[equiniphile]

My 21-year old Paso Fino gelding, Arthur, is going to be in the ring with me this summer during fair for some showmansip, trail, etc classes. paso's are generally shown with a very long mane and tail, and Artie's isn't much to be proud of! What products or methods could I use to get some more length in it before August? Thanks!

 

[Angels Fallx]

MTG is one of the more popular products for helping with mane and tail growth.

 

[equiniphile]

I've heard that's a good one. How long and how often do you use it? Is it like something you use for a few months until it grows out, or do you use it forever?

 

[orin]

i cant get this in the UK is there an alternative?

 

[chika1235]

i have heard of coconut oil working.and for tht m-t-g use it every week or so and braid the mane andit should grow back. my mare destroyed her mane and it is now a lot longer and thicker! i love that stuff! make sure he doesnt have any dandruff and someone told me to go to the african-american section of the store and buy some of that stuff they put in their hair.idk thats just what i heard!but you should try and get some mtg it works wonders and it gets rid of dandruff and it lasts a long time!!!

 

[equiniphile]

So when I buy it, I put it on every week. And then I braid the mane once I've put it on? keep it braided until I take out the braids to put more MTG in the next week?

 

[Piaffe]

Yea...you just put it on the roots of the mane and tail dock and massage it in and let the excess fall onto the rest of the mane and tail. it smells like nasty bacon grease,but it works SO well. Also to grow a long mane and tail NEVER brush them with a brush. It causes it to break and frizz and make an ugly tail finger comb lightly. I also keep my tails (lol..i mean my horses tails) in tail bags all winter long. I try to apply M-T-G about once a week...and voila...take the tailbag off in summer and you have a tail dragging on the ground!

 

[equiniphile]

Yea...you just put it on the roots of the mane and tail dock and massage it in and let the excess fall onto the rest of the mane and tail. it smells like nasty bacon grease,but it works SO well. Also to grow a long mane and tail NEVER brush them with a brush. It causes it to break and frizz and make an ugly tail finger comb lightly. I also keep my tails (lol..i mean my horses tails) in tail bags all winter long. I try to apply M-T-G about once a week...and voila...take the tailbag off in summer and you have a tail dragging on the ground!

I use this (Amazon.com: Horse Mane & Tail Brush, 9" Black: Home Improvement) brush on his mane and tail....so just finger combing from now on? I may have to buy one of those tail bags when I get the MTG. I'll head up to TSC and see if they have any, as our local tack store is REALLY expencive and the owner is a b*tch....

As for the mane, do I just keep it braided all winter? What month do I take the tail bag off? How much of the MTG do you use? Sorry for my infinite questions lol

EQ

 

[Piaffe]

i would really suggest only finger combing. the mane/tail will get longer. and for me tailbags are a lifesaver. people don't even really ever see my horses tail in winter i take my tailbags off i guess around march,but it all depends on where you are/what the weather is like. when it isn't muddy then just take them off.

i like braiding the mane during the winter,but be very careful not to make them too tight because when you unbraid later it is very likely chunks will fall out. braid towards the roots VERY loosely and tighter as you go down. or my stallion who has an extrememly long mane (almost down to his knees!) i do a continental or diamond braid in the winter. it keeps it up,clean,and tangle free with the pulling of braids. mtg...i don't know..i just dump some on it until the roots are all soaked pretty well and then i let it run down the hair follicles. so it depends on the size of the mane/tail.....

 

[equiniphile]

How long do you think it'll grow to, and how fast does it grow? Like, do you think it'll grow to his knees ever, for instance? There's pictures of his current mane and tail under my horses tab under "Arthur".....the pix at the bottom are the most recent

 

[Piaffe]

oh goodness. there is no way of knowing i had an arab i couldn't grow a mane on her worth anything,but my stallion...i dump on a little mtg and it is like miracle grow. some horses just don't have long manes/tails in their genes..lol. it can have a lot to do with their breeding.

 

[Tasia]

I have had my horses tail in a tail bag for 2 months. It grew 4in and now touches the ground. I wish it was a little thicker.

 

[charlicata]

What I use for Rosie instead of a regular tail bag is just a tube sock with the top of it split and a hole in the bottom. I braid her tail, pour and rub conditioner into the braid, wrap it through itself, and put one of those wide no pull pony tail twisters in it about halfway up. Then just pull it through the sock and tie the sock into the braid. Her tail does drag the ground. I DO need for her mane to grow though. When I can actually get out, I'm going to try to remember to pick up some of that MTG.

 

[equiniphile]

Okay I picked up some MTG from TSC and was going to get a tailbag too but someone had cleaned then out the day before. Any cheap places to order them online? Okay Im going to put the MTG on on Mondays, so Monday I put it on arthur's mane while he ate dinner. I braided it in 6 very loose braids and he looks so cute lol! Well have to see how much it grows...hoping to get it at least below the bottom of his neck and I'll be happy

 

[masatisan]

I believe the best way to create outer health, is by starting on the inside. Hair you see is already dead, the only living aspect of hair is the root and follicle. If those aren't healthy, the hair they produce won't be either.

There are quite a few supplements you can give to help hair growth and improve coat quality, the best ones are Biotin, which is an essential B vitamin, and vitamin E, which contains polyunsaturated fats that are shown to have a wide range of beneficial qualities, including improved skin and hoof quality and joint suppleness.

One of the best natural sources for these vitamins and fats is flax seed, especially flax seed oil. One or two tablespoons mixed into the feed once a day is enough to be beneficial. Giving too much can cause diarrhea due to expulsion of the excess oil, but otherwise, it is very safe.

 

[Tasia]

I just conducted a little test. I prefer the tail bags that dont have to tube there just a bag. I find that these ones dont pull out alot of hair. The tube ones do keep them a little cleaner but tend thin the tail out. Go figure.

 

[Padrona]

OH my. My paso's mane is literally past her knees. And of course its as thick as a 5 horse manes put together. Yikes. Every two months I spend an hour unbraiding, oiling/conditioning, and rebraiding. It's insane. Hers took off once I started keeping it braided. I think that no matter what products you use, you HAVE to keep the hair physically protected from being caught in buckets, fences, gates, etc. If I put MTG on her, I'd have to teach her how to drive a wheelbarrow so she could carry all her hair around! LOL

I always wanted to try these Toadstool Farm Mane Bags but haven't yet.

Of course a great diet is very beneficial too. I go to great pains to make sure my diets are really well balanced and chock full of all the goodies like Omegas, protein, good fats and a great vitamin/mineral profile.

 

[equiniphile]

I believe the best way to create outer health, is by starting on the inside. Hair you see is already dead, the only living aspect of hair is the root and follicle. If those aren't healthy, the hair they produce won't be either.

There are quite a few supplements you can give to help hair growth and improve coat quality, the best ones are Biotin, which is an essential B vitamin, and vitamin E, which contains polyunsaturated fats that are shown to have a wide range of beneficial qualities, including improved skin and hoof quality and joint suppleness.

One of the best natural sources for these vitamins and fats is flax seed, especially flax seed oil. One or two tablespoons mixed into the feed once a day is enough to be beneficial. Giving too much can cause diarrhea due to expulsion of the excess oil, but otherwise, it is very safe.

Hmm I never considered vitamins and how they would affect it. Where do you buy Biotin and such?

 

[equiniphile]

My uncle owns a reining horse ranch in Colorado, and he reccomended this site for show clothing. I'm looking at their tail bags....

http://www.sstack.com/horse-care_tail-protection/

Any suggestions in particular from here?