I usually clip a bit on the sides of my gelding’s dock to clean it up and emphasize his magnificent rear end. I remember back in the day, people would pull the tails. This seems harsh, but I wonder if the clipped dock is itchy for Dobbin.
Are tidy docks still a thing?
I tidy up with scissors. It isn’t a true sculpting but rather lightly feathering the side hairs to help them blend in well. It is just enough that when the tail is lightly carried there aren’t any odd ends hanging down. Potential itches and not trusting my hand are the two reasons why I’ve never clipped but I think it looks really sharp.
Still “the thing” in upper level eventing. I think it creates a finished look, usually emphasizing the hindquarters and making a thinner tail look more respectable. 
I have notice that the last couple of years, dressage has gone toward the natural look. So I let my horse’s tail grow out. Personally, I prefer the clipped look (I only do the top 3 inches) so I am going back to that.
I braid the top…just not as far down as hunters. I don’t like the look of a “cut” hairs at the dock.
No. It would make Sophie’s rather ample rear end look even ampler.
“Face of a dutchess, rear end of a cook”
The World Cup dressage horses seemed to have the top couple inches of their docks tidied up in some fashion. I couldn’t get close enough to see exactly what had been done, but they were definitely not au naturale, but cleaned up enough to make an elegant outline.
:lol:
I don’t touch my horse’s tail except to attempt to keep it clean. The mane is enough of a challenge, he was blessed w/ hair enough for three horses…
I clip the sides - never have pulled the dock, always used scissors and clippers. I like the clean, more sculpted look.
Pretty sure I’ve seen a lot of the big horses with trimmed up docks, though as others have said, I’m not sure how it’s done. Valegro, Verdades, Nip Tuck all appear to have cleaned up docks. Looking at photos of Isabell Werth, for example, her horses don’t appear trimmed.
I do find the cleaned up docks to look more finished, but don’t do it myself. My horse rubs the top of his tail off every year regardless, so if he’s got some hair there, I leave it alone!
2tempe, speaking of generous manes – i roached my guy’s mane and it looks awesome. No more braiding! i can concentrate on the ride.
I clip. I always have; i just think it looks nicer, more polished. I was always taught to just trim to the breakover point, which for most horses is roughly even with the point of the buttock (I think?)… Max’s hair grows kindof ridiculously fast, so in the summer i do bridle path and top of tail about every 2-3 weeks and in the winter i do it when it starts to look raggedy.
I trim with scissors but the hair is there to protect bums from inclement weather, so I feel a bit mean! You could potentially leave it and gel any straggly hairs down?
I did my mares tail a few years back with clippers on the sides, but I have been letting it grow back for the more natural look. I trimmed it up the same way I would a polo pony or an eventing horse.
On another note, I have two, 2 yo geldings…and the sport pony has taken a few chunks of tail off of my warmblood. Fingers crossed that game gets old, or I need to at least find a way to discourage it! I was ill when I realized what was happening. It might need some serious trimming to blend it in.
Nope. Mine show au naturale.
For those that don’t want to pull, or don’t care for the shaved look, a pair of thinning shears judiciously used can be helpful.
Your horse looks awesome roached! It should be the next dressage style!
I always clip or braid now. When I started, I was riding a horse that I also showed in hunters. I wanted to leave his tail long so that I could braid it for hunters. My trainer really complained and insisted that I had to either clip or braid it. I resisted braiding at first, because he had rather typical hunter movement and conformation anyway, and I worried that braiding his tail like a hunter would just cause people (judges) to notice that even more. But my trainer really insisted, and now I always clip or braid the tail.
I clip the dock. There is an art form to enhancing the quarters, and to tail length. My personal pet peeve is too long a tail that doesn’t swing properly . . .
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