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Braiding the (Thick) Forelock
Long, thick forelocks are beautiful, but they can be a real challenge to braid for hunter, dressage, and formal classes. In most cases the best solution is a French braid. Unlike the French braided mane, for a forelock you’ll be adding hair from both sides.
Start by parting the forelock into three unequal sections. The majority of the hair should be in the center section, with each outer side made up only of the hairs that grow along the outer ¼” along the length from the bridle path (or part if there isn’t one) to where the hairs are no longer attached.
If you horse doesn’t mind, spray Quic Braid on the forelock, with special attention to the outside hairs. Be careful not to get spray in the eyes. Many horses don’t like a sprayer in the face (who can blame them)—if yours is one, spray the Quic Braid on your fingers and smooth it onto the forelock hair.
The trick to making an attractive and tight French braid in a thick forelock is to braid only the outside hairs, otherwise the braid quickly gets too bulky. You can start on either side, I start with the right so if you prefer the left just reverse these instructions. Take a small section of side hair from the farthest back portion of the right side, next to the bridle path. Bring it diagonally across the forelock, where it will become the first ‘center’ strand. Then take a small section from the left side, cross over, repeat with a new section from the right. At this point you should have established three strands of braid.
Each time you make a crossover, pick up another small section of hair from the side and add it to the braid, tugging gently to keep the whole thing smooth. This braid would look better if I used smaller sections, so that there would be more crossovers. Continue braiding in this manner until you reach the end of the rooted portion of the forelock.
At the end of the rooted portion, divide the big center section of hair into three equal parts and add them to the three sections of braid. Then continue braiding normally to make a pigtail. Add a string to the braid and tie it off as shown in the Key Skill article. For best results, keep your hands closer to the head than mine are here.
Pro trick: If the pigtail portion of the braid is a lot longer than the French braided portion, experiment with stopping the braid several inches before you get to the bottom. This makes it easier to fold the pigtail up under the French braid, as shown below.
Now insert a pull-through tool into the French braid, starting as close to the bridle path as possible. My tool here is made of thin twisted wire, so it slides easily down the length of the French braid to emerge at the front.
Pass the two tails of the yarn or string through the loop in the pull through that sticks out of the braid, then gently pull the tool upwards, folding the pigtail up under the French braided portion. If the forelock is very long, be careful not to pull too far, else you may end up with the pigtail sticking out at the top. If that happens, use gentle fingers at the fold to pull it back the way it came.
Lay one end of the string on each side of the forelock, then insert the pull through tool horizontally as close to the head as possible, slip the string in, and pull it back through.
Repeat on the other side, tugging gently to tighten the strings without pulling the hair out of place. Tie the two ends in a tight square knot on top of the braid, and snip off the ends of the strings.
Reinforce the braid by passing additional pieces of string or yarn horizontally through it, as close to the head as possible, and tying them in tight square knots on top of the braid. Also wrap a string around the knob at the front (where the braid folded to tuck under) and tie it off tightly. The thicker the hair and the longer you need the braid to last, the more extra ties should be added.
The finished product, in need of a bit more Quic Braid to help keep the stray fuzzy hairs down.
To remove this braid, use a seam ripper to carefully cut the threads, starting with the horizontal strands. Once you’ve cut out the knot nearest the bridlepath, gently work the pigtail out from under the braid. Cut the knot on the end of it, then carefully unravel the braid using your fingers. Be patient when removing the braid, as rough pulling will tear out hair, damaging both the forelock and your horse’s tolerance for being braided.
