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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
 Posted - 01 May 2007 : 4:19:02 PM
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Just seen this thread and I must say, although I do not show, in hand, or ridden, I have my ridden horses with a bridlepath, including my Hispano Arab and my daughters Welsh C when we owned him. So much easier when tacking up...no hassle as no mane and forelock to sort out. A friend from London who used to visit and ride them commented on how much easier and quicker to tack up, and how much nicer they looked, and she's TB person!
I found it a real pain having to separate mane and forelock under the headpiece and always thought the old way where a section for the width of the headpiece was cut out looked so so stupid. So, I took the plunge and have never regretted it!
Everyone to his own! |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 4:35:25 PM
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Was that a small bridle path Cate or the big 6 - 10 inch one which is what we're talking about here? There's a very big difference on a pure bred Arab, or a Welsh C or a Hispano!
I agree about the 'working' convenience of a crown-piece sized one on a riding horse. |
Roseanne |
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baymops
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1108 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 09:18:42 AM
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| Decision made - Maz is getting a "new look" in the next few weeks! |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 10:36:11 AM
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i got freddies done because he was suffering terribley with sweetitch on the top of his mane and he only had like 10strands up there and all short and scruffy, whuich looked horrible when i plaited it with small tuffs sticking up.
i like to look neet in the ring and i would much rather clip the mane then it look messy like freddies was started to.
and NO IVE NEVER FELT PRESSURED IN TO DOING IT!!!!!!, its insulting that you think the pros or because you see loads of pics that, they PRESSURE PEOPLE, into doing it. thats stupid, were adults not CHILDREN!.
the arab horse soc is a very nice soc to be with and ive really enjoyed my time with them... espially at the nationals (where freddie was shown nautrally) and i didnt feel that it was all shaved manes being placed, infact the one who won the gelding class the handler had PLAITED his mane!. and there was loads left natural.
we choose what we do with our horses, we all have our OWN!!! style of turnout, i prefure to wear black and white, where as some like to be alittle more colourful, or wearing canary jods or some people who like to still wear baige...... do we get put down for wearing old fashioned jods?....
people have different tastes, there wouldnt be ANY SHOWING AT ALL if we all like that same thing and showed in the same way.... ALSO IT WOULD BE QUITE BOREING!!! |
clare xxxx |
Edited by - suneagle on 02 May 2007 10:40:11 AM |
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 3:45:09 PM
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Roseanne....no not the small bridle path, and yes I do know that there is a difference. My stallion's bridlepath was done by Andrew Tonge and Jo Clarke and one of my purebred mares by me, also my Hispano and Welshie by me. The Welshie not as long obviously.
I like them, some people do not ...and that's what makes life interesting...freedom of choice! |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 9:05:53 PM
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| actually at the welsh show i went to sunday some of them had small bridle paths as well and "fine trimming" on their tails and i say yes they looked lovely! |
clare xxxx |
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 9:53:19 PM
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i think suneagle you have mis-interpreted what i meant- its not stupid at all - the point is in fact, if it didnt exsist we wouldnt do it ie. bridle paths didnt exsist for a long time now they do - if you hadnt seen it before ever! would you suddenly take a pair of clippers to your horse and whisk it off if no one had ever done it before ?
no of course not ,as sue has said its something that has materilized from overseas? and some like it and some dont, its not wrong !
but i was just saying in fact i have noticed more horses having it thats all, infact i am a big traditionalist, if i am honest i admit i think a lot of horses do look very good with them.
i dont think that because i have seen a professional suddenly whip it off that i have to do the same! @ the end of the day if my horse doenst go well i'm nbot going to win because i have a new hair do am i
i think now its much acceptable thats all rant over lol! |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 10:14:37 PM
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hehe! nah i didnt mean to get it at you, i ment it as people seem to think that they will only get 1st if they hog back their mane... which isnt the case. just with my boy i think he does look great with a hoged backed mane, as he has great neck musscle.
but ive seen a gelding out this year whos go a large head and no neck musscle and with a hoged back mane and looks horrible! |
clare xxxx |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 10:16:05 PM
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Cate I'm sure your stallion looks fabulous with his (piccies? Love to see him!); And I know Andrew and Jo are the tops presentation-wise so it will be an A1 job. It's a really personal decision and I'm sure if my horses didn't have to bear the worst of the winter weather outside I'd consider bridlepaths for those who were definately going to be shown.
I think whatever you choose, the secret is to do exactly what you're personally comfortable with and want for yourself. As people have said, no one is forced to use any fashion, and as Sazz says, a bridle path won't cover up bad performance, bad conformation or that star quality! |
Roseanne |
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 10:44:08 PM
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suneagle , thats ok chuck - its been a long day
still cant decide what to do though! i'm a hypocrite i guess, strike me down , hey ho |
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peg
Silver Member
United Kingdom
349 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 10:57:11 PM
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Hey Saz, Good thread 
I am intrigued about the plaiting people are referring to: is it that you just plait the 6 inch bit that otherwise might be in for the chop? If so could someone tell me how they do this? As you might have gathered I'm not sure whether I've got the guts! Also - some years ago when I showed my older mare under saddle a then judge told me NEVER to shave anything off as she would penalise for it. Admittedly at the time she was talking about wispy bits round fetlocks and not bridle path. Am quite confused.
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Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 08:48:37 AM
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Peg, I got told off recently by a ridden judge as I hadn't trimmed up my boy's fetlocks - she said that arabs weren't ment to have feathers . You can never win though really |
  
London/Essex Border |
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 09:57:30 AM
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Roseanne...not a case of my stallion looking fabulous just a case that I ride my horses and I find it looks nice...to me...and it is so much easier for putting the bridle on. I think a tiny little bridlepath looks silly as it is neither one thing nor the other, so to speak.
As I said before my friend from London found it so much easier for bridling the horses and also felt it looked smart. Nothing more in it than that...not a case of looking fabulous just plain old much easier for tacking up, and nothing to do with covering up faults....not sure what that has to do with a bridlepath.
Anyhow, I bow out here and will go back to just reading as these topics seem to get out of hand and replies taken totally out of context!
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Edited by - Cate on 03 May 2007 10:05:44 AM |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 11:16:12 AM
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Hope you haven't taken offence Cate; I wasn't criticising you for a moment! As I've said I don't trim bridle paths for my own reasons but I wouldn't criticise anyone else for choosing to do so.
It's good to have a debate about the whys and wherefores about these Arab fashions and the discussion on Arabian Lines rarely gets nasty. Certainly not my intention anyway! Life's too short... |
Roseanne |
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Sheena
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1810 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 11:33:19 AM
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Hi Peg,
With regards to the plait - you can do a running mane plait as close to the skin as possible. Yes just plait the part that you feel others may clip. Certainly doesn't have to be 6 inches or more, it's whatever you are comfortable with - and you can experiment with different lengths to see what looks best. Then tuck the end of your plait up under the rest of the mane and I would band it on to a small piece of the under mane to keep it up out of the way. Does any of that make sense?
Silvern Scepris - It's true Arabs aren't supposed to have feathers naturelly but again (and I find more so with English/Crabbet bloodlines) arabs in this country do tend to adapt to their climate and so are better at being hairier then they should  I know Sheena certainly likes to adopt the 'native' wooly look in the winter months LOL. I have also been with someone whose gelding won a class and was advised to 'trim' it's feathers before putting it into the Champs. That's probably a whole different subject about refinement and type which I probably shouldn't digress into
Alicia x |
Alicia
     
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Edited by - Sheena on 03 May 2007 11:34:38 AM |
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 5:12:33 PM
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snazzlepants do u remember ages ago about october last year i posted about cliping freddie mane....
i took some piccys of with full mane and then moved the mane over the other side, and took a piccy. how about you do the same and look at them on your comp (as they always look better on these things). |
clare xxxx |
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peg
Silver Member
United Kingdom
349 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 2:35:56 PM
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Dear Alicia,
Thank you so much for your explanation which makes prefect sense  and I shall have a go tonight practicing it!!!
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 3:14:32 PM
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good plan suneaglei'll be posting @ the weekend...
to be honest because if i am critical, ramak is 92.8 % crabbet so, he doesnt have particulary exotic head /typey head
more handsome/workmanlike i would say..so it would either set his cheekbones off nicely or look potentially crap!
so honest opions would be appreciated, i do have a bit of a mane problem and just though overall it may improve his turnout , but if others think poo!
then please say so! 
i am not offendedwill post piccies tomorrow, any pro thoughts would be appreciated as well, as lets face it guys ! you are the best and us ametuers want to be just be up there with the best of 'em , lol
baymops! lookn forward to seeing maz's new do! |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2007 : 08:37:18 AM
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Sazzlepant's dilemma apart and looking at this question from outside, I find this thread very interesting to read right through on the subject of bridle paths.
A few years ago the majority would certainly have been against them, and some people who were against them have changed their minds and now like them. Why is this? I think it is a mixture of things. Perhaps we have got used to seeing them, often on much sought after and well known horses, so the eye has stopped seeing objectively, and the mind perhaps makes a link with them and quality. It is interesting that those who have chosen to do it always mention how refined their horse is and what a lovely throat latch that deserves to be shown off etc. etc----quite naturally---but the subliminal message is that if you don't do it your horse is not refined enough to carry it off and lacks quality. So the pressure to do it increases.
I have had a look through the sales pages and other photos here wondering if I would ever change my mind and start liking the look of them and I never will. It is true that on some horses, like Suneagle with his shortish one that blends into the line of his mane, that it doesn't actually detract, but he is such a pretty boy I certainly don't think he needs it to look better. BUT there are others on the sales pages, with such long bridle paths that the silly little flag of mane that is left looks faintly ridiculous. I wonder how long it will be before that silly bit is hogged off as well? To show off the line of the whole neck perhaps? Arabs with hogged manes?
I love Arabs for their natural beauty and I don't think we can improve on nature. It isn't exactly a long walk round to the other side of the horse to see the beautiful throat latch and refinement, but don't let that take the eye away from the rest of the horse. All this emphasis on the look of the head and neck can distract the eye from a multitude of conformation faults. |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2007 : 11:20:52 AM
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freddie is 100% crabbet (but been told he looks more polish) and been told he looks lovely with his...
as i said try the photos and you can keep looking back and forth at them and take your time over it to make sure you'd be truely happy with it. |
clare xxxx |
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Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
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