Bluelucky15
08-31-2005, 09:05 AM
Hi,
I have visited earlier this summer but for some reason my post to the original forum about traditional braiding did not happen.
So, I am starting this new post for people to sound off about braiding in general. I am a professional full time braider working mostly in the Northwest but go further away as well. I offer my clients braiding clinics so they can learn to braid their own horses.
Lots of people have commented to me about the braiding band that happened at Brawley's Summer Show. Plus asked me what really happened!!!
So, to get the record straight because I have heard numerous tall tales here goes:
There was a disagreement between a sub-contracted braider and her client over the braiding of tails. The braider is a full time braider and has many accounts. The client wanted to let an owner earn money by braiding the horses tails at the show. Most professional braiders do not have any problem with an owner braiding their own tail after they braid the mane. But having an owner go and braid all the tails in the barn after a pro has braided all the manes is unfair to the professional braider.
The pro requested the said owner to braid the mane and tail on the horses but the trainer replied that the owner did not braid manes well enough to do them. Besides, we all know that braiding a tail takes less time than a mane to braid and to a professional braider the tail braid makes the rest of the horse more worthwhile. (profitable) Why do you think the trainer accounts that braid manes and tails every day of horse show have no trouble getting a braider?
Back to the Brawley fiasco, The trainer tried to find another braider to braid at the horse show which did not work because all the pro braiders were booked solid. So, she caller her pro braider anyway and told her she had found someone else to braid her horses. :eek:
NOT TRUE! What she had really done was started telling everyone at the horse show that braiding was know optional. The management would let the JUDGES know that their was a problem getting horses braided and please judge everyone the same with or without braids!!!
VERY UNPROFESSIONAL
The end result being that the professional training barns with professional full time braiders still braided their horses for all their classes. THANK YOU!
And the rest did not braid at first but when they saw how many were still braided raced to find a braider or did their own. Plus, another group of people just did not braid and saved their money.
The account that in the beginning thought they were going to punish their pro braider had no effect what so ever on their pro braider or any of the other pro braiders.
Braiding is not that difficult to learn to do. It is however expensive to have a professional braid for you. But the rates pro braiders charge are driven by the industry on the whole. Owners should realize that a professional braider has to travel to and from a horse show to work, stay at hotel, pay for meals just like everyone else working at the horse show. PLUS, we work all night on a ladder with many different horses. (Good or Bad) Professional braiders pay their own health insurance. We catch loose horses at the show, we alert owners whose horses are colicky or need a vet pronto, risk life and limb to un cast a horse. Keep an eye on our trainers tack rooms and horses. Professional braiders usually have 3 months off a year as well. Owners pay to have the convience and security of a professional braid their horse.
:p I hope I have opened some eyes to the ups and downs of braiding! If you have a question please email me. I will doing some clinics this fall in Oregon and Washington. Plus, I body clip horses when I am not braiding.
Jenni Litten
jennil@verizon.net :)
I have visited earlier this summer but for some reason my post to the original forum about traditional braiding did not happen.
So, I am starting this new post for people to sound off about braiding in general. I am a professional full time braider working mostly in the Northwest but go further away as well. I offer my clients braiding clinics so they can learn to braid their own horses.
Lots of people have commented to me about the braiding band that happened at Brawley's Summer Show. Plus asked me what really happened!!!
So, to get the record straight because I have heard numerous tall tales here goes:
There was a disagreement between a sub-contracted braider and her client over the braiding of tails. The braider is a full time braider and has many accounts. The client wanted to let an owner earn money by braiding the horses tails at the show. Most professional braiders do not have any problem with an owner braiding their own tail after they braid the mane. But having an owner go and braid all the tails in the barn after a pro has braided all the manes is unfair to the professional braider.
The pro requested the said owner to braid the mane and tail on the horses but the trainer replied that the owner did not braid manes well enough to do them. Besides, we all know that braiding a tail takes less time than a mane to braid and to a professional braider the tail braid makes the rest of the horse more worthwhile. (profitable) Why do you think the trainer accounts that braid manes and tails every day of horse show have no trouble getting a braider?
Back to the Brawley fiasco, The trainer tried to find another braider to braid at the horse show which did not work because all the pro braiders were booked solid. So, she caller her pro braider anyway and told her she had found someone else to braid her horses. :eek:
NOT TRUE! What she had really done was started telling everyone at the horse show that braiding was know optional. The management would let the JUDGES know that their was a problem getting horses braided and please judge everyone the same with or without braids!!!
VERY UNPROFESSIONAL
The end result being that the professional training barns with professional full time braiders still braided their horses for all their classes. THANK YOU!
And the rest did not braid at first but when they saw how many were still braided raced to find a braider or did their own. Plus, another group of people just did not braid and saved their money.
The account that in the beginning thought they were going to punish their pro braider had no effect what so ever on their pro braider or any of the other pro braiders.
Braiding is not that difficult to learn to do. It is however expensive to have a professional braid for you. But the rates pro braiders charge are driven by the industry on the whole. Owners should realize that a professional braider has to travel to and from a horse show to work, stay at hotel, pay for meals just like everyone else working at the horse show. PLUS, we work all night on a ladder with many different horses. (Good or Bad) Professional braiders pay their own health insurance. We catch loose horses at the show, we alert owners whose horses are colicky or need a vet pronto, risk life and limb to un cast a horse. Keep an eye on our trainers tack rooms and horses. Professional braiders usually have 3 months off a year as well. Owners pay to have the convience and security of a professional braid their horse.
:p I hope I have opened some eyes to the ups and downs of braiding! If you have a question please email me. I will doing some clinics this fall in Oregon and Washington. Plus, I body clip horses when I am not braiding.
Jenni Litten
jennil@verizon.net :)