We all dream of one day going to a competition with a horse perfectly braided, without any straw in the tail or mud everywhere 😇 But reality often catches up with us at a gallop and we find ourselves urgently braiding on the morning itself 😂 Fortunately, Camille Condé Ferreira gives us all her little professional tips so that we have no excuse for poorly done braids... Are you ready? Let's go!
The essentials for perfect braids ❤️
Before discovering the techniques for braiding, rolling, and tying the braids, we need to equip ourselves with small products to help us. First of all, take a bucket that you fill with water, then put a sponge to soak in it. The sponge will allow you to moisten the mane to make it more manageable. It can also be used to remove potential stains, who knows 😇
Attention! We ban any use of detangler on the hair that we want to braid. Indeed, they tend to make the mane slip, which is not practical for the braids to hold in the long term. However, you can very well detangle your horse's tail with the Easy Shine intense, which will provide an elegant and fragrant finish ❤️
Next, we need to discipline the mane of the beast. To do this, you can start with a classic bristle brush to avoid damaging it too much. Then you can equip yourself with a 4-tooth comb that will allow you to separate the strands and create regular gaps between each pin ✨
Camille's tip: tie the following strands into small buns so as not to be hindered by unwanted strands when braiding.
To follow Camille's tips, you can also equip yourself with a clip if you do not wish to put elastics on each part to be "delimited". You will be able to move it easily and it will not damage your horse's hair. Moreover, it is attached to a comb which can also help you during your grooming session! 😇
The choice of elastics is crucial! You need elastics that are not too visible in your horse's mane while being strong enough to last throughout your competition day. For example, for a white mane, one would choose white elastics, while for a chestnut mane, one would opt for black or brown. On our side, we have a slight preference for "flat" silicone elastics that are of good quality and hold really well.
But after all, it depends on the thickness of your horse's mane as well as your preferences 🥰
Perfection or nothing! When we succeed with all our little pieces, we really want our little one to be the most beautiful in the world (nothing less!). So we don't forget to even out the head and the tail for optimal finishes that won't go unnoticed, we promise. Curved scissors will be perfect for that! 🤩
To finish beautifully, a little spray of hairspray is just ideal! It helps to tame the remaining strands while setting your pretty pins. The smell of this hairspray is also just divine and it comes off very easily with just one brushing. So, why deprive yourself? 🙈
The snail paw technique by Camille! 💕
First of all, always start from the top of the mane, just after the poll. This will allow you to fill in if needed at the bottom of the mane and adjust. Making a smaller paw at the bottom will be much less noticeable due to the position of the hands and/or the mat that slightly hides it. 😇
Always remember to properly secure the remaining hairs, as we mentioned earlier, while you start braiding. Then you can start making your little braid by tightening the hairs well because this will really help to make the paw as pretty as possible.
To create snail paws, you can use 2 elastics or just one if you are really comfortable. If you take two elastics, once your braid is finished, tie it and fold the small end leaving as few hairs as possible, then wrap the elastic around to limit the hairs that stick out. This should give you a nice round end. ❤️
Take your second elastic and cross it at the same place as the first. The crossing must be upwards so that it really makes a loop at the top. Then, pinch the braid with your thumb and middle finger while rolling the braid inward with your other hand.
We finish by crossing the elastic at the very top, and it's done! 😍
You can follow our little video tutorial right here which will allow you to keep it handy on your phone for those Sunday morning competitions when you need it! 🥰
We can't wait to see your little stories and your competition photos! Sending you big kisses and, we almost forgot, these paws are faultless paws! 😇
