Pinwheel for conformation, always, and just tucked up under the braid for regular performance classes. Hate the wrap and won’t do them. Do you know how to braid tails?
Here’s my first attempt at braiding a tail in 3 years… Last time I braided one was the 3 yr ok I sold to worth a shot farm back when he wa a yearling!! In Colorado it didnt really matter I you braided for HB (no one really ever did so why bother?). So I’m glad I asked!! I decided to try today with my weanling, it’s not terrible but could be better I’m sure, maybe ill YouTube how to do the pinwheel cause I have no idea (this braid I didn’t end the brai anyhow just wanted to see how well I could do the top. I wnt about 3/4 down her tail bone, that’s correct right?
fwiw, when i say i braid i mean i braid it all in one long braid the night before and undo it so it is slightly wavy…
and yes, i like the “eventer” look of clipped pulled tail at dock - i think it gives such a nice clean look and really emphasis a nice bum!
[QUOTE=mbm;6768312]
fwiw, when i say i braid i mean i braid it all in one long braid the night before and undo it so it is slightly wavy…
and yes, i like the “eventer” look of clipped pulled tail at dock - i think it gives such a nice clean look and really emphasis a nice bum![/QUOTE]
I think everyone on this braid when talking about braiding the tail on a daily basis means that ;)… I mainy posted those photos for a critique from Laurie so I can practice show braids before I actually need to do it and it look nice 
Good start, but you have to work on tightness. Each piece should be perfectly horizontal as it gets added to the center. If they start to droop, it is getting too loose. If you come for a visit after my wrist is healed, I will show you how to do a pinwheel. Don’t worry about it now. Just braid a third of the tail everyday til you can keep that tight and develop a system for organizing the hair. Then add another third until you can keep that tight. Practice dropping hair so the braid stays the same thickness all the way down. And be sure your pieces that you add are the same size.Your hands will also get stronger.
Mt biggest fear is that I will have significant loss of strength in my injured wrist and will be unable to keep my mane braids straight and tails tight.
mbm, hunter people don’t want the wavy look that you get from braiding the bottom. We try to have the skirt quite straight.
And I am old school and always pull eventers’ tails. I don’t shave them.
What can I do for a matted tail? I have a beautiful big far sassy QH mare who has a very thick and coarse mane and tail…both of which are in giant mats. The tail is matted from the bottom all the way up to the dock (don’t get me started on how this happened…). The mane I was just going to roach, it’s probably a foot long but it will grow back eventually.
what should I do about the tail? I hate to leave her defenseless against the flies this spring but it’s literally one giant mat. products? advice? prayers for my sanity?
Laurie
thanks! Ill work on that, i need to work on my braids as well, I’ve always done my own for the most part, and I know how(with needle and yarn… never used a crochet hook…) but i just aways see to make them too big and I can never get them to be right next to each other beautifully down the entire neck like everyone else makes them! I can do awesome button braids! lol… those are quite easy. any suggestions?
[QUOTE=lauriep;6768956]
Good start, but you have to work on tightness. Each piece should be perfectly horizontal as it gets added to the center. If they start to droop, it is getting too loose. If you come for a visit after my wrist is healed, I will show you how to do a pinwheel. Don’t worry about it now. Just braid a third of the tail everyday til you can keep that tight and develop a system for organizing the hair. Then add another third until you can keep that tight. Practice dropping hair so the braid stays the same thickness all the way down. And be sure your pieces that you add are the same size.Your hands will also get stronger.
Mt biggest fear is that I will have significant loss of strength in my injured wrist and will be unable to keep my mane braids straight and tails tight.[/QUOTE]
I was wondering today if you were supposed to drop hair as you went :-).
I had to braid my 3 yr old when my hand was in a cast (let me tell you, that was fun…)
How long do you have to keep your cast on?
I use Healthy Hair for maintinence - just spray it in and leave it. It doesn’t make the hair brittle like ShowSheen does. It’s also the best for getting burrs out - spray it on, leave it for a few minutes and then pull the hairs out of the burrs (not the other way around).
To get a gorgeous show tail try Pantene’s Ice Shine Shampoo and Conditioner - wow!
Dont brush too often!
Once I stopped brushing my mares tail every time I rode (OCD) and cut back to fully brushing the tail a couple times a month My mares tail really filled in. I do pull debris out of the tail every day and I rinse / condition the tail a coupel times over the winter to get the dirt off. I never brush the tail while it is wet as the hair is “softer” when wet and can break more easily. I wait till it dries and apply a good detangler before brushing every time.
I have bagged a tail in the past and found that very sucessful especially for the white tail as it cuts down on the staining.
[QUOTE=Marla 100;6765058]
I also come from the saddlebred world where we were never allowed to brush or comb a tail- only hand picking.[/QUOTE]
& a slap for every hair you broke.
Great thread! and I can’t wait to try some of the products for white tails that other posters have recommended.
My (dark bay) hanoverian gelding has a lovely thick tail naturally. It will easily start to dreadlock if it’s not maintained regularly, though. I keep it braided and bagged all winter to keep it from being destroyed by the horrible clay-y pasture mud. It gets washed, conditioned, brushed, re-braided, re-bagged about once a month, and washed/brushed before every show. I keep it trimmed to just below the fetlocks.
My oldenburg mare is a challenge. Not only is she white/gray with a naturally-thinner mane/tale, but the hair roots are not at all strong. Just brushing or hand pickign her mane and tail (carefully, always starting at the bottom and doing small sections at a time) is enough to tear out several hairs each stroke. I follow the same winter routine for her (monthly wash/condition/brush/braid/bag) but do it all year. Keeping her tail up keeps the white ends from getting stained yellow. I like this one as a maintenance conditioner on all my horses: http://www.smartpakequine.com/hair-moisturizer-233p.aspx?cm_vc=Search
The oldenburg gelding (bay) just turned 3. Othan a periodic brushing, we don’t do much with it. It’s still barely below his hocks and on the thin side, but we’re hoping it gets longer as he matures. We likely won’t bother braiding/bagging it unless we intend to show him at some point.
I use quicksilver on all my horses, regardless of color, and only showsheen prior to a horse show, as I find regular use to be too drying.
I’m in Ohio and primarily show hunters, with an occassional dabble in dressage.
[QUOTE=Marla 100;6765058]
I also come from the saddlebred world where we were never allowed to brush or comb a tail- only hand picking.
I see many people damage/break tail hair using those silly plastic or metal brushes or combs. Go to a Sally’s hair supply store and get boar’s hair brushes- all natural bristles- much more gentle when brushing.
I never brush when hair is dirty- only after shampooing and conditioning. And de-tangle as soon as you see knots. And yes, genetics and great food helps a lot.[/QUOTE]
Same as Marla - I only brush after the hair is shampooed, conditioned and dry.
We are lucky to have some amazing products in Australia designed by horse people who are also chemists and hairdressers! The range is called Champion Tails.
My procedure: stain remover dissolved in hot water, into the tail and it pulls all the stains out. Then shampoo, rinse. Then Mighty Bright (a gentian violet rinse that neutralises the yellow colour of stains). Last conditioner, which has to be used to counter the effects of the stain remover. Rinse, dry. The brush flows through the tail then 
Very little hair comes out.
I do this monthly and the tail becomes thick and fantastic with really long fringe. Nice!
Listerine is the best dandruff remedy out there. I buy the economy size jugs of that stuff at Walmart and go to town on my horse’s tail bone before major events. The mouthwash requires very little scrubbing, but it still manages to eradicate even the nastiest dandruff.
However, some horses have negative reactions to the alcohol so it’s important to spot test before pouring the whole jug on the horse. Also, the Listerine really dries out the tail, so it’s a good idea to really condition the heck out of the hair after you apply the mouthwash to your horse.
[QUOTE=lauriep;6765577]
Trimming the bottom (NOT banging them) let’s all the hair grow evenly and gives the illusion of a thicker tail.[/QUOTE]
What’s the difference between trimming and banging? To me, banging is just trimming it, no matter what length you do. I only trim (bang) off enough to get the scragglies off, which usually still ends up just above his pasterns. I’ve always thought it was just called “banging” because it is blunt cut straight across the bottom and looks like the ends of your “bangs” when done. 
[QUOTE=Piatt Farms;6769020]
What can I do for a matted tail? I have a beautiful big far sassy QH mare who has a very thick and coarse mane and tail…both of which are in giant mats. The tail is matted from the bottom all the way up to the dock (don’t get me started on how this happened…). The mane I was just going to roach, it’s probably a foot long but it will grow back eventually.
what should I do about the tail? I hate to leave her defenseless against the flies this spring but it’s literally one giant mat. products? advice? prayers for my sanity?[/QUOTE]
Piatt, I would wet the tail down, and shampoo it the best I could. Rinse thoroughly, then SLATHER it with conditioner–I even use cheap human stuff (like Suave), especially with as much as you will need. I’d let it sit for a little, then start working through the matt with your fingers, starting at the bottom and working your way up. The conditioner will make it slick enough that you should be able to gently separate the matt without too much breakage. If you get to any areas that start feeling too “snaggy” and not “slippery”, put in some more conditioner before you work on it. Then rinse thoroughly, and let it dry, or damp dry. Then spray in an equine tail conditioner and brush it out gently.
[QUOTE=Piatt Farms;6769020]
What can I do for a matted tail? I have a beautiful big far sassy QH mare who has a very thick and coarse mane and tail…both of which are in giant mats. The tail is matted from the bottom all the way up to the dock (don’t get me started on how this happened…). The mane I was just going to roach, it’s probably a foot long but it will grow back eventually.
what should I do about the tail? I hate to leave her defenseless against the flies this spring but it’s literally one giant mat. products? advice? prayers for my sanity?[/QUOTE]
Some folks swear by WD40 - apparently you spray it on the mat, let it soak in for a while and then slowly work on it. I’ve also see folks recommend baby oil, mineral oil, or even vegetable oil. The oil loosens up the mat and then you work away at it with your fingers.
WD 40 is flammable out of the can, so no smoking and working on the tail at the same time! :lol: (just kidding)
[QUOTE=rosebudranch;6767670]
I’ve heard of dressage riders clipping top of the tail… Had a neighbor who did this… Only thing I noticed was it made their butts look bigger? [/QUOTE]
Polo rider here. We broomstick their tails (shaving the sides and trimming the top makes their tails look like old-fashioned whisk brooms, hence the name) so that they look neat and tidy when we put them up for competition. Otherwise the bottom is braided and taped, but the top has hair sticking out every which way.
Here’s a sweet video of a polo pony, tail down for schooling (you can see the broomstick) and put up for play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brZpdb0g70k&feature=player_embedded
[QUOTE=WBLover;6779751]
What’s the difference between trimming and banging? To me, banging is just trimming it, no matter what length you do. I only trim (bang) off enough to get the scragglies off, which usually still ends up just above his pasterns. I’ve always thought it was just called “banging” because it is blunt cut straight across the bottom and looks like the ends of your “bangs” when done. ;)[/QUOTE]
We came up with this differentiation many years ago. Banging is what the Europeans do, which is to whack a tail off mid-cannon. Over here, because we strive for the longest, fullest tails possible, we just called it trimming the tail, as we rarely take more ff than an inch or so. Completely different result.
I used to only pick my tails out, and only when clean and rinsed in vinegar. And I always pulled hairs out. Now, with the new tail conditioners, I use a wide tooth comb. I can do a full tail and not lose a hair this way.
