Plaiting Heavy Horses - THE SUFFOLK
THE SUFFOLK
If you go back to Victorian Britain and then come back up to the 1960's it is said to have been a common sight to see just one single colour used when plaiting up heavy horses. In fact I was told that it was once a common sight to see a line up of Suffolk's in the show ring, uniformly wearing red bows in their manes 
Flights for the Suffolk's becoming more popular from the early 1970's
The Suffolk is the only breed where there is an official register of colours used in the show ring, so each owner can remain unique - for more information on the register please contact the Suffolk Horse Society.
TURNOUT Suffolk Stallions, Mares and Geldings from yearling upwards are all presented in the same way.
MANES
Fully plaited with bass (also known as raffia). The bass is soaked prior to plaiting and as it dries it holds in tight - plus it's easier to work with and stretches a little.
FLIGHTS
I have found that Suffolk owners prefer the "Tulip" style - a simple upright flight, with or without bows - and they tend to wear less than the Shires, aiming for 7 to 11. The flights are plaited in with the bass.
TAILS
Suffolk's have full tails which are fully plaited with bass and then the end rolled back and nearly sewn in. 3 or 4 near bows are tied in, down the plait, to match the flights. Pre-made bows can also be used for those who struggle tying bows
NECKBAND
Again as per all the breeds, this is used to hold the competition number, and can be one colour or two, to match the flights.
FORELOCK
Some owners tie a piece of ribbon into a bow in the forelock, again if bow tying isn't your thing we can make ready tied bows
COLOURS Traditional colours are much the same as the Shires, the primary colours, with Red being the most popular. But with the register, it's lovely to see different colours used as everyone strives to be individual.
My Suffolk show sets come complete with :-
15 mane flights
Bass mane roll
Bass for the tail
Neck band
Ribbon
Forelock and tail bows are an optional extra at a small additional cost
The artwork is my own work please DON'T pinch it or reproduce