Going to look at a Haflinger with a docked tail. I don’t know how much it would bother me, seeing the poor guy in fly season. He was bought from a meat guy by the current owner and already had a docked tail. It’s something that bothers me a lot, for various reasons and I don’t know if I’ll be able to just "not see it"as time passes. What are your thoughts?
I don’t think it really matters what other people think, if you hate it that much. Your money, your purchase.
Personally, I don’t give two craps about having lush/full tails or manes, so it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. Get a good fly sheet!
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Yes I would … put a fly scrim on him during the fly season … it will help him and you too ~
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Are flies really bad in your area? Is it a “look” thing or a you don’t want to see him suffering thing? I definitely think you can do stuff for him if it’s the later. If it is the look you can’t get over then probably pass on him. I personally think that horses are too expensive of a hobby to feel like you are settling.
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Gal in our pony club had an appy that couldn’t grow a tail. Just the natural, hairless tail. He was called “Happy Endings”. I did feel for him during very fly infested times. But not sure how good a tail is when there are a zillion flies anyway. Gotta get a good sheet, and cover them up.
His “look” was different than others, but not a deal killer in my mind.
I’m going to go and see him anyway. I don’t “give two craps” about whether a tail is lush or not, but I have a real issue with the fact it’s 2018 and people are still docking tails. England and Australia have figured this out. We do a have a long and very intense fly season and that’s certainly a consideration.
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I personally would. I leased a paint mare who had lost most of her tail (3+ vertebrae removed) in a pasture accident. It didn’t seem to bother her much, we were just extra generous with fly spray while riding and kept a fly sheet on her otherwise. The biggest issue was at shows , because it can be very difficult to blend a fake into a very short tail - but if you aren’t planning to show in a discipline/level where that would matter, I wouldn’t worry about it.
but ultimately its your money to buy and maintain the creature - if you think its really going to affect your enjoyment of him, then keep looking.
I had an Appy cross with a naturally occurring rat tail, and he was miserable in the summer. The first time I rode him, I was very disconcerted when he used his rear hooves to flick flies off himself–while I was in the saddle. No matter how much fly spray I used on him, I could never seem to get him comfortable in fly season, and I think that contributed to the problems I had with him. So if I were still in the market for a horse, I wouldn’t buy one with a docked tail.
Rebecca
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It may have been docked due to an injury. I knew a horse with a partially amputated tail. Horse owner was a novice and applied a tail bag incorrectly and cut off the circulation.
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People still dock tails in draft breeds. They will continue to do so because it is still acceptable in some circles. I don’t like it either but it just is. I would go see the horse, find out the circumstances and then decide. You might be passing up the horse of a lifetime over an issue that isn’t the horse’s fault. Only one way to find out.
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I had a mare that came from a rescue organization (she was a real rescue, AC was involved, no food, no shelter, repeat offender). Before we took her in the rescue cut all her tail hair off because she had diarrhea and to expedite cleaning her, they decide the tail had to go. What she had left was not much more then a docked tail. I will say I got used to seeing it quickly and it did not bother me, but when we took her places after she recovered, it did seem to bother a lot of other people. I think I got veiwed negatively as people thought I cut the tail of a perfectly good horse!
Anyway, the lack of tail didn’t bother me one bit. But on the flip side, from the reactions I got, it did bug some people. It is all in what you can live with. I pick disposition over tail and this mare was worth her weight in gold disposition wise.
It took forever for her tail to grow back and when we lost her two years later, it was still very short.
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These are really useful insights, and I thank you all. The current owner said he fed the Horse garlic all summer and he thought it helped a bit. It’s so stinkin’ hot here for several weeks, I can’t imagine putting a fly sheet on him. RMJacobs, did your horse damage his back feet from stamping at the flies?
Your horse your money, but it wouldn’t bother me at all
it would not bother me. I have known two trauma docked horses, both did fine, one showed in a false tail, one had enough length to show in a short mud tail. He grew more hair length. The false tail mare was an Appy cross so she did not grow a lot of hair length on what was left of her dock You can use a light false tail in fly season if need be.
if you do decide to get the horse and you are going to show in a false tail, be sure to rehearse with the tail. The mare moved with a bit more sass when her tail was on, she was quite cute.
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This would be strictly a trail pony so no show concerns. Maybe a mesh quarter sheet would help in a trail situation.
Rambo makes fly sheets for riding! It wouldn’t bother me either. Some docked tails can grow a decent amount of hair if allowed.
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a light mesh fly scrim sheet would help and not be too hot … it’s lighter than the material in a fly mask … used when turned out or in his stall
while riding or driving just fly spray should be sufficient …
there are breeds that have docked tails …riding and driving horses that are fine with docked tails in the ring, pasture, driving venues and in their stalls.
the Budwesier Clydesdales …
Hackney Horses
Hackney Ponies
What am I missing here ?
If this is a nice horse in terms of a good fit
Good at his job … a nice ride… good in the mouth and mind … a docked tail should not cause a problem in ownership
unless
it is just an eye sore for you …
If he is a good fit I certainly would not hold his docked tail against him
IMHO
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Mesh fly wraps make a world of difference when it comes to flies. I have the Kensington and Weatherbeeta ones - my mare wears them 24/7 during fly season (they get changed twice daily and cleaned). She rarely if ever stomps to remove flies meanwhile the three horses next to her are stomping endlessly. If you like the horse and bring him home look into fly wraps.
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I use the the fly leg wraps on my current pony, who has a full tail, and they really reduce the stomping. ZuZu, I know that in North America there are still horses with docked tails. I disagree with it fundamentally because horses’ tails serve many purposes central to their comfort and quality of life, but that is an argument for another day and another post. I plan to meet the pony in question on Friday and will see from there. Interestingly, the only other issue is that he occasionally pins his ears and pops up his back end when adults ride him but never with the eight year old child. Sounds like a saddle fit issue. As the current owner said, he can’t exactly wring his tail to show discomfort!
I’m confused. If the docked tail isn’t an aesthetic issue for you, and you’ve said it isn’t, then why wouldn’t you buy a riding horse with a docked tail? I get that you oppose the practice of docking a horse’s tail, but given the horse’s history, how does buying him/not buying him send any kind of message to people who dock horse’s tails?
I mean, it’s one thing to stand on principle and not purchase a horse from the breeder or owner who chose to dock the tail. I get that. But not buying a horse that is several steps removed from whoever docked the tail in the first place just because you oppose the practice of tail docking is wacky.
And the fly issue is irrelevant, IMO. I know several horses with perfectly useful tails who need head to tail to hoof fly covers during fly season. Avoiding a horse with a docked tail just because you don’t want to deal with the fly issue, is, again, wacky, because you may well end up with another horse who is sensitive to flies and needs full coverage fly protection in spite of having a tail.
And even a horse with a docked tail can wring his tail to show discomfort. It just isn’t a big a show as the full tail gets you.
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