I can’t stand it when you see a really big fake tail on an obviously skimpy tail such that the fake tail carries so much more momentum you can see the two separate as the horse goes around. I would so much rather look at a mud knot.
I also don’t really love how it’s normalized an unwritten requirement to braid tails for all sorts of classes instead of more formal classes, finals, classics, etc.
A nice fake tail put in by a good braider enhances your turnout in the hunters. Every nice hunter I’ve had has gone in a fake tail, as their fellow hunter horse friends from our barn and others do.
Our barn only braids tails for AA shows, but uses fake, unbraided tails at all shows. They look nice.
They are weird-looking. To me. They look unnatural.
If they are obvious to the casual observer. I don’t know if fake tails are considered another part of showing turnout by most riders, but there certainly do seem to be many of them.
If a fake tail fills out the horse’s own tail a bit, and isn’t so obviously there, they can be quite nice. But there seems to be an emphasis on dragging around an overly-thick heavy tail that does not hang or behave naturally. Not nice to watch, imo.
Ok, I realize you are talking about showing and I’m not.
I’ve always had an urge to provide extensions to horses with short tails that can’t swat flies.
I don’t mean the thick glamorous extensions, just enough extensions for a good satisfying swish. Maybe sewn or individually knotted in.
IMO it’s pretty obvious in the Big Eq classes that too many, if not all, of the horses have fake tails and it is mildly distracting. Same for most hunter classes. IMO it’s a stupid fashion and hopefully will disappear at some point. Just looks dumb.
Everyone has their perspective, of course, but since Babylon, fantastically gorgeous and beautifully jumping and moving hunter horse of the year goes in a fake tail, I wouldn’t hold out much hope for the hunters. There is no way people will give up fake tails if the best ones don’t, though this would be nice because they are really expensive. Obviously if a fake tail bothers your horse then don’t use one, but I haven’t had a horse like this. Doesn’t mean these horses don’t exist, but it seems pretty dumb that one would use a fake tail if it detracts from their performance just to satisfy convention. I guess this stupid scenario probably exists, too, however, along with all other hypotheticals entertained on this forum.
@Chall --I know what you mean about providing a thin-tailed horse with something more effective for swishing flies! Many years ago an excited GS puppy grabbed my Arab mare’s tail (long but thin) and pulled out everything from the bottom of the tail bone! Not much left to swish! It grew back --but oh, I remember trying to think of a way to glue on hair pieces so she could swish!
I love them.
They’re no creepier to me than glue, violin bows, paintbrushes, or white sugar … all sourced from slaughtered horses.
Granted, I won’t use the “hide on” versions of fake tails - those do wig me out a little bit. 
Well…
White sugar is a product of sugar cane.
The processing process to make it white includes bone char, but sugar is not sourced from a slaughter house.
Yes, but I’m referring to the processing process for the purposes of my examples. 
I actually never thought about where the tail came from (I know, talk about naïve! Though of course deep down, I know it came off a horse at some point) so I never thought it as creepy per say…
I have only started using a 1/2 pound tail on a pony that has a thin tail. I also hate tails that flop between the hind legs while they are trotting, so I find my 1/2 pound to be perfect. Now I like them on my line ponies as I find it just balances the whole picture - if they have a fine tail. I use my braider to put it in and honestly, you don’t even notice it (I also hate the poorly placed tail the “separates” and you can see the real to the fake tail when they move or when they swish their tail). I find a decent tail completes the picture and balances an animal from front to back. I have also used this same 1/2 pound on a hunter pony for over fences etc, and it looked great (in my opinion).
Now I have a pony that has the thickest tail imaginable, and even though I cut half of it out, it still goes between his legs when he trots and when he’s judged on the line, the judge has to literally pick up his tail to move it so they can see his hind legs. He of course has never worn a fake, he literally has the tail of 2 horses (and a mane for 2 horses as well!!!). So even though he doesn’t wear a fake tail, it appears that he does!
I’m kind of ‘meh’ about them-- as others have said, put in well, they are a lovely addition to the picture of a quality hunter. Poorly, they are obvious and distracting. Not all horses need them and it creates the “automaton” look-- every bay hunter looks exactly alike…
As to the origins from slaughtered horses, I’ll don my flame suit (old school reference for the youngsters on here), and say this: I’d much rather a slaughtered horse be used “nose to tail” (ha… literally) than wasted in any way. That’s how cattle and pigs are used, entirely, with virtually no waste. As it should be if we are going to kill an animal for our use.
No, I do not think tying in a tail is creepy. I absolutely love the look of a properly fitted and matched tail. I’m sure I’m not the only person who likes them, because otherwise we would not see so many in use.
White tail hairs are worth good money for Violin bows. Years ago the city barn I rode at had a bunch of tails stolen. Apparently it was for native crafts. Now days I could see it being a profitable venture though.
@Arelle top quality Violin bow strings do not come from slaughtered horses, rather from white tailed horses who are well cared for so their hair is good quality and clean - often from colder climates (Canada and China). Grey/white horses are not often slaughtered for meat (because of the risk of Cancer), and a truly white tail is worth good money, so those horses are worth more alive (growing more hair) than dead.
When I judge, I don’t place a horse better because of a thick tail, and it if alters the movement it might actually result in a lower placing. In halter though, a super thick tail can literally hide some things, like capped hocks.
Back in the day, there was a AQHA trainer at the barn I rode at. Any time a horse lost a tail hair, he would tie it back in with a fishing lure knot. Took more time, but looked natural.
Y’all.
My POINT was that if we’re going to clutch our pearls about fake tails, we should probably clutch our pearls about the myriad of other things that horse byproducts can be utilized for. 
Not how “top quality vioin bow strings” are sourced. There are plenty of violin bows that use synthetic materials as well, but c’mon. Forest for the trees.
Some people who keep tails bagged or tied up will tie in bailing twine or something so the horse still has a good fly swatter while the tail is tied up.
Bows cost 8 **thousand ** dollars??? Wow, who knew?
I mean, this is a horse BB, so we know about expensive things, but I didn’t think the actual instrument cost that much unless you were dealing with old masters!
Oh no. Music is super expensive these days. My favorite is how I turn up for auditions and I’m expected to pay the pianist who’s playing for me for that 10 minute audition. The company hosting the auditions could pay the pianist–but no. That charge gets footed to the artists. Lol. There’s a reason you find many professional musicians either take on an entirely non-musical day job or move out of the profession entirely. It’s real cost-prohibitive unless you come from wealth or have a substantial backer.
In terms of tails… I think whoever compared it to plastic surgery was spot-on–done well, a good fake tail enhances a show hunter’s appearance. Done poorly (wrong length, wrong weight, not braided in well) and it just looks weird at best, ugly at worst.
Wow, I’m inferated on your behalf! That sounds awful.
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