Cut the tail or not?? What would you do?

[ragrobin4]

Six months ago, I started growing our little 12hh ponies tail out. The tail then was almost at ground level and know 4 o 5 inches on the ground behind him. It is beautiful to look at, that is why I started growing it out in the first place. But if he backs up one step, he steps on it and has pulled out a plug.

I have kept it in a tail bag, tucked away safe, but hate looking at the tail bag all the time.

I wanted the tail long for show purposes. But now am wondering if I should just keep it cut off at the ground. I would still have to keep it in a tail bag anyway.

What’s your thoughts. Do you like to see a long tail dragging behind a horse or cut off at the ground?

I know it up to me and what I prefer, but just curious about what other people like as well

[starhorse]

I’d guess it depends on what you want to do with the pony and what you’d show him in.

I’d cut it, personally, but your discipline may dictate otherwise.

[shamrock]

I’d cut it too. I’d be afraid he’d pull more out! I like tails banged right at the fetlock. I do my guy’s this length because he “carries” his tail a bit when he goes.

[joiedevie99]

I bang tails at the back of the pastern/ergot. I think it helps keep them full at the bottom (and not stepped on). No tail bag required.

I’d only grow a tail out past there if it was required for something I wanted to show in.

[mht]

When you live in the land of springtime mud, the tails are always banged. They grow back quickly enough.

[red_mares]

I presume this is a fancy driving pony? If so, my vote is for long & up in a tail bag.

If you’re showing in harness there are some tricks to showing with a long tail, i.e. a strategically placed shoe lace between the shafts or tying the end of the tail to the basket.

If you’re going to show the pony under saddle, than I’d keep it at ground level.

[NikkiS]

I like tails that drag on the ground, but only on Arabians for some reason. I’m not even a big Arab fan, but long tails just look right on them.

Any other large breed, I like tails banged at the ground or even shorter, around the fetlock.

On ponies, I think there is nothing more adorable than a tail that is actually quite a bit shorter, usually around the hock or a little below. SUPER CUTE.

[SmartAlex]

I come from Saddlebredland. We invented the concept of overly long tails. I don’t like them. Never really did. And I don’t like the maintenance of a braid or the look of a tail bag either. I bang mine at the ankle.

The optimum show length of the tail really depends on what it does to the proportions of your horse. Some horses/ponies look grounded like peacocks with their tails down if their tail drags the ground.

[sid]

[QUOTE=joiedevie99;8070627]
I bang tails at the back of the pastern/ergot. I think it helps keep them full at the bottom (and not stepped on). No tail bag required.

I’d only grow a tail out past there if it was required for something I wanted to show in.[/QUOTE]

I’ve always banged tails too. They look lovely that way. Just my preference.

[emipou]

Never been a fan of the tail dragging on the ground but to each their own. I like a nice bang except on certain breeds/types. Arabs don’t look good with banged tails (In my opinion) because they carry the tail up when they move and the bang oftentimes looks like a bad haircut. Some breeds like Quarter Horse types just look better with a shorter, natural looking tail.

On my friesian girl though, she has a big full tail and it is so beautiful and I love to see it banged about 3-5 inches off the ground.

Wanted to add: the arab comment is something I have noticed on one horse (multiple times) and is probably just a bad haircutter. So I’ll take that back. …taken back

[ambar]

I love long full tails, but I want them to stop at the ankle. Especially for horses showing in classes where they are required to back up, it’s just unfair to make them step on it.

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=emipou;8070920]
Arabs don’t look good with banged tails (In my opinion) because they carry the tail up when they move and the bang oftentimes looks like a bad haircut. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=emipou;8070920]
Wanted to add: the arab comment is something I have noticed on one horse (multiple times) and is probably just a bad haircutter. So I’ll take that back. …taken back[/QUOTE]

No, you’re right. My horse carries his tail up, and I have to bang it with the tail up too. I remember in one of the books I had as a kid they showed putting your whole arm under the tail to hold it up away from the body in a more natural position when you bang it. But even then, a horse that carries it’s tail very arched can be difficult to bang neatly. Unless you account for the natural tail carriage, your cut can look very severely angled when it is fresh.

[ReSomething]

The other fun thing they can do is back up, step on it and slip and fall down in a concrete wash stall type area. I really like the look of pony’s tail, pretty much naturally banged at the fetlocks.

[toady123]

I’m far to practical for a tail that drags around. In my mind that just equals a dirty tail that I have to clean constantly, that gets caught on stuff and ripped out (ouch!).

Unless he needs this for breed/showing purposes I would cut it. And if he does need it I would be taking precautions as best I could so that he is not ripping it out again.

[ybiaw]

During “off season” I always let my horse’s tail grow out so that it just touched the ground. Then before show season started, I’d bang it just at/below the fetlock. Taking off that last 4" gave it a nice full appearance. FWIW I am (was) a hunter rider.

[ElisLove]

It really depends on what you show in, how highly rated your want to show, and how well you want to do. If you do showing where the tail is ‘supposed’ to be on the ground and want to do the bigger shows and do well then I would say you’d want to keep that tail.
If you do those shows, but smaller and winning isn’t such a big deal, then you could cut it.
If you show in an event where tails normally are not on the ground (such as hunter/jumper/dressage) then you can (and would want to) cut it shorter. Hunter’s usually try for a more natural look than the straight across bang (or at least they did back when I showed mostly hunters), jumpers is usually a straight across bang.
If you don’t show at all, then do what you like with it.

[CHT]

I bang my Arabians’ tails. They aren’t very thick, and dragging on the ground would make them even thinner looking. I will likely cut some shape into them before show season, but as they aren’t thick, the bang seems to look ok.

This isn’t in keeping with the rules for Arabians though, and in theory, a judge in a main ring class could dock me for not having the tail “natural”. Fortunately I am not sure either is a real main ring horse and our focus is Sport horse/dressage where the “natural” tail isn’t required.

If the classes/breed your pony shows in encourage a natural tail though, you might want to keep that in consideration.

[Tee]

I like a little longer tail on my Morgans, so they stay in tail wraps over the winter (and occasionally trimmed). They hold their tails out some when we ride, so I don’t worry about them being backed up on under saddle, but they do step on them getting up from naps. So in the spring and summer when they need their tails, I do them up in some figure 8 ‘knots’. I do them in many sections (anywhere from 10 to 20 depending on which tail it is) and it’ll bring the tail up a good 6" or more. The weight of the tail at the bottom of each ‘knot’ keeps it from coming undone.

[DJohn]

Cut it!

I don’t do anything with my horse’s tail other than cut it off at the fetlocks every month or so. I really don’t like the look of a long tail, a neat banged tail looks so much better!

[kookicat]

Cut it!

Never seemed fair to me to keep the tail so long the either step on it or it has to be a in a bag 99% of the time.