When did the stock industry start using fake tails?

I use a fake because his tail has thinned out alot the last few years. He's 17 years old and has become follicely challenged, much like men who have thinning hair as they get older. The length is not the problem, the thinness is. I bought a 1 lb tail and had it thinned out to between 1/2-3/4 lbs. A 1 lb was too much.

White hair is more expensive because it is harder to find in good condition and unstained. You'd be insane to dye a white fake tail.

In my area they didn't start appearing until appaloosas got stockier (they're mostly racers out here) and started appearing more often in the western shows. I do mean the true and through rat-tail appaloosas out there. It's nearly impossible to find a true app with a long, or at least naturally thick tail. I grew up next to a serious breeder and live next to another serious breeder and except for one stud that has a lot of QH in his bloodline all of the apps I've seen from yearling to 25 are rat tailed. Where I'm re-locating my horse for boarding the BO specializes in app show horses and while hers are long tailed they're very sparse and thin. I believe the fake tails started out so that people could have a fuller tail with a natural or flat bottom and look good. They're mostly very lightly used from what I've seen, though, and put in as 'pieces' to get a natural flow.


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The only 'heavy' fake tails I've ever seen in person were on saddlebreds and morgans at a national show held at my states fair grounds. The horses were docked to about 2.3 - 4 inches and they had whispy tails that dragged the ground placed on them, I think they were glued because there was a lot of 'old' glue on the horses tails ( I viewed over 60 horses getting prepared for show and another 80 being undone.) and out of all the horses I saw in the 'back stage process' only 10 of them had natural tails and they didn't make it to the ground while all the fakes were 'whispy' dragging along about 2-3 feet behind them. This was a huntseat competition and driving (which I didn't see the point of those tails if they had to be pinned up to avoid getting caught in the cart) all the AQHA, APHA, PhCA and other stock horse shows I've witness the tails were natural or very light weight fakes and only used to 'complete' a ratty tail.

I don't see a problem with fake tails personally. I actually plan on buying orange and white colored extensions for my horse to use in small-time shows. I don't see it as a big deal. If person A wants their horse to have a full tail let them. It does not affect the judges scores. I've seen rat tailed horses beat out a full tailed horse in a class. All it does is complete the clean, trimmed, and well-kept appearance of a show horse.

Personally the only thing I'd add to my filly is colored extensions because I'm a serious 'colors!' person and if I'm wearing colored extensions (mostly clip in ROFL ) why can't my horse match me? It doesn't hurt them and as far as I can tell it just annoys or pleases people.

The problem with tails that are obviously not looking right are because people aren't taking the time to prepare their tail before putting it on. If you pull a tail straight out of a bag and then stick it on your horse, it's not going to blend.

I prefer to wash and blow dry my fakes, and comb them out gently using a product like Biosilk (it doesn't take much). And do the same to my horse's tail. The two will end up with the same texture and volume, and it will blend much better. A "flat" tail that someone has just pulled out of the bag and stuck in is not going to move well or hang right.

I used to have my horse boarded at a QH show barn 32 years ago. It wasn't until I got back into horses almost 4 years ago did I see the fake tails. When I was going to the shows (just as a spectator!) 32 years ago QH's tails were pulled just around hock length which I thought was nutty because I thought full tails were pretty. My own QH mare had a very thick full tail to the ground.

So I have no idea of when long fake tail came into vogue. Biscuit has a beautiful flaxen tail 0.o I would SERIOUSLY dot someone's eye if they messed with The Biscuit's tail. It comes right to the top of his fetlocks so it is certainly not dragging the ground but I like it where it is!

My Qh can grow a really nice wavy tail its very thick at the top to the bottom and when I brush it out it seems to grow and becomes a lot thicker looking. While my paint has a nice tail its not thick but not thin its very straight and looks nice I would never think about getting him a tail for showing because it looked to thin. If I had an older horse that's tail was thining out I wouldnt care that much he's getting older that happens, as long as he can get the flys off him it doenst matter what their tail looks like!

I do love full looking manes and tails my QH can grow a forelock and my moms horse at two mane and tail was thick and full forelock past his eyes by inches, and mane past his neck by inches. I looked his look but he some how found the only bur bush in the yard and as we pulled them out thined his mane pretty bad. To me he looked better with it fuller but he still looks good having a mane! The people we got him from had the other 3 horses manes roached and tried to do him (part was short on one side) but he acted up to much by the way he acted when we got him and they only got a small but a ways down his neck. It grew back and is normal again.