I need some help with a fake tail. It’s 1 pound, with double loops to braid in. I’ve watched some videos on how to attach it, and I can do it, but it’s hard to keep it hidden. I don’t feel like there’s enough hair over the top to hide the ‘head’ of the tail. Maybe I’m doing it wrong?? I’m sure some of you here have had more experience with putting one in than me. Any advice?
Anyone? Please?
I have no advise or instructions for you. Except this. It makes me sad, when the focus of horsemanship turns to how to how to attach a fake tail to a horse I think we have really gone over the edge of ridiculousness to the absurd.
[QUOTE=Wirt;7594951]
I have no advise or instructions for you. Except this. It makes me sad, when the focus of horsemanship turns to how to how to attach a fake tail to a horse I think we have really gone over the edge of ridiculousness to the absurd.[/QUOTE]
First, how do you know that is the focus of horsemanship for anyone?
I didn’t get that from the OP’s post, must have missed it.
Second, why is that different than the shape of the hat someone chooses to wear?
I have seen some very silly looking hats proudly worn by some western riders, looking like an upside down salad bowl with a flat rim, so to better catch the wind updrafts, maybe?
I did reserve my opinion, would not think to tell them, to each their own.
Everyone has an opinion.
Thank you for yours, just wish it was expressed in a more kind way.
We should respect that others do thinks that are puzzling and are absurd to us, as long as those are not inherently abusive.
Adding a falsie tail, or wearing salad bowls on their heads, if that is what they want definitely is not abusive to anyone and at least the horse looks better with a larger tail than the human with a bowl on it’s head.
I consider all that about like makeup in humans, just stuff people do for looks and why not?
I don’t have an opinion about fake tails, but like so much else humans do, find it puzzling.
Sorry, I can’t help either, never seen it done.
I assume you show?
How about asking at the show?
There ought to be some trainer you work with that can show you how?
1 Like
Sorry, I have no idea how to attach a tail piece.
That being said, when I bought my little mare 3 years ago and her previous owner thought it was easier to cut her tail off than untangle it. Now she has a gorgeous tail, but its taken over three years to grow it out. If I was going to show this mare seriously, I would have had to use a tail piece. I did have to put a fringed tail bag on her for awhile so she could swish flies.
So may be there is a good reason for a tail piece. I don’t show, just dabble on cows and trail stuff.
First decide where you want the tail to hang, then go into the center of the tail just below the tailbone. Make 2 thin braids fairly close together. Loop the 2 small braids through the 2 loops of the fake tail. Braid them together , run your fingers through it all and there you go !!
[QUOTE=Bluey;7595005]
First, how do you know that is the focus of horsemanship for anyone?
I didn’t get that from the OP’s post, must have missed it.
Second, why is that different than the shape of the hat someone chooses to wear?
I have seen some very silly looking hats proudly worn by some western riders, looking like an upside down salad bowl with a flat rim, so to better catch the wind updrafts, maybe?
I did reserve my opinion, would not think to tell them, to each their own.
Everyone has an opinion.
Thank you for yours, just wish it was expressed in a more kind way.
We should respect that others do thinks that are puzzling and are absurd to us, as long as those are not inherently abusive.
Adding a falsie tail, or wearing salad bowls on their heads, if that is what they want definitely is not abusive to anyone and at least the horse looks better with a larger tail than the human with a bowl on it’s head.
I consider all that about like makeup in humans, just stuff people do for looks and why not?
I don’t have an opinion about fake tails, but like so much else humans do, find it puzzling.
Sorry, I can’t help either, never seen it done.
I assume you show?
How about asking at the show?
There ought to be some trainer you work with that can show you how?[/QUOTE]
It is not a personal admonition. It is a comment on the state of affairs in the horse show world. Fake tails in western pleasure and trail have become endemic. Not just western, but hunters as well, apparently. The entire thing is artificial, including the gaits and the training. It has nothing to do with a good horse. It’s a beauty pageant.
What part are you having trouble keeping hidden? Is it the knob at the top of the extension that is peeking through when your horse moves his tail? If so, try to hang it deeper in his tail so there is more hair to cover the top. If you are having trouble with it swinging back and forth as your horse moves then you need to make sure the tail is hung snug to the tail bone to keep it moving with the horses natural movement.
To keep the tail looking as natural as possible, I will make two small braids close to each other, tie the two braids to the loops of the fake tail and get it snug against the tail bone and then use electrical tape to secure the knot and hold the braids in place. If you have a grey horse use white electrical tape.
[QUOTE=ArW-729;7595401]
What part are you having trouble keeping hidden? Is it the knob at the top of the extension that is peeking through when your horse moves his tail? If so, try to hang it deeper in his tail so there is more hair to cover the top. If you are having trouble with it swinging back and forth as your horse moves then you need to make sure the tail is hung snug to the tail bone to keep it moving with the horses natural movement.
To keep the tail looking as natural as possible, I will make two small braids close to each other, tie the two braids to the loops of the fake tail and get it snug against the tail bone and then use electrical tape to secure the knot and hold the braids in place. If you have a grey horse use white electrical tape.[/QUOTE]
How do you tie the braids to the loops?
[QUOTE=Wirt;7595333]
It is not a personal admonition. It is a comment on the state of affairs in the horse show world. Fake tails in western pleasure and trail have become endemic. Not just western, but hunters as well, apparently. The entire thing is artificial, including the gaits and the training. It has nothing to do with a good horse. It’s a beauty pageant.[/QUOTE]
So have so many clinics and shows around bridle horses become.
You have to look the part there also, for what I see.
That is what being part of anything we do as a group seems to be.
Different strokes …
Put both braids through the loops then tie them and secure with elastics or electrical tape.
I’ll try again. Thanks
[QUOTE=huntseat3;7594939]
Anyone? Please?[/QUOTE]
My advice is not to use the hideous things. They are just plain ugly and they never look good.
[QUOTE=huntseat3;7595509]
How do you tie the braids to the loops?[/QUOTE]
I make two braids and use elastics to secure the braids. Take those to braids and feed them through the loops going opposite ways. Imagine a claw clip with one braid on each side. Once you have the braids through the loops, tie a tight double knot. Once the knot is tied I use a small amount of electrical tape to hold the knot in place. I also make sure the ends of each braid are laying flat against the extension knob and will tape those down so they don’t stick out or move when riding. It sounds bad for the hair but since you’ve braided the tail hair you’re adding strength to the individual hairs and they shouldn’t get damaged… and the tape doesn’t stick to the hair when you remove it. Horses in our barn are done like this almost every weekend and we never have any issues.
[QUOTE=GottaQHFilly;7596640]
My advice is not to use the hideous things. They are just plain ugly and they never look good.[/QUOTE]
I think they are beautiful
I use only one loop, so didn’t feel qualified to answer your question. With one loop we just make a small braid off the end of the tailbone, loop it through, then secure with black electrical tape as the horse’s tail is mostly black. We only use a 1/4 pound tail, to add fullness. We take the tail out as soon as the horse is done for the day.
As to their “beauty” --I think it is like a hair extensions a person wears --sometimes you want to wear extensions and sometimes you don’t. We add all kinds of artificial stuff to our horses --soap, coat conditioner, fly spray, blankets, boots, shoes, saddles etc --to say any of those is “hideous” or “bad” seems to me judgmental. We can all find fault with other disciplines. The first order of business should be to make sure our own horse practices and disciplines are blame free --then we can start to police others. I find the plucked, clipped, shaved tails on dressage horses ugly and pointless. I think a nice thick tail is pretty. My horse isn’t bothered by 4 oz of dead hair hanging off his tail bone any more than he’s bothered by a halter on his head. If someone doesn’t like it, don’t do it.
Practice with your tail --ask others for help at shows --or just to let you watch them attach theirs.
Foxglove
[QUOTE=GottaQHFilly;7596640]
My advice is not to use the hideous things. They are just plain ugly and they never look good.[/QUOTE]
I love the beauty of internet anonymity, so people can be complete tactless jerks to other people, and not have to claim it face to face.
Guess what, you have seen them look good. Many, many, many of the hunters and dressage horses out there competing use them today, but you’d never know because braiders and grooms are good at getting them to look natural. You can’t show in the stock horse pleasure pen without them. They are now a fact of life in that world. So, unless the OP wishes to completely change disciplines, she’s stuck with learning how to put one of the d*** things in well.
[QUOTE=Wirt;7595333]
The entire thing is artificial, including the gaits and the training. It has nothing to do with a good horse. It’s a beauty pageant.[/QUOTE]
Unless you’re going against the clock, or having to score goals, or trying to avoid “faults” it’s a beauty pageant. ALL of it.
What’s a reining score? It’s how well (prettily) a horse does a specific movement in a pattern.
What’s a cutting score? It’s how well (again how prettily) a horse works a cow.
Ranch pleasure… same… call it what you want, anything where another person gives you a placing, is pretty much technically a “beauty pageant”
Here’s how I hang mine with double loops:
Just under the tail bone, toward the middle of the tail (so you’ll leave enough hair on the top to cover the knob of the fake tail), take a very small section of hair and separate it into three sections. Stick one of those sections through one side of the loop and then make a tiny braid, very tight, snugging the top of the fake tail up close to the tail bone (you make it tight so it doesn’t swing). Braid down to around where the fake tail hair is loose, under the knob. Use two braiding bands to secure the braid (always use more than one in case one breaks). Then take another section of hair and do the same thing through the second loop. You’ll now have two little braids (maybe the thickness of your pinky, maybe even smaller, they just have to be strong enough to hold the tail). Now take your two braids and use them to make a bigger braid, using a chunk of hair from the fake tail as the third section (don’t pull it up, you just have to make sure your two little braids are long enough, and again, keep it tight. Braid down a few inches and secure it with 2-3 braiding bands. This also helps keep the tail from swinging. Some people will use electrical tape around the knob but I’ve never felt a need.
Personally, I’m not a fan of using fake tails but since I show the stock breed circuit I’ll use them occasionally. When done well and not over the top, it can balance out a horse who is a bit lacking in the tail hair department and I’ve certainly seen some where it’s impossible to tell it’s a fake unless you start digging through the tail.
Hope this helps!
[QUOTE=drawstraws;7602353]
Here’s how I hang mine with double loops:
Just under the tail bone, toward the middle of the tail (so you’ll leave enough hair on the top to cover the knob of the fake tail), take a very small section of hair and separate it into three sections. Stick one of those sections through one side of the loop and then make a tiny braid, very tight, snugging the top of the fake tail up close to the tail bone (you make it tight so it doesn’t swing). Braid down to around where the fake tail hair is loose, under the knob. Use two braiding bands to secure the braid (always use more than one in case one breaks). Then take another section of hair and do the same thing through the second loop. You’ll now have two little braids (maybe the thickness of your pinky, maybe even smaller, they just have to be strong enough to hold the tail). Now take your two braids and use them to make a bigger braid, using a chunk of hair from the fake tail as the third section (don’t pull it up, you just have to make sure your two little braids are long enough, and again, keep it tight. Braid down a few inches and secure it with 2-3 braiding bands. This also helps keep the tail from swinging. Some people will use electrical tape around the knob but I’ve never felt a need.
Personally, I’m not a fan of using fake tails but since I show the stock breed circuit I’ll use them occasionally. When done well and not over the top, it can balance out a horse who is a bit lacking in the tail hair department and I’ve certainly seen some where it’s impossible to tell it’s a fake unless you start digging through the tail.
Hope this helps![/QUOTE]
This is the method I’ve been trying, and I’m having a hard time with it.
