hogging

Question
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Followup To
Question -
In every magazine i always see piebald horses with docked manes and with their feathers cliped off, where as my gelding has a very long mane and tail,I would like do small scale (very) showing but would like to know if im likely to loose marks for not haveing him hogged.
Answer -
Are you showing english or western?  Western shouldn't really be a problem, but in hunter/jumper classes, where short manes are common, you might loose a few points. Though, if you are showing in small schooling shows, it shouldn't really be a problem.  A lot of people don't even wear show clothes in small shows.  Just make sure you do something nice with his mane and tail, keep the hair out of the way.  Plait or braid the hair, and make sure the horse looks very presentable, no matter how long the mane is.  You should be fine- and have fun! Contact me again if you have any other questions.
~Anne
 It's showing english style, in the uk, if i do do something with his mane like platting what would you suggest? plating his mane up in the usual way would look a bit odd as the plats rolled up would look very big as he has a very thick mane. thankyou for your help anyway.

Answer
Here's a good site for learning how to braid: http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/equinekids/braiding.html
You could try the running braid- its for horses with lond manes.  If you don't want to do that one, then just do the button braids.  Do small braids so there's not too much hair in one braid-- then it won't be as thick.  My first reccommendation would be the running braid.  Even though its not "traditional" for the hunter ring, its a tiny show, and you made an effort on the mane.  Some judges might even prefer it!
~Anne