Knot braids

I've become anti-mane pulling at some point. Perhaps it's because Penny became so vehemently opposed, and Naners is also not a big fan. In addition, the more mane hair they have the less fly spray I need to use on their necks.

As a result, I'm exploring longer mane braiding options. I did the scallops my childhood horse rocked at the dressage show, Naners' mane isn't quite long enough for them to look awesome yet. They're also a lot of work, as you really need to almost do skinny hunter braids to make it look right. For a dressage show where they stay in for two days? Probably worth the effort. However, for an event where they would only be in for a few hours? Not happening.

At Last Cruces I tried the knot braids. They turned out fabulous. Alas, I didn't take a picture, so here's a tiny crop from one of Cristy's photos:

I think they took me about half an hour and were easier than the button braids with the waxed thread (I used yarn.) You do need to pay attention that you're knotting the same way every time or they won't look uniform. I will need to pull her mane a smidgeon in the middle, as those braids were much thicker than the others, but not so badly it was awful. If I do pull, I do it minimally, frequently. So, a pull one day, another a couple of days later...

I only braided Penny for an event once then roached her. Roaches are adorable and a nice alternative to pulling and braiding. If Banana had out of control hair I'd roach her too. It would take away fly protection, but it would sure make my life easier.