Collecting Your Horse's Hair
The best hair for braiding comes from the center of the horse's tail, cut from as close to the bottom of the dock as possible. Long hair is easiest to work with and the more long hairs we start with will give the finest possible appearance for the finished product.
The Perfect Cut
The piece of hair shown above is an average cutting from a horse's tail. This is exactly what I love to see arrive in the mail. It is a decent thickness and fantastic length. The length of the piece is about 30inches long. This piece would work great for either a choker style necklace or possibly two bracelets, depending on the style. There is not enough thickness in this cutting to make a hat band, though this is the length I would need.
Minimum Thickness
The cut end should be about the thickness of a regular pencil at the cut end. When I measured the thickness of the cutting below it was about 4.5mm a little more hair would make me happier, but I can make more thickness from any extra length there might be.
Shorter lengths of hair.
A raw cutting of hair 12-13inches is about the shortest length I can work with for bracelets. Some of my earring designs permit me to use a cutting as short as 8 inches. If you send a shorter piece of hair please pay attention to having adequate thickness throughout the whole length of the hair.
Mane hair is difficult to work with, usually not of sufficient length, and is not as durable in the finished piece, but if you would like mane hair used, it is best to mix it in with at least some tail hairs.
Once you have cut the desired amount of hair, secure the hair with a rubber band near the cut end immediately to prevent tangling. Braiding bands are ideal for securing the hair tightly, but any rubber band will do. Most horses can give up the amount of hair for a bracelet without noticeably altering the appearance of their tail at all. To protect the hair from damage in transit, it is best to ship with the hair in a zip-top-bag, inside a bubble envelope.
Cleaning your horse's hair before shipping is not necessary, I will do that when I get it, and if the hair is damp when it is mailed it can cause the hair to mould in transit during warm weather.
Average Bracelet: An average bracelet is 7 - 8 inches long when finished quires a section of hair about the thickness of a pencil (5-6mm) at the banded end and be a minimum of 12 inches (30cm) long. A thicker or longer bracelet will require more hair. As a rule adding 3 inches (7.5 cm) to the desired finished length will give enough hair to work with.
Large End Caps: End caps that create a thicker bracelet than average are indicated and will call for 8-10 mm starting thickness. Which is about the thickness of a Sharpie marker.
Necklace: Requires much more hair, the thickness of the hair should be a little thicker than a pen about 8-10mm at the middle of the length of hair, or about 9-11 mm thick at the cut end, (about the thickness of a Sharpie marker). A choker length necklace will need 18 inches(45.5cm) starting length. If a longer necklace is desired add 5inches(13cm) to the desired length of the finished necklace to decide what the raw length of hair should be.
Earrings: A section of hair as short as 8inches(20cm) and as thin as 4mm. will work for a pair of earrings.
Hat Bands: It is rather hard to get enough long hairs from a single horse to create a good hat band without cutting off most of the tail. I usually recommend using the hair from more than one horse to make a hat band. The length of hair should be a minimum of 22 inches (55.5 cm) and 12-15mm thick at the banded end about the thickness of an Expo dry erase marker. If you need more hair to add to your own horse's hair to fill out the thickness I can provide it. Draft horses, and some individuals with extra thick tails can sometimes give enough without getting a "bobbed tail" look
Once you have cut the desired amount of hair, secure the hair with a rubber band near the cut end immediately to prevent tangling. Braiding bands are ideal for securing the hair tightly, but any rubber band will do. Most horses can give up the amount of hair for a bracelet without noticeably altering the appearance of their tail at all. To protect the hair from damage in transit, it is best to ship with the hair in a zip-top-bag, inside a bubble envelope.
Cleaning your horse's hair before shipping is not necessary, I will do that when I get it, and if the hair is damp when it is mailed it can cause the hair to mould in transit during warm weather.
Average Bracelet: An average bracelet is 7 - 8 inches long when finished quires a section of hair about the thickness of a pencil (5-6mm) at the banded end and be a minimum of 12 inches (30cm) long. A thicker or longer bracelet will require more hair. As a rule adding 3 inches (7.5 cm) to the desired finished length will give enough hair to work with.
Large End Caps: End caps that create a thicker bracelet than average are indicated and will call for 8-10 mm starting thickness. Which is about the thickness of a Sharpie marker.
Necklace: Requires much more hair, the thickness of the hair should be a little thicker than a pen about 8-10mm at the middle of the length of hair, or about 9-11 mm thick at the cut end, (about the thickness of a Sharpie marker). A choker length necklace will need 18 inches(45.5cm) starting length. If a longer necklace is desired add 5inches(13cm) to the desired length of the finished necklace to decide what the raw length of hair should be.
Earrings: A section of hair as short as 8inches(20cm) and as thin as 4mm. will work for a pair of earrings.
Hat Bands: It is rather hard to get enough long hairs from a single horse to create a good hat band without cutting off most of the tail. I usually recommend using the hair from more than one horse to make a hat band. The length of hair should be a minimum of 22 inches (55.5 cm) and 12-15mm thick at the banded end about the thickness of an Expo dry erase marker. If you need more hair to add to your own horse's hair to fill out the thickness I can provide it. Draft horses, and some individuals with extra thick tails can sometimes give enough without getting a "bobbed tail" look