Beautiful Dressage tail enthusiasts! Help...

[aband12]

My horse has a pretty nice tail for the most part…however, due to dry weather and perhaps extra bathing for shows…it seems to have lost some of its luster. I know it is not diet related as his coat has never looked better and he is getting top of the line supplements/feed. Was curious to see if anyone had some good tips in regards to mane and tail products that help moisturize and detangle. I prefer to use non-silicone products as they tend to dry the hair cuticles out even more.

I have heard some people mix their own tail/coat spray with their own recipe. If anyone would like to share their own…I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks in advance : )

[CanteringCarrot]

My horse’s full and thick tail is partly genetics and partly due to benign neglect :lol:​​​​​​

I just pick out any leaves, hay, grass, or whatever he gets in it by hand. I rarely wash it, but when I do I just shampoo at the roots around the tailbone, and then I follow with conditioner that I let soak in (full tail from roots to tips) for a few minutes before rinsing. I generally use a tea tree shampoo or MicroTek followed by whatever human hair conditioner I’ve bought. I’ll brush out his tail after it dries.

Always brush from bottom to top. I also always keep his tail banged in such a way that he doesn’t step on it, and it’s mostly clear from being in the mud. Maybe I brush it out once a month or less.

In between washings it generally doesn’t need anything, but I usually have some product on hand just in case. I just browse the ethnic hair care section at my local store and buy something moisturizing without silicone there.

I do not wash his tail for every show because it is black, and simply doesn’t need to be washed for every show. If your horses tail isn’t gray/white, you can probably get away with that too.

Some products will also cause build up and take away the luster of the hair, so be aware of that as well.

[gailbyrd]

When I was in the habit of washing tails weekly (gray horse = filthy tail) I would use conditioner after EVERY shampoo. I never had to use any other product. I also never brushed, only picked through. Routine was to wash tail, put on the conditioner, wash the rest of the horse then rinse out the conditioner. The key I’ve found for a full thick(er) tail is to never brush, keep it banged. Good luck.

[CobJockey]

@aband12

…it seems to have lost some of its luster…I prefer to use non-silicone products as they tend to dry the hair cuticles out even more.

I want to clear up a misconception here that may help you too. Silicones don’t dry out hair on their own. Because they are not water soluble and don’t rinse out with water, you have to use a really harsh cleanser (a sulfate) to remove them once they get into the hair. For certain hair types, this is fine, but for others (in people, those with curly/frizzy hair) this is akin to washing a wool sweater with engine degreaser, and leads to dryness and frizz. (Source: 10 year follower of the Curly Girl Method)

One possible reason for the tail losing some of its luster is that you accidentally used a product that had a silicone in it a while ago, and your normal shampoo is a mild cleanser that isn’t capable of getting the silicones out, so the tail is getting more “gunky” and duller over time. I’d do one wash with a strong clarifying shampoo (with sulfates in it) before trying the tips you get here, and then read your product labels really carefully if you don’t already. It’s easy to miss a silicone, ask me how I know!

Another possible reason is that you miss the shine silicones gave the tail - they are really good at that! I don’t know of many silicone-free products that give hair that shine that silicones do, which is annoying, but it is what it is. I’ll be interested to see if anyone here has a good recommendation for that.

Finally, once you’re sure the silicones are all out and you’re committed to never using them again, you can switch to a less harsh shampoo without sulfates in it, which will preserve the hair’s natural moisture.

[outerbanks77]

I’ve actually been using whatever human conditioners I can find on clearance in liter bottles at TJMaxx (preferably with a pump dispenser) instead of horse products.

Right now it is a white bottle that is coconut something or other. So I wash the tail with whatever shampoo I have, and then use plenty of the conditioner, let it sit for a few minutes and rinse.

The next step is, once the tail is dry, to carefully comb it out with liquid coconut oil. I think this absorbs into the hair shaft better than the conditioner that is put on when the hair is already saturated with water.

If I get around to it, after the coconut oil has had time to soak in, I do use a silicone (Cowboy Magic) to seal the whole thing and keep the hair slippery so it doesn’t snag and break.

This method helped me turn an appaloosa rat-tail into an adorable little poof of a tail that went a couple inches past her hocks by the time I sold the horse.

The tip on the clarifying shampoo is a good one - I will use that on my dark chestnut girl to try for more shine.

The problem with shining products for the show ring is - they are either silicone based, or they are oil-based and attract dirt. When I was around the western pleasure and Arabian halter people, we would fan out the tail and spray Pepi just before entering the ring. That might not be practical for dressage if you’re doing multiple tests and don’t have a groom following you around. You might get away with just putting it in the top half of the tail where it is less likely to get dirty.

[Aeris]

I really like the Heathy HairCare Hair Moisturizer concentrate. One small bottle lasts forever (and at $16, it’s a good deal) and it has kept my horse’s tail really shiny and made one of our horses that came in from being a pasture puff look like a show horse in a week or 2 of treatment. I usually spray some on my horse’s tail ~2 times a week and work in through with a stiff brush.

[netg]

@CobJockey

I want to clear up a misconception here that may help you too. Silicones don’t dry out hair on their own. Because they are not water soluble and don’t rinse out with water, you have to use a really harsh cleanser (a sulfate) to remove them once they get into the hair. For certain hair types, this is fine, but for others (in people, those with curly/frizzy hair) this is akin to washing a wool sweater with engine degreaser, and leads to dryness and frizz. (Source: 10 year follower of the Curly Girl Method)

One possible reason for the tail losing some of its luster is that you accidentally used a product that had a silicone in it a while ago, and your normal shampoo is a mild cleanser that isn’t capable of getting the silicones out, so the tail is getting more “gunky” and duller over time. I’d do one wash with a strong clarifying shampoo (with sulfates in it) before trying the tips you get here, and then read your product labels really carefully if you don’t already. It’s easy to miss a silicone, ask me how I know!

Another possible reason is that you miss the shine silicones gave the tail - they are really good at that! I don’t know of many silicone-free products that give hair that shine that silicones do, which is annoying, but it is what it is. I’ll be interested to see if anyone here has a good recommendation for that.

Finally, once you’re sure the silicones are all out and you’re committed to never using them again, you can switch to a less harsh shampoo without sulfates in it, which will preserve the hair’s natural moisture.

This. (Also CG here, mostly… But I’m not using my Jessicurl products on my horses’ tails!)

For inexpensive products, I tend to use Suave Naturals shampoo and conditioner. I don’t shampoo that often, mostly just do a conditioner wash then leave in conditioner. I have been liking the Garnier leave-in, which does have cones but I’m not sure if they are water soluble or not. So far, no deposit issues!

[endlessclimb]

https://www.pureology.com/colour-fanatic-treatment-spray-leave-in/PPDPURColorFanatic.html

This stuff. Not cheap, but I haven’t felt or used anything even close. Makes it feel almost like human hair.

[emipou]

@endlessclimb

https://www.pureology.com/colour-fanatic-treatment-spray-leave-in/PPDPURColorFanatic.html

This stuff. Not cheap, but I haven’t felt or used anything even close. Makes it feel almost like human hair.

That’s the fancy stuff. That’s what I use for my hair.

PRE stallion barn over here. We use this stuff in large quantity, even at the shows - https://marystack.com/horse-sense-solution-conditioner-detangler-1-l/
I’m not sure what else our magician groom uses for showing and such, but we used this to wash my guy’s mane and tail at the last show. Works well, not too pricey.

Though when I tried to go buy a bottle for myself, the local tack store was all out.
I wound up picking up a bottle of EQyss avocado mist detangler spray. Loving it so far.

[Hayburner]

It’s all about the type of tail hair the horse has, and maybe a little about the type of water your using. My gelding needed nothing special, I’d use any horse type shampoo and cowboy magic rose water conditioner and his mane and tail were always tangle free and super soft. My mare’s (PRE) tail is very course and nothing seems to soften or penetrate it. I have used so many horse products, human and ethic products and nothing so far is a miracle in a bottle! I have totally stopped using anything with silicone because even that didn’t keep it tangle free.

This time I used a horse shampoo, CM rose water conditioner, then for the final rinse I used a diluted white vinegar rinse. It was a bit softer but she still gets tangles at the bottom.

next attempt will be the Epona silk products, if they don’t work, I’m giving up! Lol.

Her tail isnt bad, it’s just so course and it sticks together!

[Moogles]

@endlessclimb

https://www.pureology.com/colour-fanatic-treatment-spray-leave-in/PPDPURColorFanatic.html

This stuff. Not cheap, but I haven’t felt or used anything even close. Makes it feel almost like human hair.

Agreed!

I always just use my leftover human hair products, I did use some pureology and it was sublime but too expensive to buy just for horsie. I have curly hair, so generally the products I use detangle and moisturize. The hands down best thing I’ve ever found is a tiny amount of bio-silk leave in treatment is a game changer. A good conditioner is easy enough to find, but the bio-silk adds so much shine and keeps his tail from tangling.

[maybesmom]

My horses all have great looking tails so I figure my groom and I are doing something right.

1. how frequently you need to bathe a tail depends on how dirty it gets- I have a mare who always seems to get pee and manure in her tail and she needs to have her tail bathed regularly. Urine or manure soaking a tail is, IMO, not a good thing for the tail. Urine and manure will definitely dry out the cuticle. Ditto a load of mud. If I bathe frequently, particularly in the winter, I sometimes will give her an olive oil soak before shampooing to avoid getting her tail super dry- just use regular old olive oil, warm to room. tem and masage in to tail before bathing. Leave on 15 minutes and shampoo out. I like Head and Shoulders shampoo if there is a lot of dander and my vet tells me H&S also discourages external parasites (flies, midges, ticks, etc) but my groom says it is important to use an animal shampoo because the pH of animal shampoos is different than the pH of human shampoos. So unless I can’t find Corona horse shampoo, I have abandoned H&S unless a lot of dander. Then condition with a dry hair conditioner. (I use human Nexus and my groom does not object to this) I rinse thoroughly, finger comb only and use cowboy magic detangler after the shampoo/ conditioner and a bit every day to keep tail detangled. I do not think (and neither does my groom) that cowboy magic dries out the tail. Do NOT use a brush on your horses tail unless your have hand picked tangles first. Otherwise you risk pulling out hair.

2. One thing I do that helps in the winter is that I cut tails to hock length in the winter, unless horses are showing . This helps keep them cleaner and also helps avoid getting a load of burrs, mud, etc in the tail that would risk major tangles or losing clumps of hair during the winter when we are not showing and horses don’t need to use their tails for flies. I could use tail bags but my horses hate them. Tails are always 6-8 inches longer in the spring and stay nice and thick. My trainer wishes I would just let them stay long but my talented mares have managed to stand on long tails and pull out clumps of hair, so I watch tail length.

3. Check tail daily to make sure there are no burrs or twigs that can tear out clumps of hair. If burrs get caught in tail these are easier to remove (I think) after shampooing with the help of cowboy magic

4. make sure mare’s udder and geldings sheath are clean and than dock and around mares vulva are clean. Keeping these areas clean will discourage tail rubbing. Some horses are sensitive to having their “private areas” cleaned so this may take some practice, but should be part of regular grooming.

5. Prophylactic tail care is more effective than not doing anything until right before a show. We keep horses tails in show condition all the time.

[Xanthoria]

It’s a misconception that silicone dries hair. It’s actually a sealant, so it will seal in moisture, or seal it out… it also increases slip, so tangles fall out and don’t snag.

I make a moisturizing, detangling spray that’s 1/3 conditioner, 1/3 water and 1/3 silicone coat spray. Or just use a leave in conditioner spray for people. I find that a tangled tail is far more prone to damage than a tail with silicone in it.

Yes, you’ll see buildup, so washing with a clarifying (ie detergent) shampoo, followed by heavy conditioning, is an occasional requirement.

[jdm]

I’ve always used Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo once per week, and Infusium 23 spray daily. No brushing, just fingers to pick through and a warm damp towel to remove dirt daily.

[jdm]

pic

[2tempe]

I am blessed with a horse who has THICK “pony” mane and tail. He is also nearly white. I will skip the braiding challenges he presents, but will say that some months back I became a convert to Castile Soap - one of the many threads on white tails said it helped them. Yes I can vouch for it there. But most interestingly, is that because this soap is made from pure coconut oil, it leaves the tail feeling very conditioned and moisturized. I dont brush, except before shows, when I also apply some Cowboy Magic. For some reason this tail gets very few tangles, but the stuff that comes in from the pasture in said tail is worthy of a novel.

Get only the Kirk’s Original, Its pretty cheap, the bar last a long time - keep in zip lock bag.

[jet3456]

Coconut oil! and ShowSheen! both have done wonders to my horses tail you can buy small spray-on bottles of the coconut oil at Walmart, very cheap. I usually spray on a decent amount of the coconut oil and rub into roots every other day and on the alternating days use the showsheen. also don’t brush it! just pick out the twigs/shavings.

[SnicklefritzG]

I have a friend who shows on the Palomino circuit and wins EVERYTHING. This horse has the most beautiful tail that anyone has ever seen. OP, if you are interested, I can ask my friend how she does it.

[Belowthesalt]

@Aeris

I really like the Heathy HairCare Hair Moisturizer concentrate. One small bottle lasts forever (and at $16, it’s a good deal) and it has kept my horse’s tail really shiny and made one of our horses that came in from being a pasture puff look like a show horse in a week or 2 of treatment. I usually spray some on my horse’s tail ~2 times a week and work in through with a stiff brush.

That stuff is great. Turned my old bay roan horse’s “steelwool” mane into a normal mane. I use it every day on my horse’s mane and tail, and spray his entire body after a rinse off or bath to restore his coat. Great stuff, and as an 8-to-1 dilute, a bottle lasts forever.

[netg]

@SnicklefritzG

I have a friend who shows on the Palomino circuit and wins EVERYTHING. This horse has the most beautiful tail that anyone has ever seen. OP, if you are interested, I can ask my friend how she does it.

Products come and go, but most likely she uses a tail sock and keeps it up all the time, then is super careful about how she grooms it. I used Mane N Tail and Tresseme products on my palomino, and he had a wonderful tail. This was before fake tails were allowed, so we HAD to grow the tails out if we wanted them to look good.