Slightly morbid question: cleaning tail hair from deceased horse

[PhoenixFarm]

I lost my heart horse a few months ago. I was a wreck, and DH kindly retrieved a bunch of his tail for me. I haven’t been ready to think about it, but the other day I started thinking about it. In checking the bag it’s in I realized, sadly unsurprisingly given the way he died, that the hair is a mess–muddy, bloody, and poop encrusted.

He was a gray, so the mess is even more striking.

I eventually want to have some jewelry made, but that clearly can’t be done in its current state. Not sure how to proceed. Should I soak and air dry? Use blue shampoo? Some other product? Scrub it or agitate it?

Sorry it’s sort of a morbid topic. But I’m a bit out of my depth here.

[enjoytheride]

When I had a bracelet made out of my horse’s tail hair they washed it for me.

[jetsmom]

I bundled it and put a rubber band around it and shampooed it normally. Then let air dry, and rubber band the other end so I could wash where the first rubber band was.

[monstrpony]

Just thinking out loud here–put it in a colander, submerge in a sinkful (or bucket) of warm soapy water, swish as needed or soak, and rinse. I don’t think there’s a protocol for this, but I would imagine anything you’d wash tail hair with normally will be fine. Maybe Orvus?

Maybe some of the folks who do the braiding for these pieces will have something to offer.

Sorry about your loss–

[Laurierace]

I would put it in a tight pony tail and use goop. You may need to condition depending upon what you plan to do with it.

[ElisLove]

Most places that make horse hair jewelry will wash it for you.

[PRS]

I washed my gray mare’s tail hair in her normal bright white shampoo after rubber banding one end. I allowed it to air dry before I packed it up and sent some of it to Ida for her to make my memory pots. It’s a very sad chore.

[Toadie_s_mom]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;7428362]
When I had a bracelet made out of my horse’s tail hair they washed it for me.[/QUOTE]

I went through the same thing, and jewelry maker washed it for me. I would have been embarrassed to send it the way it was, and so I called her. Apparently this is common place.

[NBChoice]

My guy had his tail up in a braid and sock, so it stayed relatively clean. But still had some mud crusties and was a little wet.
Before cutting his tail off my mom put a tight rubber band around the very top to keep everything in place. Afterwards I just brushed/picked through it, but like I said it wasn’t very dirty. However I had it made into a tail switch, so I couldn’t have sent it in dirty.
I’d think that you could just wash it carefully if you secure it tightly at the very top.

[Drive_NJ]

however you choose to wash it - think only good thoughts of the great times you had together with your horse

banish from your mind the end and any sad times

what you are doing with the tail hairs is bringing forth your good times with the horse - otherwise why would you be making a permanent memory
so don’t give in to more grief but create a good and healthy remembrance

we had a ball of hair that we just dunked into soapy water to get out the worst of the gunk
then finger combed to get the tail hairs in a long bunch that we could bind the top of and wash again and hand straight to dry

[Fancyslastasset]

When my old gelding past (he was 31 and my best friend for more then 20 years), my husband saved some of his tail for me. It was a mess! The place that made my bracelet cleaned it for me. I did pay, but what she didn’t use came home cleaned and conditioned.

Most recently, we tragically and unexpectedly lost my daughter’s horse from recovery complications after an emergency surgery to remove a bladder stone. His tail was a disaster when we arrived at Tufts, full of poop, bedding and hay. After he was euthanized, the vet kindly saved us a section of tail. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they cleaned, conditioned and braided the section for us. I was fully expecting to pay to have it done at the jewelry makers.

[Jo]

I recently did this for a friend - who had a strikingly white horse. I washed it several times with blue dish soap, letting it soak overnight once. Then I washed with regular human shampoo and pulled out the pieces for the bracelets. Then I conditioned the rest with human shampoo and braided it and returned it to her. I didn’t have any of my horse shampoo products on hand but these household ones seemed to work fine and took a lot of the dingy yellow out.

[x-halt-salute]

I’d recommend letting the person doing the jewelry wash it. I’ve made a bit of memorial hair jewelry, and the hair needs to be washed whether it is filthy or not. It doesn’t matter to me whether it is just a bit dusty coated in crud – most of the people who do this are around horses enough to have handled their fair share of poop, blood, etc. and aren’t put off by it.

Don’t dredge up the grief by tackling this chore – let someone else do the dirty work.

[Lori_B]

This task was just done for me less than 2 weeks ago. My trainer trimmed the tail hair, and put it into a tight pony tail, and then shampooed it, rinsed it, and hung it dry. I will be shipping it to the jewelry place soon. If they need it cleaner, they can take care of it.

I think that I would NOT condition it, because the coarseness of unconditioned hair might stick together better. Also, conditioner left on tail could discolor over years of wear, don’t know how well it holds up for a really long time.

[FalseImpression]

Look on some of the jewelry sites. I seem to recall them stating “Do not condition the hair”. I guess it would make it to slippery for them to work with it.

[sophie]

When I did horse hair jewelry I appreciated people who sent me washed hair. I had to wash it thoroughly anyway, but it saved time to start with hair that was not coated with mud/crud etc.
Do not condition it. Just wash it with soap and water or shampoo, and hang to dry.

[Starhouse]

I did this for my barn owner when her horse passed away. I cut the mare’s tail before she was buried but it was full of dirt and manure. I tied a rubber band very tightly around it and filled a bucket with warm, soapy water. I submersed the entire tail into the bucket and gently agitated it, then rinsed it out. I let it air dry before trying to brush it out, then very gently took a brush and combed it out, while supporting the top where it was tied. Then I sprayed some hair conditioner into it. It turned out beautifully. I’m very sorry about your horse

[TinaLSilvers]

My mare had to be put down yesterday. I had her 12 years, she was 24. I was able to get some of her hair and id like to have a few bracelets made. Does anyone know someone that does that? I’m heart broken…truly

[Jo]

@TinaLSilvers

My mare had to be put down yesterday. I had her 12 years, she was 24. I was able to get some of her hair and id like to have a few bracelets made. Does anyone know someone that does that? I’m heart broken…truly

Hi Tina, I am so sorry for your loss. I have @spacytracy make all of mine. Her FB page is:

https://www.facebook.com/luckylockshorsehairjewelry/

[MsM]

When my old guy died, I cut a chunk of hair from his tail (ponytail). I washed it in a basin using human shampoo because that is what I had at home. While rinsing I started to detangle with my fingers. I laid it out on an old towel to dry and used an old hairbrush to finish detangling.

I had a vase made fired with horsehair that included hair twisted around under the lip and held by a beaded clip.

You may not need to get the hair totally clean, but you probably want to get the worst of the gunk out.
I still have some of his hair that wasn’t needed for the vase in my desk drawer…