yourself. *

here, YOU are being extrememly rude. like i said, get off your high horse. no where did i ever say i was better or as good or anything. and for you to assume i cant do anything, even pull a mane (which i can), well i would like to say a lot of things about this but i would get kicked off the forums. when did i say i couldnt pull a mane? i cant go pulling all my horses manes, you know why? because they are racehorses, standardbred racehorses. WE DONT PULL THEIR MANES. i have ONE horse who has a pulled mane, i work with what i have. you can stop being so stuck up, it doesnt help anyone with any questions, and only makes you look like a jerk


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Ever had someone tell you they can ride? I mean they KNOW how to ride a horse and won't take any advice from you? They have even galloped! When you only stand back and cringe as they call that few steps of canter a full blown gallop? You said you had one pulled mane to work with, I didn't realize that meant you weren't allowed to pull the others, but you weren't saying I have one mane I can pull, so my assumptions were wrong and I'm sorry. Let me ask you, what comb are you using to pull a mane? Don't use metal, it will break the hair, and you have to learn how to feel the mane when pulling it so it is even in the amount of hair as well as length. I posted the prices I have charged, so I believe I answered your questions, but you don't think people haven't asked me to show them how to braid before? You know how many actually learned? They tried it, realized it was WAY harder than they thought and it was worth the prices being charged. I am trying to answer your question, yes you can charge a lot of money for this, but only if your job is good. I hope my analogy put things in perspective, because if you have never met that person that tells you how they know exactly how to ride a horse, and you recognize they think they can ride, well you will, and maybe you will better understand my point of veiw. Basically I've charged for braids, and done some very fancy horses, and if you meet another braider and she has my attitude towards you are you going to suck it up and humble yourself for the learning experience? Or just get mad and claim I CAN BRAID. I don't want to look like a jerk, but I don't really care if you feel someone with much more experience than you is being stuck up, because most of those people who are prideful about something, it's because they do it well.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

my point here is you assumed a lot of things about me, and said them rudely, when you have not seen my work at all. you dont know how long i have practiced, what i have done, etc. all i had asked was how much people charged and if there was a business in it. thats all, clean cut. i would have made another post if i was concerned about how good i was or how great you are, or how much you know and how much i dont know. if i had questions on braiding i would have asked, and when i posted "youre not telling me anything i dont already know" i wasnt being rude, i was being honest. 

anyway... off topic a little here but i was looking at Lucky Braids by Ruthann DVD- Better Braiding Video..... i guess it also comes with some tools (scissors, hook, etc) i found it a couple places online, but nothing cheaper than about $65. has anyone seen this DVD? i didnt know if it was a DVD worth the money or not..


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

I'll leave you alone after this, I'm not trying to push your buttons, but I think the cheapest way to learn to braid is go to a show with a braider and practice. It's like trying to learn all about riding from a DVD vs. with a trainer, it's also cheaper to be a braiders horse fetcher than pay 65$ for a DVD. Unless you want my advice again, and ask for it, I won't tell you what to do anymore.


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