I think all the help pages are great keep up the good work.

Thanks for the help and I just wanted to ask if you comb the hair while you are washing it does it hurt as much as combing it when the horses hair is dry

Hey, I think the website is great it has helped me alot. I'm going to a horse center for my 2 week work experience it has helped me to catch up on all me notes and things to do so thanx for being here! Keep smilin! :) all the best, Casie

Thank you so much for the tips on horse care.
The service you are providing is most apprecited
and extremely helpful.
Peg

I just have a hint for rinse phase. If you use vinegar mixed in the rinse water, it helps get all of the soap out of the hair, and the smell will keep the bugs away.

I was going to suggest what Judy just said. It works, my cousin does it to her horses.

Thanks for making this site, it is very helpful for beginners like myself. I have bookmarked this site and will be coming back a lot. Thanks again!

Marie

No, it does not seem to hurt at all.

The soap makes the hair slippery and of course cleaner, therefore the knots seam to fall out. If you comb the dock through, then start at the end of the tail and comb from the bottom teasing out the knots as you progress further up. The reason being combing the tail from the top to the bottom, in my experience piles, one knot on top of another until there is one massive knot that is impossible to remove!

In addition, the soap seems to prevent the hair from being pulled out or broken and bearing in min that the hair takes a long time to grow from the dock to full length this is an added bonus.

Where I trained it was a real no no to brush without the tail washing it first, and all the horses and ponies there had lovely full tails with square bottoms and no wispy, thin or endy tails.

Tip: When I worked for someone with an Iron grey coloured horse she use to put a blue bag in the final rinse and the tail had a lovely blue/black sheen.

P.S. For those too young to remember blue bags - they are what your granny used to put in the rinse water to get her sheets white (before the invention of washing machines). Some old-fashioned hardware stores still sell them!

Thank you for creating this site!

I've been riding for 4 years and I jump, but I never learned how to take care of a horse. Now that I have learned I understand many more things. This site has really helped me out!
Mollie

I am surprised that no one mentioned conditioner!?? I am a miracle worker when it comes to enhancing and growing thick tails!

I always use a conditioner after washing tails and pick through the tail with a comb, almost piece-by-piece, starting by holding all of the hair in one hand and using the comb to catch a few strands and separtate it from the big clump of hair working all the way to the base of the tail(this takes a long time the first few times but will majorly minimize hair loss and will ensure a tangle free tail all the way up to the root).

I either then leave the conditioner in and put on a tail bag, or i rinse the conditioner out and use "Healthy Hair Care" from the top of the dock down to the tip of the tail. I believe that mosturizing the dock and base of the tail with "HHC",baby oil, or any hand lotion with aloe or lanolin is the trick to long tails(be sure to massage the HHC or whatever you choose to use into the tail). It will keep the tail hair from breaking and will encourage new growth, not to mention, rid the tail of dandruff and prevent tangles.

When preparing for the show (the morning of), re-wash the tail to rid of oils and use conditioner, but be sure to completly rinse it all out! Air dry tail by separating the tail almost hair by hair using a comb or just your fingers- be sure to start at the base or root on each piece and work down to the bottom. Your horse's tail will more than double in thickness just from separting it hair by hair! Between classes you can re-pick the tail to fluff it again. Always make sure to trim the tail above the ground so he doesn't step on it and pull out your hard work-plus, trimming straight across will give the illusion of a thicker tail because it won't be scraggly at the tip!

Your horse can have a gorgeous thick tail, but it takes patience, dilegence, and loyalty!! I recommend taking the tail out of the tail bag and either washing or re-conditioning at least every week.( I prefer using an old cotton tube sock and heavy string or rope instead of nylon pre-made tail bags so the tail can breathe and dry. (Make sure not to tie the rope around the tail bone itself- it will cut off the circulation and the tail can actually fall off or die!) Be sure when braiding the tail for a tail bag, not to braid to the tip- wrapping the rubberband around only a few strands of hair, is a recipe for breakage, and don't braid the tail too tight- if too tight, the hair will break when he swishes his tail! For extra dry, brittle tails, after washing, use basic hotoil treatment (VO5 or whatever you like) or a deep conditioner on your horse once a week, following the product instructions- you WILL see results!

One more tip-DON'T USE SHOW SHEEN ON TAILS- it has a silicone base which traps out moisture and causes hair to break! Good luck and you will see results with my methods! Just remember it takes a lot of time and work to get and keep a great tail- one that everyone will be jealous of!!

Good luck

Cassie

Hi
Could you guys please write a article about how to pull a horses tail.(with pictures and all). Because I can wash, trim ect.... but I'm not that great when it comes to pulling the tail!
Thanks a lot
Kylie

These really help. Could you talk about which types of horses need certain brading or trimming. I am showing an arab, but it was hard to find out that arabs don't need braiding.

Hi.. I was wondering if anyone had some thoughts or "rescues" for us.. Someone cut our horses tail off (not completely, but right below the end bone...) there is a little hair left, but not much... any ideas for giving him a "tail" of some sort?

Thanks..
My email is daniemorgan@hotmail.com if anyone has any thoughts....

could you please do an article on trimming horses around th ears and the fetlock. I would also like to read some articles on pulling the tail. Pictures would be good.
Thanx

thanx for the tip i could use it but i try this at my pony but she bucks at me i put a haynet there i tie her tighter and she still does it . What can i do to make her stand still ? If anyone got any answers please email me at horses_are_the_best@hotmail.com

Hello, Does anyone know how to PUT UP a tail? It is very wet and muddy here and it is quite difficult to keep his tail clean and untangled. Thanks.

hey about putting up the tail try triming it shorter, like just above the hock its a good idea and looks good.I did it to my horse and it realy keeps it dry and clean and by show season it will be longer and looking healthy cause it didnt get dryed out that winter. if it is snowing try bandaging it remember not to do it to thight but tight enough so it wont fall off.

Is it better to use a hose for washing the tail as my young mare hates water on her hind legs and lashes out when washing her tail.She will let me wash them willingly. But soon as I wash her tail and the water drips on them she gets in a strop.

Cassie - Tail bags? Think you are missing the plot here. Horses have tails to swish away flies and to fan themselves. Tail bags are for keeping tails clean and tidy on the way to a show. They are NOT designed or intended for permanent wear and if used as such deprive the horse of the tail's natural function.

Hi my name is Meryn and I have a mini horse! When ever i bath him we have tremendose trouble washing his tail because its VERY water proof but we do get there in the end. We find using human shampoo&conditioner is the best, such as PERT for not only does it clean his tail but it makes it easy to brush and VERY soft and wavey. I always brush his when hes dry after the bath because if you want a nice wavey tail its best to leave it to dry in its wet shaggy stait and brush it when its dry. Thanx everyone!