Advice on a fake tail?

[beau159]

So I’m pondering getting a fake tail for my horse. I have never used one before and know very little about them. While I do show him primarily Western, I know that you HJ know quite a bit about tails!

We don’t do any breed or rated shows, but I do like to “look the part” at the local open shows we attend. My horse has enough thickness to his tail but he just doesn’t have the length. It’s particularly shorter than usual this year because he ripped out a chunk this spring.

While our first love is barrel racing, I do really enjoy doing reining with him. And he usually places us well in Showmanship and Horsemanship. He doesn’t quite have the right movement for Western pleasure but we do it anyways. I don’t normally show him in Hunter classes but my other horse just got hurt, so he’s going to get to step up to the plate at the next show.

What are the different ways you can attach a fake tail? Which is easiest?
I know there are different weights - is that primarily with how thick the tail is?
Any “tricks” or tips you’ve learned over the years?

Here’s pictures of my horse, for reference. I don’t need to have the fanciest or most expensive tail, but of course I also don’t want to go cheap and have it stick out like a sore thumb.

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[2DogsFarm]

Feel free to ignore this as Curmudeonly Advice from someone Who Showed Hunters WayBackWhen,
Then not a single Hunter had any tail that was not a biological part of the horse.
Including the App I showed with who had the App Tragedy of a tail & still pinned well.
Just.DON’T.

Your horse’s tail is perfectly fine.
He does not need an extra foot of obviously NotHis tail trailing behind him over fences.
I don’t know what height you show at, but the higher the fence, the more obvious the fakes are IMHO.
Spend the couple hundred a good fake will cost you on something more useful & less offensive to Old Crones like myself.
{steps off soapbox}

[beau159]

I appreciate the feedback 2dogs, but maybe I should emphasize that I do focus more Western than English (I just figured posting in this section would give me more traffic). I guess you could say that my “want” for the tail mainly stems from Western Showmanship where part of your score is based on how you have groomed/prepared your horse. Now I know a fake tail isn’t going to be the difference between 1st and 2nd place but I do know that overall impressions do indeed make an impression. I might not do it, but I wanted to at least explore it.

If I do decide to get one, I’d put it in his tail for the day (including the English classes, which are run first) so I’m not trying to rush in-between classes.

We do not jump very high at all. The local shows offer Hunter Hack. I’ve not measured the jumps but they are pretty small. I don’t have this horse anymore, but to at least show the height of the jumps they use.

[HuntinQuarters]

For showing at open shows in the western disciplines, a fake tail is not required, but is completely appropriate (I always use mine, but we are used to that from AQHA shows).

There are several types of attachment: single loop, double loop, and ties. Personally, I prefer the double loop because it is most stable and helps prevent ugly unnatural swing. Looking at your pictures, you would be happy with either a single or double loop. These are attached by braiding a finger-width section of the horse’s tail hair from the middle of the tail against the tail bone through the loop(s).

The weight of an extension refers to the amount of hair. There is also an option for added metal weights to encourage the horse to carry his tail quietly. I hate hanging any more weight off my horse’s tail than I need to, so I discourage the added weight models. Looking at your pictures, you should be happy with a standard 1 lb weight tail.

There are a few keys to getting a good extension (and there’s not much uglier than a bad tail extension). First is color match, match the extension to the color of the MIDDLE of your horse’s tail (not the top hairs or the very ends that may be sun bleached). Second is length/tie-in. If the tail is hung too low, it will have an unnatural swing. Some people braid the extension against the very bottom of the tail bone, but I prefer to braid it up a couple inches from the bottom of the bone. Either way, make sure the base of the extension is against the bone somewhere. If it is lower, you will get UGLY swing. The bottom of the extension should hit at the fetlock or slightly above. If it is longer, you risk the horse stepping on it and ripping it out and that can get really ugly in a hurry!

To pick out your extension, you need to measure how long the extension needs to be. Measure from the point you want to braid on the tail bone down to the fetlock. Then check the color. If possible, compare a sample to your horse’s tail. There are so many colors of sorrel that they can be tricky to match.

There are many people who make nice extensions, but I always recommend Barb at www.customtails.com. She has lots of good information on her website about selecting, attaching, and caring for your extension.

Finally, when in use, the key to having a good-looking tail is keeping both the natural tail and the extension clean and brushed. A dirty tail won’t blend nicely between the natural and fake hair. Wash and condition both every time you show.

Your horse is cute. Have fun with your shows!

[HuntinQuarters]

I LOVE showing showmanship as well! The fake tail won’t be as important at open shows as at breed shows, but if there were one class where the appearance of a fake tail can make a difference in placing, it is showmanship. It’s part of showing attention to detail and knowledge of the breed standard. It is not the most important thing (that would be executing a technically correct pattern), but if all other things are equal between 2 exhibitors, the judge will pick the team with the better “look” to win. Also, it creates a better first impression. Before you even start a pattern a judge forms an opinion and expectation of your performance based on how you look. Presenting the perfect western breed turnout puts you ahead in the judge’s mind before you even start (then you have to maintain that expectation by nailing your performance).

[beau159]

Excellent information huntinquarters. Thank you!

[GoodTimes]

HuntinQuarters gave you great advice. There’s lots of videos on youtube showing how to attach a fake. I also prefer double loop attachments. Once they’re braided in I always wrap some electrical tape around it, not sticky enough to damage the hair, but sticky enough to give some insurance. A fake tail falling out is very embarrassing!

Typically the darker or more common the colour, the cheaper the tail will be. Going off these pictures a regular dark sorrel tail should match no problem. As far as weight that’s up to you. I usually recommend 1/2lb tails for hunters, it looks more natural, however you may need a 1lb to get the length and thickness at the bottom.

[sandsarita]

I like double loop tails as well. If no weight added, I braid through the loop and down to add in hair from the fake tail to the braid. I do this on both sides. It just adds more stability to the tail and ensures that the fake and real tail move together. Make sure you use multiple rubber bands to tie off each braid though. You don’t want one to break and the tail come loose!

I would get get a one pound tail. A half really isn’t much, but more than a pound would be unnecessary expense. Also the other poster is right. Both tails need to be cleaned every day. It makes a huge difference

[beau159]

Does anyone have any suggestions on video links that show how to attach the double loops to the tail? I don’t have a very good visual in my head. Of course a bunch of results come up on YouTube but you don’t know which ones are the “good” ones.

[beau159]

Tail is on order! Will get some pictures when it arrives.

[beau159]

I popped it on him last night. Mind you his tail wasn’t washed and neither was the fake tail, but I just wanted to see how it looked. I just quickly did a single braid to hold it in – I will have to do some practice on that. But it matches his natural hairs around the tail bone almost perfectly!

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[enjoytheride]

Any preferences regarding having caps on the end or no caps?

[vxf111]

The color doesn’t look like a great match but maybe that’s my computer?! I think they’re more realistic looking when they have sprinkling of light/dark hairs rather than more uniform color?!

[HJdaydream]

I think it looks great! Once your horses tail is conditioned and brushed out it should flow a bit smoother. Excited for you! :yes:

[HuntinQuarters]

I think the color is a tad dark, but once you have the tail and extension washed, they will blend together better. Most of the “mismatch” you are seeing here is from your horse’s natural hair appearing coarser (from being dirty) and the extension looking finer (they have different textures).

I would also recommend hanging the tail 1-2 inches higher. The way you have it in these pics he is likely to step on it when he tucks his butt under to back in showmanship. Having recently had a tail disaster when my horse stepped on his extension and ripped it out while backing up in the showmanship warm-up (of course just a minute before we went in to show to the judge), I can tell you that’s no fun!

[beau159]

I didn’t do a very good job of “parting” the hair correctly for the picture, and I think that will help it blend better. But the inner hair in his tail does match the extension very, very well. He is a roan so his upper tail has the white roan sprinkled hairs. Honestly, if I didn’t know what long hairs were his real tail and which ones were the fake tail, I don’t think I could tell the difference.

Yes, I will surely set it up a little higher!

Our show is Saturday so hopefully I will have time to snap a couple “finished product” pictures!