Anyone know when and why North America started to go with braided tails predominantly over the traditional pulled/thinned tail? Just one of those random thoughts out of the blue.
As far as I know, the North American hunter tail has always been braided (used to be finished with a loop instead of a pinwheel or wrap), with origins in the hunt field.
My understanding is that manes and tails were traditionally braided in the hunt field to keep long manes from interfering with reins and the braided tail kept the horse cooler and was less likely to tangle in heavy brush. My ancient riding teacher when I was a kid said that the tradition started in the US on the East Coast when the wealthy who had imported horses with imported grooms set the standard fox hunting hunting and in the show ring. Subsequently, everyone began to follow suit.
Interesting @Foxglove. I’ve seen historical images of mudtails used for that purpose, but mud tails can be done with a braided top or without.
Synthesis --not so much mud tails —which I’ve seen rarely in the hunt field and usually only on my horse b/c 1) I know how to do them 2) he’s got a thick, long tail 3) he’s a pretty small horse and picks up a lot of mud in that tail. The braiding of the top, I would think as someone who does ride to the hounds in heavy thickets at times, keep the tail from being pulled out or damaged along the sides. Frequently horses on the hunt field pick up sticks and bramble canes in their tails. Most hunt horses just deal with it, but I’ve seen a few go goofy when a big stick starts following them attached to the tail hair. I believe the “correct length” for a hunter’s tail is banged at the hock or just below --which makes sense to me. But I’m like everyone else on the hunt field --I love my horse’s long tail and don’t mind all the extra work to pick out the stuff that collects in it after a hunt. It’s an interesting question . . .
@Foxglove I’ve used a mudtail with my mare for the same reason. Very thick tail and we had a problem with poop and mudsicles back when I was sorting out her ulcers. She lived in a loose mud tail without a braided top, which helped immensely.
I can see the braiding as a method of keeping things from catching in the long upper tail hairs. That’s a great point for why to braid the upper tail. The ‘why’ behind some of the competition traditions is always interesting.
I honestly can’t imagine a situation in which my horse would be getting brush tangled in those short upper hairs of the tail though when we wouldn’t have much bigger concerns than that 
I think the braiding is simply to show off the hind end better, and likely came about as people rode fancier horses in the hunt field. As in the hunting forum maybe? As far as I remember, braiding originally denoted a quality or blood horse in the hunt field, in contrast to roaching the mane off.
In this area and many others that I am familiar with, field hunters do wear mud tails, but they’re usually just twisted up and taped in place (like polo tails) versus being braided and sewn or tied like the show ring version.
