Tail one big rat's nest

[Rosem]

Do not cut it off.
A tail takes years to grow and only hours(If dire) to clean up.
Try to combing it out* starting at the end, when you give up for the day, braid what you have cleaned up andtie the end up with yarn or a rubber band for when you get the courage to tackle it again.
Or call a braider. Yes they will charge, but what is your time worth?

*Cowboy magic crowd but Showsheen is also good as long as you rinse it out after the combing as it has been rumored to make hair brittle if left in.

[billiebob]

My favorite for tails is Vetrolin detangler…and here’s why. Years ago, one of my lesson kiddies purchased a super cute paint pony with a ridiculous looking tail. Like, tangled up to the point where there was a huge wad of hair with a few straggly bits hanging below his hocks. If we had cut it it would have been barely longer than his tail bone. I had a free afternoon and a fresh bottle of my trusty Vetrolin, and when I was done it trailed on the ground a good 6 inches. And in the very center of the wad was a foot long stick that hadn’t been visible when I started. :eek:

Yes, I spent about 3 hours hand picking a tail. I’m very patient (and stubborn). But really, OP, your horse’s tail can’t be nearly as bad as that poor pony’s was.

[North_Dakota]

How long is the tail? I had a tail situation to deal with recently, it was knotted and LONG but wasn’t a big matt. I cut his tail just a bit longer than where I wanted it to end up. I didn’t want to waste time combing out a few inches of tail that I was going to cut off anyways.

Cowboy Magic and lots of it if you can’t wash the tail.

[shiloh]

I forgot to add - for keeping tail snarl-free after that I highly recommend either Rio Vista Conditioner (makes their hair like human hair!) or Tresemme has a leave in conditioner that’s the bomb. It’s very thin, almost watery, but OMG! Their hair comes out like silk. If he has a thick tail - keep it braided, but do not braid while it’s wet and do not braid too tightly both of which can result in hair breakage.

[Happyhooves]

OP, you mentioned not wanting to “bother anyone” to help hold your horse. Why not offer to buy a barn mate lunch or horse treats for her horse or some sort of exchange where you help her in return for the help in holding your horse so you can get this tail situation sorted out?

[Hopeless]

@Happyhooves

OP, you mentioned not wanting to “bother anyone” to help hold your horse. Why not offer to buy a barn mate lunch or horse treats for her horse or some sort of exchange where you help her in return for the help in holding your horse so you can get this tail situation sorted out?

I should. I am just staring to get to know everyone. But that is a good idea.

Don’t worry I wouldn’t actually cut his tail … just my first thought when I saw what a mess it way. Actually when I went back it was not as bad and I thought.

I know it will take a long time, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that if I loop his lead around something he stays, not tied, I would never tie him to something like a round bale feeder, but apparently he is okay if he is looped. I did get some Mane and Tail detangler … it is what was at the farm store. I got through several inches. He was such a good boy standing and waiting! I think I really lucked out with this guy, he has nothing but pleasant surprises for me so far. (knock on wood)

I have attached a before photo and a midway photo. Maybe later on this week I can get to the rest of it.

[seabreeze]

@Willesdon

As a Brit, I am always puzzled by the American fondness for very long tails… must be a nightmare to groom.

Not a nightmare to groom. My fondness for long, thick tails is rooted in the horses’ need to use them to combat flying, biting insects. My region is very hot and humid in the summer and into the fall, and long tails are quite necessary.

[Athena21]

I would recommend setting aside a portion of time to work on the tail. Water mixed with some form of coconut oil has been a great conditioner for me in the past. Also any mane/tail conditioner should work, I recommend Cowboy Magic. Try to avoid yanking out the tail with a brush or comb but detaining the knots with your hands. If it’s at a point where you can’t untangle the tail in one sitting, try to do it in several close increments. For future tail care, try to keep it relatively untangled each time you groom your horse.

[SuzieQNutter]

I used furniture oil. The hairs are so strong that you can pick out one hair at a time without it breaking. It ended up smelling absolutely lovely and soft.

[shayaalliard]

Cowboy magic, and a “wet brush” magical human detangling brush that doesn’t yank hair out

[Hopeless]

@shayaalliard

Cowboy magic, and a “wet brush” magical human detangling brush that doesn’t yank hair out

Ooh I have never heard of the “Wet” brush. Just looking at the pictures, I am wondering how it differs from other brushes?

[SecondInCommand]

I’m a huge fan of the Vetrolin detangler and the Cowboy Magic gel. The key to getting any of them to work well is to let them dry before working on the tail. If I were in your shoes, I’d put as much product into the nest as I could manage, and then start my detangling the next day. Take as many days as you need, add as much product as is necessary, and at the end wash out the tail.

Sometimes after they’ve been gnarled for so long, the tails seem to rebound toward their nest state, so you’ve got to stay on top of the detangling for a while thereafter until they relax a bit.

Good luck! He sounds like a sweet boy.

[shayaalliard]

@Hopeless

Ooh I have never heard of the “Wet” brush. Just looking at the pictures, I am wondering how it differs from other brushes?

They bristles are more flexible in a way that makes them give but detangle. I have hip length hair myself- trust me, this thing is magical. I use it on horses and to detangle BAD doll hair for my ebay shop.

[Mukluk]

I would use a generous amount of detangler and start at the very bottom of the tail picking it apart by hand and gradually working up. Be patient it may take some time. Best of luck

[Brookes]

Lanolin! Mix it with a conditioner in a large spray bottle with water. 2 ounces of each in a big spray bottle. Use hot water in the bottle to keep the lanolin melted. You can drop the bottle in a bucket of hot water to keep it melted. Shake bottle to get lanolin mixed before each spray. Rub into knots with your fingers. Get a good large tooth metal comb and start picking. We use this on our large long hair show dogs that Matt horribly. We keep them in this mixture between shows to avoid tangles. It makes any knots that do appear 10 times easier to get out. I get my stuff on amazon. I’ll get you the brands once I crawl out of bed here. This stuff is magic. Better than any equine products we ever tried!

[Hopeless]

Thanks for all the suggestion! The end results and the different things I tried are on my blog.

[Mukluk]

Glad it all worked out for you!!!