As a kid, I showed ASB and Arabs. Obviously, we were diligent on caring for tails as the longer the better. We would braid, using strips of sheets to tie up, then cover with a tube sock tied in to protect it. We did this between shows, and little else otherwise. This was the '80s.
When I got my mare, her tail was thick and drug on the ground. I banged it to keep it out of mud/dirt/manure. She spent a lot of time in her stall. Now, she’s in a different situation, has learned to be a Horse and loves her turnout. She’s also grayed out, so her once darker tail is now white. And it’s shorter and thinner. It’s not badly thin/short, but I’d love to pamper it a bit to get it grown out. What’s the best way?
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I would try to figure out why it’s thinning/ shorter (is she rubbing? Major diet change? Other horse chewing it? Getting pulled out by a rug or fence or bucket?). There’s too many reasons why it might be thinning to suggest one “cure”. I used to bag my mares tail in the winter and found it helped thicken it up but it took years.
As to keeping it white, the biggest thing that I’ve found that helps is dish soap and washing multiple times. I will soap her tail 3-4 times then soak in a leave in conditioner after to help remoisturize it. I did this recently, just using dish soap, and it went from black/ brown to nearly show ring ready. If it’s still too yellow after washing I will do a light bleach with human hair bleach. Make sure to put it in a bag so it doesn’t get everywhere and not to put it on the dock. If she’s in work throughout the summer and getting hose often after rides, rinsing the tail helps keep it clean too.
I tried Goop, ketchup, whitening shampoos, and all the other tricks and nothing makes a difference like the above.
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As a kid in the 1980s with Morgans & Saddlebreds, the joke from our trainers/teachers was that you would get a slap for every broken hair. We had to pick the entire tail by hand and gasped at the horrors of using a comb or brush.
I now rip out tons of hair every time I yank a brush through my mare’s mane and tail. It still looks great (entirely due to genetics) and I have yet to struck down by the angry horse gods.
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Not sure how great I am about tails, but when I bought my horse Lilly last year, she has the most AMAZING THICK mane and tail, so I am doing my darnest to keep it that way.
During the summer, it’s kept up in a TailBoot. I try to wash and condition her tail about once a week or once every other week. I only brush it out after it’s been fully washed and conditioned. The only time I let her tail be natural is when the flies got too bad in the summer that the TailBoot didn’t even stay in good.
For the winter in North Dakota, I can’t wash it and I didn’t want to mess with having to redo the Tailboot in subzero temps. So I did something new that others swear by. I put figure 8 knots in her tail and wrapped them with vet wrap. I actually did TWO knots for hers b/c her tail is so long and thick, in order to get it off the ground. The thought process is that the weight of the knots encourages growth (same concept behind the TailBoot). I did the knots in October and took them out in March when we had a nice 60-degree day. I sprayed on conditioner in the winter every week or two.
I was worried to take them out b/c they were so matted-looking but I washed and HEAVILY conditioned it and wowza!! I actually cut off 8 inches of her tail!
Before I took the knots out:
Washed, brushed, trimmed and beautiful!!
Then up in the TailBoot.
I did the same for my Red gelding as well and he had really, really great growth too. His tail is “sad” compared to hers though, LOL. But trying to get as much growth from it that I can and it’s looking good for where his tail normally is at.
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It’s not that it seems to be thinning, as much as she’s just using it more now. That combined with it being white instead of black the hairs just feel finer.
I am often complimented on my mare’s tail and how it looks better now than it was when I got her (it was already nice but much fuller now). It isn’t white, just FYI. Two changes made the difference. I do brush her tail, but ONLY with a “wet brush” from Amazon (LOVE them and I use ‘em on my own tangly locks after my hair dresser recommended them). I also put pink stuff in her tail before brushing it and I have stopped using ANY silicone products at all.
One more recent change is I started doing tick protection after she titered positive for Lyme. Her tail looked fab before that but I think it probably helps a bit too so she doesn’t rub her tail out since that seems to be their favorite place to migrate.
I shampoo and condition rarely as needed - again she is not a grey - but I do keep it moisturized with the pink stuff diluted according to instructions. No braiding, no bags, etc. I bang it to keep her from stepping on it and to keep it out of the mud, etc.
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I have a grey mare with a good tail. When fly season is over, I wash it and put in lot’s of ‘leave in’ conditioner. It then goes into a 3 tube tail bag which is doubled up to give a mud knot effect and then wrapped with electrical tape to keep it together. It comes out and is conditioned then rebraided about every other week. During the summer I wash every couple of weeks and condition heavily. Works for us! I can’t stress how much the braid and bag protects the tail and prevents it from nicotine coloured stains during the winter so we don’t have to use harsh treatments to get it white in the spring.
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Interesting! Do you have pictures of what you do?
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not sure my skills are up to it, but I’ll try! Can anyone tell me how to post pics from my phone?
Can you just open this thread on your phone’s browser and attach a photo from there?
When you open the reply box, click the up arrow button in the bottom right, then click photo library and it pulls up your camera roll.
Hope that helps
