Tail washing--HELP! (Warning: kind of gross)

***Okay, so please don't get after me about this, because the horse that I'm asking about isn't mine and I'm not responsible for him, I'm just trying to help him out.***

My friend's barn has a really lenient owner and a few too many horses than they can take proper care of. One of the horses apparently had a diarrhea problem in the past, and now there is hardened poop staining a good portion of his tail (which, have I mentioned, is white?). I sprayed his tail like crazy with the hose today, and washed it twice with a whitening shampoo, but it barely made a difference. Does anyone have any tips?

Sorry to bring up such a graphic topic, I know it's pretty gross, but I can't imagine this feels good to the horse, so I really want to help him!

Get a glove and scrub lol

There was a horse at my old barn like this. Every time he would poop, it would make his tail even yuckier. And yes he had a white tail (or what was supposed to be white). I would suggest filling a bucket full of water and soap (a shampoo like Mane and Tail), putting his tail in the bucket, completely soaking it and (with rubber gloves on) scrub it down, sudse it, do the whole shebang (just like you would shampoo your own hair). That should take care of the gross stains. Make sure to rinse out all the soap with fresh clean water too.

Good luck!

Try with warm/hot water... and LOTS of shampoo!!

Or if the horses tail is long just cut it (but then it isn't your horse so you might not be able to do that!)

So just keep soaking it :)

I wouldnt personally cut my horses tail off.... But like mentioned before, soaking the tail in warm water and scrubing while wearing gloves would be your best option. It may take a couple washings to get the stain completely out... best of luck

^^^ I don't think she meant to cut the whole tail off ;)

As mentioned warm water and heaps of shampoo. If all the poo etc is out and the tail is still stained you might want to get a shampoo that is especially for white horses. Another idea is you could make a paste out of bicarbonate of soda and water. Make it quick thick and massage that through his whole tail and leave it for 10 minutes or so and rinse. Repeat if necessary ;)

Failing that I have no idea. Most of the time it takes patience and a few different tactics. Good luck with it

Tail wraps sound nice.

A lot of warm & hot water. Scrub REALLY hard, & use a good amount of shampoo.
Oh & like Blu said, USE A GLOVE! Lol!

Thanks for all your suggestions, guys! I'll try again tomorrow. And maybe I'll invest in a tail wrap for him. . .

If you're willing to spend a little money, make the rounds of some beauty shops and ask them what they use on white hair.

I've had several horses with white, or mostly white tails. I bought some purple shampoo from a beauty shop (sorry, I cannot remember the name of it) and it worked wonders. It got white tails, even the one that had really gone yellow over the winter, whiter than I'd ever gotten them before.

It also works on the white hair of dogs.