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Banding your horse’s mane generally is a problem. However you don’t must resign your self to a messily banded mane or having to pay another person to do the job. Jess Duffy, assistant coach at Aaron Moses Present Horses in Pilot Level, Texas, shares tricks to make your horse’s banded mane look neat and uniform. With some apply, you may make your horse’s mane look professionally banded—and perhaps even provide your providers to different riders for further money.
Why Band a Mane?
Most horses displaying in western judged occasions step into the pen with an expertly banded mane. A couple of reiners at this time are sporting bands with their lengthy manes. Duffy says this helps the mane keep put and flatters the horse’s neck.
“ banding job provides a completed look, particularly when you have white bands and so they’re all in a pleasant line,” says Duffy. “It simply provides an edge over your competitors.”
Duffy says halter horses are sometimes banded with rubber bands that match the mane. As of late, white bands are king within the different occasions.
Getting Began with Mane Banding
Earlier than you begin, wash your horse’s mane and permit it to dry; no conditioner wanted. Your horse’s mane ought to ideally be about 4 to five inches lengthy. You’ll be trimming it to about 2 inches lengthy after you band, so don’t fear about making it the proper size simply but. Duffy doesn’t skinny the mane.
Then assemble your instruments. Duffy makes use of Tremendous Band white bands, a small comb, child oil gel, a really sharp pair of scissors and a pair of pantyhose.
The Technique of Mane Banding
Duffy begins on the base of the neck on the withers, relatively than by the top. “Typically if the horse is a bit sensitive across the ears, by the point I stand up there they’re used to it,” she says.
Duffy realized how one can band from her mother, Vicky Gough, who additionally used pantyhose as a secret instrument. She ties the pantyhose across the horse’s neck to assist maintain again the mane she’s not working with whereas she bands. “Pantyhose retains the hair out of the way in which higher than a hairclip would,” she explains.
Sectioning off about an inch-wide piece of mane together with her comb—ensuring the half is completely perpendicular to the bottom, and every part is identical dimension because the one beforehand banded—she’ll dab a little bit of child oil gel on the hair to guard her fingers from the friction of the band.
She’s going to then start twisting the band round from the underside of the place she desires it to put on the hair to the highest, ending closest to the mane after about 12 wraps. As she wraps, she retains her fingers near the horse’s neck to tug the part down and keep away from it sticking up.
“Even when the band isn’t extraordinarily tight, it’s extra necessary to have them in a straight line whenever you’re achieved relatively than have all of them tremendous tight in opposition to the neck,” says Duffy. “As you’re working, step again steadily and ensure it’s even.”
Whenever you’re all achieved banding, return together with your scissors and trim the ends of the mane in order that they’re completely even. Be certain to face again and test your progress, and minimize the hair beneath as effectively.
The Forelock
Don’t overlook the forelock! Duffy bands down the bottom of the forelock.
Beginning on the high of the ballot, make a component so the part is a sq. of hair. Band simply as you probably did with the mane.
Transferring down the forelock at equal intervals, make a component to kind a piece and band it. When you’ve reached the top of the place the hair grows from the top, make one final part and band it, pulling the again items of hair to carry the forelock right down to keep away from it protruding.
Troubleshooting
For a multi-colored mane, Duffy would decide one colour to band the entire mane. In case your horse has a white mane, think about using black bands for distinction.
In case your horse has a thick mane, you may make every part barely smaller. Within the thinner a part of the mane, keep away from making sections too large.
“You’re higher off holding the width of your sections the identical,” says Duffy.
Preserving Your Work
Ideally, you’ll band your horse the day you’ll be displaying, leaving little time on your horse to mess it up. Duffy sprays a banded mane with hairspray, then covers it with a slinky hood to guard the bands. banding job can final a day or so if the horse doesn’t rub.
This step-by-step information on mane banding appeared within the June 2020 concern of Horse Illustrated journal. Click on right here to subscribe!
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