Horse Braider by Josh Meltzer

It’s just after 1 a.m. Wednesday.
The horse owners, competitors and fans have left the Salem Civic Center hours ago for their hotels or RVs.
Inside Tent E at the Salem Horse Show, the sounds of rain falling on the canvas roof and an occasional shuffle from a tired horse are music to Robin Brumfield’s ears.
Her work day is just beginning.
Tonight, a tall white horse named Phooey is her third customer. Tomorrow, Phoeey will be competing in the Hunter category, and his owners have requested Brumfield’s night-side service to braid his mane and tail.
"You better hold your head still," Brumfield playfully threatens Phooey as he stretches up and down.
The owners know that having a professional like Brumfield tie 35-40 of her specialty braids on Phooey’s mane can be the difference between first and second place when two horses have performed equally well.
"It sort of shows that you want your horse to be a winner," Brumfield said of the tradition that goes back to when horses’ manes were braided to keep them clean and free of burrs and other entanglements.
Brumfield travels across the country from one horse show to the next for most of the year, working quietly at night … often alone. Occasionally she returns to her Virginia Beach home for a 48-hour break in between weeks of road trips.
"The best thing about braiding is not having to say ‘Yes, sir’," she laughs. "I love being my own boss."
Brumfield’s hands move in a blur, and though she still makes it look easy, the years on the top of a step ladder bent over horses for 10 hours a night have taken a toll.
Arthritis causes pain in her neck, and often the summer heat can make her weary by dawn.
"This was one of those jobs I was going to do until I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up — and I’m still here," she said. "So that either means I haven’t grown up yet, or I still don’t know what I want to be."

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