Braiding

I meant to mention this the other day. I had a lesson with JL on Saturday, and while it wasn't hot, it was quite warm for a horse sporting a full winter coat. The high was 79℉.

Speedy has quite a lot of mane. In the summer, when he gets hot after a ride, I simply hose him off. This time of a year, soaking a thick coat isn't always wise which is why many people clip. I don't clip my boys; they get to keep their coats on, but it does mean I have to take some extra precautions when it comes to keeping them from getting too warm and sweaty.

I decided to do a quick braid for the lesson. This served two purposes: first, Speedy's neck was kept cooler during his ride, and second, we both get to keep our braiding skills sharp. When the braid was finished, I was actually a little irritated. Can you see why?

Pretty even ...

No? Here's a slightly different angle.

It's really flat against his neck.

I did this braid in less than five minutes with no Quic Braid. I wasn't trying to be neat and tidy; I just wanted it up and off his neck. And it looks pretty darn good! It even held really well during the lesson, better in fact than when I do it tight and methodical. Maybe I ought to do the looser, quicker style for shows?

He might be a bit of a doofus, but he's my doofus, and I sure like him (most of the time)!