10 simple steps to follow when sewing plaits

Before you start, make sure everything is set and in place. It's frustrating to come to the end of a plait and realize your threaded needle is out of reach.

Most people prefer to plait the morning of a show, even if it means working in the dark. Because you need more light than most steady lights can provide,  wear a hat with a torch affixed to the brim. This helps  to concentrate on the specific area being worked on. To save time, thread several needles with plaiting thread the night before and keep them pressed into a little sponge so they don't go lost. The sponge, together with some plaiting gel and a clip to keep loose mane hair out of the way as each plait is made, can be stored in an easily accessible pocket of the clothes you are wearing.  

Once everything is in order, the procedure is as follows:

1.  Apply plaiting gel or moisten the hair and split it into even pieces. If you're not sure, separate the mane and fasten each portion with a band or a hair clip.
2.  Begin plaiting at the poll. If a horse becomes restless when plaiting, plaits near the withers are simpler to finish than those near the ears.
3.  Dividing the segment into three equal halves, plait all the way down. Maintain stiff yet uniform tension as you plait. However, if you want to create a 'hood' of hair on top of the neck to give the appearance of greater solidity, don't pull your first two crossings as taut as the succeeding ones.
4.  To keep loose hairs secure, turn up the end of the plait and bind it with your knotted cotton.
5.  Thread the needle through the base of the plait from front to back, then through the top of the plait from back to front, doubling the plait.
6.  Stitch down the center, following the zigzags formed by the hair portions, to conceal the stitches.
7.  Thread the needle from front to back through the plait's bottom. Next, run it through the top from back to front, doubling up the plait once more.
8.  Stitch three times back and forth to fix the plait. Push the plait into position and hold it there while you stitch if you want to give the appearance that the neck has more solidity.
9. Cut the thread when it has been knotted below the plait. Stand back and admire your work, but resist the urge to pluck any stray hairs that have escaped, or you'll wind up with a ragged fringe along the crest.
10. Make a French plait if making a nice forelock plait is difficult because your horse has small hairs on either side or has a lengthy forelock that you don't want to trim. Plait as usual for a few rounds, then cross over and take in a portion of hair from either side.

TOP TIP - Prepare well in advance and allow enough time to get the job done!