Let's Talk Tails!!

[rosebudranch]

[QUOTE=mp;6764105]
Yup. Our old broodmare’s mane went to her point of shoulder and I had to trim her tail to keep her from stepping on it with her back feet. Her tail was never bagged or even brushed much during the 10 years we had her. She still had tons of mane and tail when she died at age 27. Her offspring all have abundant tresses and tails, too. Even the one that had his tail chewed off by a “friend.”

OP, I don’t know what to tell you. The tail in the picture you posted doesn’t look bad to me. If you want one that looks like you’re using an extension, then you’ll probably have to get an an extension. ;)[/QUOTE]

No no, I LOVE my two yr olds tail it was a brag photo, it was his mothers tail who was damaged who is inCO still, but I’m just curious… No tail issues currently !!

[Miss_J]

I have to add a rather odd story about my mare’s tail…

She has always had a thick and bushy tail, along with the fattest tail head I’ve ever come across(she is a warmblood) but I was rather proud of it, as my little Arab/QH pony and TB gelding always had rather scrawny tails.

I started noticing last spring, her tail getting thinner, and ‘rat nest like’ at the top of her tail. With no clue as to why. Well, one day I’m having my morning coffee on the deck watching her graze, and I see a magpie land on her rump. Now I’ve seen those little brown birds now and then sit on horses, but never a magpie. So I watch. What does he do? Skittles down to her tail head and starts pulling the hairs out!:eek: He(or she, can’t tell the sex of a magpie) would clasp on to her tail and swing like a monkey until he had a satisfying amount of hairs in his mouth and fly away! This went on all spring and into summer. My mares tail was reduced to a porcupine-esque look! I even started a thread on how to dock/pull a tail, because that was the only thing I could do to make it look ‘normalish’.

Scavengers stick together and will flock to roadkill, so when the magpies found this cash cow of nest material, two crows followed, and it was game on! When she would go for her afternoon naps and lay flat out, there they were yanking, pulling and gossiping about how awesome this nest material was!

I have pictures of these birds sitting right in between her ears pulling out her forelock(which still hasn’t grown back) mane and tail. She had a lush thick forelock and tail until the birds discovered this.

Somewhere out there, there are big fluffy nests lined with my mares hair and fur.

They would even cling to her front legs and pick at her tiny chestnuts! True story!

[Edgewood]

[QUOTE=Miss J;6764348]
I have to add a rather odd story about my mare’s tail…

She has always had a thick and bushy tail, along with the fattest tail head I’ve ever come across(she is a warmblood) but I was rather proud of it, as my little Arab/QH pony and TB gelding always had rather scrawny tails.

I started noticing last spring, her tail getting thinner, and ‘rat nest like’ at the top of her tail. With no clue as to why. Well, one day I’m having my morning coffee on the deck watching her graze, and I see a magpie land on her rump. Now I’ve seen those little brown birds now and then sit on horses, but never a magpie. So I watch. What does he do? Skittles down to her tail head and starts pulling the hairs out!:eek: He(or she, can’t tell the sex of a magpie) would clasp on to her tail and swing like a monkey until he had a satisfying amount of hairs in his mouth and fly away! This went on all spring and into summer. My mares tail was reduced to a porcupine-esque look! I even started a thread on how to dock/pull a tail, because that was the only thing I could do to make it look ‘normalish’.

Scavengers stick together and will flock to roadkill, so when the magpies found this cash cow of nest material, two crows followed, and it was game on! When she would go for her afternoon naps and lay flat out, there they were yanking, pulling and gossiping about how awesome this nest material was!

I have pictures of these birds sitting right in between her ears pulling out her forelock(which still hasn’t grown back) mane and tail. She had a lush thick forelock and tail until the birds discovered this.

Somewhere out there, there are big fluffy nests lined with my mares hair and fur.

They would even cling to her front legs and pick at her tiny chestnuts! True story![/QUOTE]

Funny, but not!!!:eek:

[WBLover]

I’m I’ve the “leave it alone” camp! I had a Friesian cross that had a gloriously thick tail, heck the Freisian genetics did that! But, I only brushed it out after it was washed and conditioned and sprayed with a conditioner, and that was only for shows or special occasions, or if it was really dirty. And it stayed thick and gorgeous. I sold him 2 years ago and saw a recent video, and I can tell she’s been brushing it too much! It’s about half the thickness it used to be. I don’t care how much you condition, every time you brush you pull out and break hairs. It’s bound to get thinner with a lot of brushing.

I now have an Oldenburg who has a very thick tail (genetics), and I do the same benign neglect routine. It’s quite a bit thicker than when I bought him 2 years ago from the breeder who brushed it regularly–LOL! Here is is when I first bought him with the thinner tail–especially towards the ends:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gznVO59wHi0/TIebgMUKy8I/AAAAAAAABsw/7w5cx93pSWQ/s400/1585774c.jpg

And banging the ends to at or above the fetlock are also essential because if it gets too long they will step on it and pull out more hairs. Here’s the best picture I could find of my boy’s tail, a year after I bought him, and it’s even thicker now:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-905t3vl5ius/TX2EPB35ggI/AAAAAAAAByI/4WGpmCmbGoo/s640/DSCF1336.JPG

[Marla_100]

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.

[lauriep]

Benign neglect. Never brushed, combed with wide tooth comb ONLY when clean and sprayed with detangler, starting at the bottom and working up. Never touch Show Sheen. That crap is the WORST! I use Canter Mane and Tail by Carr, Day and Martin. Really good stuff. At home, big debris is picked out. During the winter, I use MTG about 1-2 times a month, more often if i can. I get nice tails on everyone, usually the longest in their age group. I braid our tails myself, so I am very careful with managing the top of the tail so it lasts the full season. Trimming the bottom (NOT banging them) let’s all the hair grow evenly and gives the illusion of a thicker tail.

[qtrhrslvr]

I was so excited about this post when I thought it said Let’s Talk Trails!
My tail product is homemade: one third each water, white vinegar and inexpensive cream rinse mixed together in spray bottle, shake well before using. I have QH and TWH, all tails are lovely.

[rosebudranch]

[QUOTE=lauriep;6765577]
Benign neglect. Never brushed, combed with wide tooth comb ONLY when clean and sprayed with detangler, starting at the bottom and working up. Never touch Show Sheen. That crap is the WORST! I use Canter Mane and Tail by Carr, Day and Martin. Really good stuff. At home, big debris is picked out. During the winter, I use MTG about 1-2 times a month, more often if i can. I get nice tails on everyone, usually the longest in their age group. I braid our tails myself, so I am very careful with managing the top of the tail so it lasts the full season. Trimming the bottom (NOT banging them) let’s all the hair grow evenly and gives the illusion of a thicker tail.[/QUOTE]

In what context do you use MTG? On tailbone only? You leave it in?

Whats your tip for tail braiding (do you braid for every show? or just the big ones?)

[propspony]

[QUOTE=Kerole;6762961]
Awesome thread! I have a totally white mare and although her tail is bagged 24/7 it is still is not as white as the rest of her.

Looking forward to hearing tips on keeping/getting white tails white too![/QUOTE]

This: http://www.sallybeauty.com/blonde-shampoo/CLAIRL3,default,pd.html

I’ve only ever had grey show horses, and they are GLEAMING when they hit the ring. This stuff is a godsend. Never had any luck with Quicksilver on grey tails and the purple horse shampoos are completely useless on manes and tails as well. This stuff… is unbelievable. I discovered it when showing sheep, and trust me, if it can turn a muddy brown sheep into a white fluffy cloud. It’s good stuff.

(and the conditioner leaves your tail like cornsilk)

Lyric wearing mom’s tail like a wig:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=858966038248&l=8640024fb1

and the thing about this picture is, that it had been over 6 months since I’d last used the conditioner. This is simply with the tail being kept up and bagged afterwards.

[Kerole]

Propspony - Now that’s what I’m talking about! My mare’s tail is much thicker than that but the lower third is not nearly as white. Not.even.close.

I even banged off a whole lot of the really stained stuff at the bottom so I could start again and keep it bagged etc.

Propspony, your mare’s tail is my official benchmark!

[propspony]

Awww thanks! I honestly don’t do that much with it. Just condition, stick it in a tail bag and forget it for months at a time (if I leave it unbagged it very quickly turns into nothing more than a butt tassel) but, I will admit that my mare does grow good tail! (I so wish it were thicker though. Darn grey TB)

Here’s another shot from that day.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=858965843638&l=0aaee3f713

[rosebudranch]

I’m just beginning this journey with grey horses. I’ve always want one, but no grey, yet… UNTIL my 2012 baby popped out she’s grey… Dream come true!! I’ve got some good practice as my paint mare that I trained up from a yearling:

http://s1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb418/rosebudranch/?action=view¤t=8F7916C3-3B77-4D6F-86BF-4757CB8F01FF-16338-00000EBD7E879B81.jpg&evt=user_media_share

Then my coming 2 yr old
http://s1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb418/rosebudranch/?action=view¤t=7BE094BC-D30D-4032-82DB-FFAE469E5D61-16338-00000EBD6446CD9B.jpg&evt=user_media_share

And my 22 yr old (picture @20 yrs old)
http://s1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb418/rosebudranch/?action=view¤t=A908892B-1C3F-4F4F-ADC4-4BB36E65B91C-16338-00000EBD853D1E4E.jpg&evt=user_media_share

So I’ve had quite the experience with white legs haha, but I can’t wait for the grey!!

Am I crazy? Lol I LOVE bling and grey… Glutton for punishment

[Kerole]

Rosebud, Grey is one of my favourite colours too. In my case I think it comes from seeing the huntsman often leading out the hunt on a grey. I have had 2 greys in the past but I don’t remember ever having this sort of trouble with staining. Maybe it’s because they were geldings?

This mare’s tail is very thick and a bit wavy. The top and dock are quite clean but the bottom third is horrid. With all these awesome tips I hope to be able to post before and after photos soon!

[lauriep]

[QUOTE=rosebudranch;6765796]
In what context do you use MTG? On tailbone only? You leave it in?

Whats your tip for tail braiding (do you braid for every show? or just the big ones?)

:-)[/QUOTE]

MTG, tailbone only and yes, leave it in.

I take larger pieces at the top of the tail, for about the first four crosses, than I do further down the tail. Most good braiders know how to preserve tails. And in HB/conformation horses should ALWAYS have their tails done.

[mbm]

i find that if i keep the tail banged (not bagged) up mid cannon it keeps the ends out of the mud/pee/poo etc and that helps keep it from getting stained. i wash it with human shampoo anytime it gets a stain, i dont brush it and i dont bag it (bagged tail always look sad and unhealthy to me)

before a show i wash/condition and use a whitner and then braid it so it is fluffy

all the above really seems to keep my guys tail looking decent…

[lauriep]

Tail care varies a bit from discipline to discipline, and from country to country, so it might help if everyone identified what discipline you participate in. For example, the previous poster who keeps her horses’s tail banged to mid cannon. Not done in hunters or HB. Actually, that is mainly a European thing. MOST American riders and grooms want a tail as long as practicable and will just trim the ends evenly, but not bang. All my posts reference hunters and HB, but I would keep a jumper the same way.

[Perfect_Pony]

To keep a generally nice, thick, healthy tail I wash weekly with head and shoulders and then coat with Healthy Hair Care. I also brush out a couple times a week dry with Healthy Hair Care. I trim a few inches at the beginning of winter to keep it out of the mud.

[mbm]

i used the term bang because it sounds better than chopped - the length of tail i prefer has a lot to do with the horses conformation, where horsie lives, color of tail etc. for ponykins, who is grey (read prone to pee/poo stains) i cut the tail short enough that it is out of pee/poo/mud/straw so it doesn’t get stained.

my dark brown/bay mare who has a black tail is very different - her tail i usually keep right above the ankle joint - but same care involved, wash when needed, etc etc.

my general preference is as thick a tail as possible and i also shave/clip/pull the tail up at the dock… i like a certain look and do what is needed to achieve that look including how they look when their tail swings when we ride

i am in California and ride dressage.

[rosebudranch]

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? I also notice that dressage and event horses seem to have banged tails most the time.

Lauriep-

How do you end the braid? I can never figure it out!! Lol

[lauriep]

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?