Brush the Mane Thoroughly

The mane needs to have been thinned and pulled short before braiding. Brush the mane thoroughly and dampen it down so that it is lying flat.

Take some rubber bands and divide the mane into bunches ready for braiding; as a rough guide, each bunch should be approximately the width of the mane comb. You need to try to work it out so that there is an uneven number of braids down the mane.

Once the mane has been divided up, start at the poll, dampen the section down again, divide it into three and start to braid pulling the hair rogedier tightly. Fasten the end, preferably with Aread or a band, and then either roll, or fold, the braid up.

Stitch the roll and secure by winding the thread around the braid and then down and through from top to bottom. Trim away any thread that is left hanging, but do not cut off any wispy bits of mane.

If you have to braid up the evening before, take a stocking, lay it along the braided mane and secure it over each plait with a rubber band. This will help to keep the braids clean and secure.