http://www.equinestylepros.com/

Equinestylepros, 25 International Boulevard, Mill Spring, NC (2026)

06/11/2023

A few spring 6 beauties and a special congratulations to Colin and C**t on their derby win!

06/02/2023

Some fantastic beasts from Spring 5 🤩

05/15/2023

A few beauties from Spring 2

02/22/2023

Quick trip to WEF for hunter week.

12/11/2022

Festive yet classy. Happy Holidays everyone!

09/18/2022

My supervisor making sure I’m doing it right 😂

09/04/2022

Anyone that has ever worked with me knows that if you need something in the middle if the night there’s a pretty good chance that I will have it. The running joke is that my truck is like Mary Poppins carpet bag. Most of the time we are working in areas where nothing is open in the middle of the night. What do you do if something happens? So let’s talk about preparedness. I tend to be more prepared than most, but I also have chronic health issues and I don’t ever quite know what any given night will bring. The simplest thing you can do is pick up a basic first aid kit and keep that on hand. Things I have gone through the most are band aids of all sizes, wet wipes, aspirin and instant ice packs. On rare occasions I have used butterfly closures and even smelling salts.
Here’s a list of things that I recommend putting in a first aid kit to keep in your vehicle at all times. Band Aids (multiple sizes), alcohol wipes or wet wipes, triple antibiotic ointment, Advil, Tylenol, an antacid, an ace bandage or vet wrap, instant ice packs, butterfly closures and super glue. Other things that I carry with me are: braces (wrist, elbow and ankle), compression sleeves, instant heat packs, thermacare heat wraps and hand warmers, electrolyte packets, an ice wrap (found on Amazon and works remarkably well), gauze pads and wrap, quick clot, cloth and paper tape, bio freeze and safety pins. I am happy to share photos and links to items anyone might be interested in. Outside of first aid stuff I also always have an extra pair of shoes and clean socks. Extra hats and headbands, and layers for the colder weather. Snacks are always good to keep on hand also for a quick boost if you don’t pack food. Water, Gatorade, soda and iced tea are staples in my cooler as well, which usually gets a fresh bag of ice each night when I head out. Washcloths or small hand towels are good for soaking in the ice water to cool you down on hot nights, along with cooling face and body wipes.
Moving onto work related items, it’s always a good idea to have at least one extra set of tools with you. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve lost a pull through between stalls or barns, or the clips that I use to separate and hold the hair have broken. There’s nothing worse than having to struggle through a night with tools that are broken or you are not accustomed to using. Obviously you’ll want to make sure that you have enough yarn with you. If you use a spray bottle, having a back up is a good idea or at least and extra spray top or two, or an extra sponge. Show Sheen, fly spray, quick braid and hair spray are also always in my truck along with a cotton lead rope and a rope halter. I have yet to add a muzzle to the kit but I do plan to. I also have a lead rope with a chain, a twitch, a bungee and a clamp.
I’m sure there are things that I left out that you can find rummaging around my truck, but I have found over the years that you can never be too prepared and I have been able to come to the aid of those in need.

09/01/2022

Let’s jump into talking about communication. It seems to me that many, if not all of the issues we face can be resolved by proper communication. Please remember that what I am sharing is from my 20+ years on the A circuit and the things that have worked for me in my business. I have made many mistakes along the way and done or said things that I’m not exactly proud of. It’s all part of the learning curve, and if I can help some of the up and coming braiders avoid these stumbling blocks, then this has been a success. I am going to break this discussion down into two parts, one for braiders and one for the clients.
Braiders: we have to keep in mind that many of the things that are on the forefront of our minds are things that the client might not be thinking about. When I am working with a new client or covering a farm for another braider I make myself as annoying as humanly possible. No joke. I have a list of questions that I will ask to gain as much information as possible to ensure a smooth interaction. Things I want to know are: do they prefer mane color yarn or are they ok with color, and what color is preferred. Do the horses stay tied up after they are braided or left loose? Do they prefer a pinwheel or a wrap for the tails? Is there anything I need to know about any of them? Is one green or inexperienced? Head shy? Doesn’t like the headlamp or a spray bottle? Do any bite, kick or have any other behaviors that might be cause for concern? Will there be a board with the morning happenings and the classes on it? What time will they feed? Will anything need a mane pull or shortening? I’m sure I left something out, but you get the gist. Having all of this information before even setting foot in the aisle to braid is tremendously helpful in starting the night off on the right foot. If you happen to encounter any issues throughout the night that need to be discussed with the client remember to take a deep breath before doing so. If they are unhappy with your work, instead of getting defensive (easier said than done), have the conversation and find out why and what they are looking for. Approaching it in an aggressive manner even if its unintentional in my experience will only lead to further problems. As I said there is nothing wrong with waiting to discuss things when you have a calm and clear head. I have exploded and freaked out and then managed to have an adult discussion a few days later with the client and resolve the issue. I have also been lucky enough that most of my clients have been with me since the very beginning of my career so we had a history and relationship when these incidents happened.
Clients: all of the things I have listed above for the braiders are paramount to us being able to do our best work. There are a few things I would like to add. When reaching out to a new braider, please be sure to include such information as your name, how you got their contact information and what it is that you are needing done. I can’t tell you how many texts I have received saying Hi I need a mane done at such and such horse show. Or Hi are you braiding at wherever it may happen to be this week? Generally these also come through on the day that braids are needed. Thats a surefire way to get me to ignore those messages. Looking for a braider last minute doesn’t usually work out well. I would always get a show schedule from my clients so I would have an idea of who was doing what. While we understand that you have a lot to organize in getting to a show, please remember that most of us have numerous barns that we are attending to and last minute changes are not always easy to accommodate. Some are large and show regularly and others may be smaller and show less frequently, but ALL are deserving of our very best effort. If you are unhappy with something, please keep in mind that when you see us in the morning we are often exhausted and focused on getting everything done in a timely fashion. A calm and collected approach to dealing with such issues is essential for everyone involved. Through better communication all around we can pave the way for a seamless interaction.

08/31/2022

I took the weekend off to attend a music festival 🤭 and realized I might be a little too old for those kinds of shenanigans 🥴😂.

I am going to tackle another somewhat controversial topic in this discussion and that is pricing and taking money off the top. As far as pricing is concerned I believe that most professionals are in the $110-$125 range for a mane and tail. I know this varies in other parts of the country where some braiders may charge a little less but include travel fees. Whichever model works best for you and your business is what you should do. There is no right or wrong way to breakdown your pricing and I believe that we are still all fairly close in the end.
I charge $110 for a mane and tail with an 80/30 split. In some areas clients will choose to leave the manes braided for two days and some braiders will charge a little more for that. I personally can’t be bothered with that, it’s too much to keep track of. If I have to just hang a fake tail then I charge $15, and I don’t often charge for mane pulls but when I do they are usually $20-25 depending on the size of the job. When I first started many many years ago we were getting $25 a mane and $15 a tail. Yes you read that right and some that have been doing it longer than I have got even less when they began. The potential income is certainly enticing, but as someone pointed out in an earlier discussion you have to know your numbers. When we are on the road we incur the same travel costs as everyone else.
I’ve seen a few people comment that they do charge less because they are not at the level of the top professionals and I applaud them for that. Charging $90-$100 is still respectable and it also gives incentive to continue to improve ones skills.
Now as far as taking money off the top when you have others help you. This is a hot button issue and one that is highly personal. The views on this vary widely and again there is no right or wrong answer here, but what works for you in your business. It is not a practice that I ever applied to my business, and I will not help or work with someone that employs this practice. If you do decide to employ this practice it is extremely important that you are up front and honest with those helping you. Again I want to reiterate that both of these are personal choices and there is no right or wrong way to proceed as long as it’s done honestly.

08/24/2022

Well, we’ve made it through the first and I think most difficult discussion. I would like to thank everyone that shared their thoughts. *As we progress in the series I would like to emphasize that most of what I will be sharing will be from my own personal experiences and business model.* The main goal of the early part of this discussion series is to help guide our up and coming braiders in building a successful business.
One thing that I’ve noticed has come up time and time again is mane preparation. Everyone likes their manes prepared differently to suit their abilities and braiding style. I have always preferred to pull or make the necessary adjustments to my manes myself. The exception to that is when I have something that is not exactly a willing participant. I know that being able to prepare your manes isn’t always possible, but as your experience grows so will your ability to produce quality work on most manes. I will tell you that I personally have a very difficult time with thin manes and manes that are very short. I also am partial to a full neck of braids and tended to keep the manes a little thicker. It is important to learn what your strengths and weaknesses are.
When working with a new client for the first time, I would always ask if the manes might need attention and if any of the horses might not like having their manes pulled. We can’t always count on the client to tell us these things, most of the time it just slipped their minds as it’s not something that they would necessarily be thinking about. I have long found that it is better to be proactive and know what you’re walking into.
As you start to develop a regular client base it will become easier to maintain the manes in the manner that suits you best. While advertising your services is a great way to start to build your business, keep in mind that you don’t really know what you’re getting into. In my personal opinion I don’t see the need to take pictures and post them all over social media complaining about the condition of the manes. If you encounter something you don’t like, the best approach is to have a conversation with the client in a professional manner about what could be done differently to produce a different outcome. Sometimes they just don’t know. Often times when we see them in the mornings we are exhausted and potentially aggravated if we’ve had a rough night, and they are usually focused on the day ahead of them. There is nothing wrong with taking a deep breath before broaching the subject or even saying that you would like to have a conversation with them but could it wait until after you’ve had a chance to get some sleep. I can almost guarantee that you will have a more favorable outcome.

08/20/2022

There have been so many wonderful responses to the first discussion post! I would like to thank everyone that took the time to share their thoughts! So many great points were also brought up. With all of that in mind I am going to take a day or so to reorganize my plan for how this series was going to proceed. I would like to make sure that each important issue gets the time it deserves. Thank you and please keep the input coming!

08/18/2022

Today’s the day! The Life on the Ladder discussion series kicks off! I am going to begin with a rather uncomfortable topic that has been plaguing our small corner of the industry. First I’d like to give you a little background info about myself. I have been a full time professional Braider on the A circuit for over 20 years. I’ve had the privilege of braiding in many top barns, and many wonderful strings of horses. Up until very recently when I was sidelined by a health crisis ( I will get into that more in the self care discussions ) I spent most of the year traveling from one show to another. I have always enjoyed my job and love spending time with the horses especially at night when it’s quiet. I’m also going to lead with a favorite statement of mine:
Integrity is the essence of everything successful.
Unfortunately there has been an issue lately with poor quality work being done for top dollar and it reflects poorly on us all. After many conversations some have decided to open a dialogue with trainers to see what their thoughts are and it doesn’t bode well. Many are choosing to go without braids rather than pay for mediocre ones and recently some have refused to pay for some. They are well within their rights to do this. I have been in that position early in my career and have eaten many braid jobs over the years including ones I’ve had to pay out on. The fact of the matter is that we are an unnecessary faction of the industry albeit a traditional one. Many seasoned vets are unsure of how to rectify this situation and with that I would like to extend this dialogue among braiders and trainers alike. This is not coming from a place of superiority but from a place of genuine concern and many years of experience. I do ask however that nasty, rude and argumentative comments be kept out of this discussion. We all have to work together to make this right.
Up next: tips for braiders, trainers, managers and grooms on getting the quality you want and building a good working relationship.

Equinestylepros

06/11/2023

06/02/2023

05/15/2023

02/22/2023

12/11/2022

09/18/2022

09/04/2022

09/01/2022

08/31/2022

08/24/2022

08/20/2022

08/18/2022

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