The judge doesn’t care and many don’t even notice, they have too many other things to look at. Do what makes you happy as long as it doesn’t make your horse unhappy. It’s just hair.
I used to pull tails until I learned how do clip them…prefer it over natural and while I admire and will braid for Hunter shows prefer the pulled even faux pulled and banged look.
When I get a horse in with an over combed wimpy thin tail they seem to grow back fuller and look better when the top is clipped to look pulled.
All my personal owned non sale,horses have clipped n banged tails the for sales go natural new owners can do as they please.
I cut mine with scissors. I’m deadly with a pair of clippers near a tail (tried that ONCE!), and I haven’t the time or patience to mess with pulling.
I like the idea of braiding and think it can look very nice even though it stands out a bit, but a well-braided tail takes a fair bit of time, especially if you don’t do them often, and my already-trimmed tail takes zero minutes to prep on the morning of a show.
Love me a well pulled or clipped tail. I will say that the horse I have currently have his tail clipped right before I got him and it probably would have looked better pulled. Its just hair, it grows back.
Personally I think it looks unprofessional to show up with a ratty and/or busy tail. Thats probably just the traditionalist in me. If you must leave it long, please braid it for dressage.
I like the looks of a pulled/clipped tail (my ignorant eyes can’t tell the difference!) but only if its not overdone. The ones that are close to bald on the sides…yuck!!
I am thinking about doing it on my TB’s tail for our first recognized, but only because his tail is SUPER frizzy and bushy at the dock. He doesn’t rub it, and I condition it on a weekly basis, but he just doesn’t have good hair lol. His tail itself is nice and thick, and is growing, but the top of it is just NOT pretty. He’s got a nice butt so I want to show it off, lol!!
As for a banged tail, I think they look good on longer tails, but I’ve never understood the mid-cannon ones. I don’t like the way they look, but that’s just me. Of course I come from Arab-land, where tails are convinced to grow to the ground and manes are flowing!! I tentatively agreed to let my trainer slight bang Bailey’s tail (he’s a half-Arab) for Galway, and I almost died. The look is slowly growing on me, but she maybe trimmed 1/4" off, just so it was more even. 
For me, the longer the tail the better. I definitely will trim the ends if its on the ground, but I want as long a tail as possible.
I think they look good on longer tails, but I’ve never understood the mid-cannon ones.
Spend a winter in Michigan and you’ll understand banging them short. A horse coming in with a tail festooned with giant poop/ice dingleberries is not a happy horse, nor a pleasant sight. 
Back in the days when Bonnie hadn’t yet turned into the little DQ that she is, I would virtually always get comments on her “nice tail” because judges could find little else to say about her that was nice. (she was not generously endowed in the gaits department and it took many years to get her to overcome that) She has a gorgeous, full tail, wavy and luxurious. Nothing “bushy” about it and not one hair on the top of that tail has ever been TOUCHED. :lol: (I do bang it) I took whatever compliments I could get at that point. 
[QUOTE=eventingismylife;7021381]
If you must leave it long, please braid it for dressage.[/QUOTE]
Please don’t. LOL, this is why people should just do what makes them happy – some must indulge their Barbie instincts, others not, but no one that honestly matters will care very much.
I have had several dressage judges tell me while scribing and working that they recommend AGAINST braiding tails for your test, as a tight braid can make a horse look stiffer through the back then he actually is.
Meanwhile, I’ll be enjoying my extra sleeping and training time gleefully carefree about my horse’s hairdo (yep, I cut off his mane too, bwahahahaha!). 
I like the neater appearance of the clipped/pulled tail. I think a little bit goes a long way, though!
I like this video - the top doesn’t look bald when she’s done!
I like the look of a pulled or well clipped tail - spent years as a working student in a big event barn - everyone was pulled or well clipped.
I also like a banged tail - fairly short! I think it makes the horse look sporty and athletic.
What does a braided tail on an eventer look like? I’m guessing it doesn’t go all the way to the end of the tail bone like a hunter tail. Could anyone point me to some photos?
Every braided tail I’ve seen has been done just like you would see in the hunter ring. They may finish it off differently (maybe no pinwheel), but they braid just as far down.
[QUOTE=dappled;7019750]
Count me in the group that HATES pulled tails. I do not find it aesthetically pleasing, nor do I think it’s necessary to put the horse through.
I think a natural tail looks absolutely fine. If anything, maybe a well done braid for dressage. But even to see that is rare, as I think it is still much more of a hunter thing.[/QUOTE]
I’m in this group as well. I never understood the purpose of it, especially since the last I checked, horses aren’t being judged on how their hindquarters look.
Every now and then I will see a braided tail for dressage, but not too often. I do, however, think it would look nice for the jog up.
I’m not a fan of the pulled look either and my guy has a nice tail anyway. I bang it every once in a while but personally I think pulling the tail is a little mean anyway. I think it tends to bother them a lot more than pulling the mane (I don’t even do that, I use a SoloComb) so I’ll take the au naturale look over annoying my horse and possibly getting kicked. I’ve seen clipped tails done right so if you’re talented enough where people can’t tell the difference, go for it.
I like a nicely pulled and banged tail, definitely not a fan of braided or long tails!
I have never seen a nicely clipped tail, I’m just trying to get dinkdunks video link to work to have a look!
(just watched it, didn’t like it :lol:)
[QUOTE=wildlifer;7021830]
(yep, I cut off his mane too, bwahahahaha!). ;-)[/QUOTE]
I do, too! I think he looks pretty awesome with his faux hawk. I bang his tail and neaten the top of his tail as much as possible without getting too crazy (with scissors… eek!).
[QUOTE=DinkDunk;7021872]
I like the neater appearance of the clipped/pulled tail. I think a little bit goes a long way, though!
I like this video - the top doesn’t look bald when she’s done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT7atwXQM1w[/QUOTE]
That’s exactly how I do the top of my gelding’s tail… I like how it looks (and I like not having to pull it). :yes:
I like pulled and banged … especially the (gasp) extreme British style. Which, of course, is the proper way since that’s where it originated.
I have used clippers as well. I am a stickler for tails, actually, and can tell you that horses who are braided semi-often have bottlebrush tails, as braiding tends to break the hair at the top and sides.
I also feel like most people who swear their horse has a glorious natural tail are delusional, as well as lazy, and probably use a Solo Comb to do manes. Yeah, I said it. If it’s fuzzy at the top, and tapers to the fetlocks (with taper beginning at the hock), your nappy-headed horse’s weave is busted and it needs to be fixed. Pull and bang, that’s the answer!
Seriously, pulling is an ongoing process. I do a few hairs on either side several times a week, usually after I’ve ridden. Same with manes. Don’t view it as an occasional chore. Integrate it in your daily grooming routine.
I do occassionally bang my horse’s tail - don’t know what to do about the top though. Looks really nice all winter, then along comes spring and summer and we get a bald patch. It’s like clock work. I finally saw what was happening - when he rolls, he swishes his tail back and forth on the ground - voila! bald patch. The longer top hairs cover most of it, but if the light is just right . . .
After reading this thread last night I took a closer look at my mare’s tail today. I always bang it just above the fetlocks but I’ve never paid much attention to the top. It was very “bushy” at the top so I pulled out a scissors and did a little minimalist trimming. I took all the bushy hairs from the underside and trimmed them. I must say I love how it looks! Still looks totally natural but just a little more tidy at the top. I angled my strokes to make natural layers and you can’t even tell! It looks more compact at the top and then tapers to a nice full tail. She’ll be smashing at our first rated show next week
[QUOTE=DinkDunk;7021872]
I like the neater appearance of the clipped/pulled tail. I think a little bit goes a long way, though!
I like this video - the top doesn’t look bald when she’s done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT7atwXQM1w[/QUOTE]
Thank you for that link. I think I will get brave and try this. I had aspirations of growing my mares tail out but alas, she rubs it occasionally and it fans at the top. This will at least neaten it up.
