Horse hair braid act as both a facing and a hem stabilizer. It is used to add structure to hem lines, talk of mermaid skirt, a full ball gown a peplum or a circle skirt. Initially horse hair braid is made of horse hair but now it is made of nylon and polyester and which is commonly refered to as CRINOLINE. Do you Know you can pull the thread at the top to make the bottom perfect for a curved hem? Yes you can. Yinky Couture