[oakvalley]

Yay! Grooming! My favorite! 😃

I'd bet he is rubbing his tail a bit. If the hair near the top isn't growing longer, it's breaking off for some reason

Keep the tail nice and clean, wash it well and scrub all the way down to the skin of the tail to keep fungus, bugs, and other yuckies at bay. I prefer to apply conditioner to the length of the hair, but not down to the skin as it makes them itch more. Also make sure to keep the area around the tail clean and between their thighs where sweat and dirt tends to accumulate. Rinse well. I like equiFUSE the most, but have also used EQyss, Cowboy Magic, Manely Long, and various other stuff with success. Rinse super well. You can reapply some conditioner on the ends and leave it in. No dry shampoo.

Don't comb or brush the tail unless you have to. Pick through it with your fingers and run a stiff body brush through it to avoid breakage and ripping the hair out. If you do need to brush through it "for real", use a lot of detangler... and patience! It rips out a lot of hair even if you think you're being careful. I BRUSH my horses tails only 3-4 times a year- otherwise it's just detangling with my fingers and a body brush to get leaves, hay, twigs, and shavings out.

A good diet is important of course. Protein is essential, so make sure your horse is getting enough- my personal preference is adding alfalfa and soybean meal. I've had limited success with biotin, but lots of people swear by it.

I have had success rubbing Shapley's MTG onto the skin of the mane and tail. It got too stinky and messy for me though, so I eventually quit. It can burn horses that are allergic to it or are left in the sun.

Lots of people loosely braid the length of the tail and put it into a tail bag to protect it. This works if the horse is stalled, but it's unfair outside when the horse needs a tail to swat at flies. I used to use vet wrap and baling twine to create a "fake tail" like in the link- still not as comfortable for the horse as allowing the tail to be natural, so I don't do it anymore. Don't wrap the tail bone! Only the length of the tail hair! Friesian and owners of Gypsy Cobs and Vanners (the hair gods of the horse world 😂) often braid the tail into many sections and just let them hang down so they're still effective against flies, but not getting tangled and matted. I'd leave the braids in until they started falling apart (usually 1-2 weeks, sometimes sooner if the horse needed to be more presentable). The less brushing and pulling on the hair you do, the better.

Genetics is ultimately what dictates mane and tail growth. Some horses will simply grow more hair than others. My OTTB years ago always had the most pathetic little mane, tail, and forelock- he was still a gorgeous creature!

 

[KateTheHorseRider]

I’d highly recommended a tail bag! I usually leave my horses tail bag in for one week and take it out to wash, rebraid, and moisturize at the end of the week. He was once a wild mustang and his tail was completely matted, so after I dematted it, it was really thin with a lot of breakage. I’ll attach the before and after pictures

Oh and I use cowboy magic detangler and shine, yellowout shampoo, and rose Water shampoo, and well as occasionally showsheen😊

 

[baysfordays]

Yay! Grooming! My favorite! 😃

I'd bet he is rubbing his tail a bit. If the hair near the top isn't growing longer, it's breaking off for some reason

Keep the tail nice and clean, wash it well and scrub all the way down to the skin of the tail to keep fungus, bugs, and other yuckies at bay. I prefer to apply conditioner to the length of the hair, but not down to the skin as it makes them itch more. Also make sure to keep the area around the tail clean and between their thighs where sweat and dirt tends to accumulate. Rinse well. I like equiFUSE the most, but have also used EQyss, Cowboy Magic, Manely Long, and various other stuff with success. Rinse super well. You can reapply some conditioner on the ends and leave it in. No dry shampoo.

Don't comb or brush the tail unless you have to. Pick through it with your fingers and run a stiff body brush through it to avoid breakage and ripping the hair out. If you do need to brush through it "for real", use a lot of detangler... and patience! It rips out a lot of hair even if you think you're being careful. I BRUSH my horses tails only 3-4 times a year- otherwise it's just detangling with my fingers and a body brush to get leaves, hay, twigs, and shavings out.

A good diet is important of course. Protein is essential, so make sure your horse is getting enough- my personal preference is adding alfalfa and soybean meal. I've had limited success with biotin, but lots of people swear by it.

I have had success rubbing Shapley's MTG onto the skin of the mane and tail. It got too stinky and messy for me though, so I eventually quit. It can burn horses that are allergic to it or are left in the sun.

Lots of people loosely braid the length of the tail and put it into a tail bag to protect it. This works if the horse is stalled, but it's unfair outside when the horse needs a tail to swat at flies. I used to use vet wrap and baling twine to create a "fake tail" like in the link- still not as comfortable for the horse as allowing the tail to be natural, so I don't do it anymore. Don't wrap the tail bone! Only the length of the tail hair! Friesian and Gypsy people (the hair gods of the horse world 😂) often braid the tail into many sections and just let them hang down so they're still effective against flies, but not getting tangled and matted. I'd leave the braids in until they started falling apart (usually 1-2 weeks, sometimes sooner if the horse needed to be more presentable). The less brushing and pulling on the hair you do, the better.

Genetics is ultimately what dictates mane and tail growth. Some horses will simply grow more hair than others. My OTTB years ago always had the most pathetic little mane, tail, and forelock- he was still a gorgeous creature!

Thank you. I hate to say this but I never knew about not brushing your horses tails. I’ve always had and I always start from the bottom up, and divide it into little sections and I don’t ever pull out much hair, but always get it to the point I can brush right through the tail.

 

[Morgan.taylor]

Tails are my favorite!
I make sure to incorporate an oil such as coconut oil hair serum or argan oil hair serum (found at any store really doesn't have to be expensive)along with weekly washes/conditioning since I keep them in tail bags. I do this to ensure they do not get ratty where the bag ties in. I only brush when I am at the conditioning stage, otherwise I add oil and work out any knots then go about washing. I fed horseguard hoof and hair and saw an improvement in the health/strength of the new growth with all horses I fed it too, however I only did that for about 90 days each to assist with the healthy new growth. It sounds like your guy has a hair gene so I'd venture to say you just need to get the hair strong and healthy/ protected and you'll see improvement :]

 

[beau159]

My Lilly has a drop-dead-gorgeous tail so I've really, really tried hard to keep it that way. I usually keep it in a Tail Boot. Since it's white, it helps keep the urine out of her tail and from staining it. And keeps it off the ground. And the "old wives tale" is that it adds WEIGHT which is supposed to stimulate growth.
I never brush out her tail unless I have washed and conditioned it, which is usually once a week or once every other week.
Last winter, I tried figure 8 knots for the first time, which I really liked because I put them in in October and left them until March (nice and lazy, LOL) but I think for Lilly this winter, I am going to just do the tail boot. I think hers got stained over the winter.

But Red and Dexter I put theirs in the figure 8 knots for the winter. Tail Boot during the summer.

I will leave the Tail boot off when the flies are really, really bad and they swish so much because the Tail boots seem to get loose otherwise.

Red's tail looked amazing this year - I really think the figure 8 knots helped with growth over the winter. But then he ripped out a big chunk during the summer rubbing his butt on a bush. So now it looks terrible.

Here was Lilly's tail after the whole winter in Figure 8 knots (I actually had to do TWO knots in her tail to get it up high enough)

Then here is after I chopped off 9 inches of growth.


And then in the tail boot.

 

[baysfordays]

My Lilly has a drop-dead-gorgeous tail so I've really, really tried hard to keep it that way. I usually keep it in a Tail Boot. Since it's white, it helps keep the urine out of her tail and from staining it. And keeps it off the ground. And the "old wives tale" is that it adds WEIGHT which is supposed to stimulate growth.
I never brush out her tail unless I have washed and conditioned it, which is usually once a week or once every other week.
Last winter, I tried figure 8 knots for the first time, which I really liked because I put them in in October and left them until March (nice and lazy, LOL) but I think for Lilly this winter, I am going to just do the tail boot. I think hers got stained over the winter.

But Red and Dexter I put theirs in the figure 8 knots for the winter. Tail Boot during the summer.

I will leave the Tail boot off when the flies are really, really bad and they swish so much because the Tail boots seem to get loose otherwise.

Red's tail looked amazing this year - I really think the figure 8 knots helped with growth over the winter. But then he ripped out a big chunk during the summer rubbing his butt on a bush. So now it looks terrible.

Here was Lilly's tail after the whole winter in Figure 8 knots (I actually had to do TWO knots in her tail to get it up high enough)

Then here is after I chopped off 9 inches of growth.


And then in the tail boot.

Thank you. Also her tail is gorgeous.

 

[baysfordays]

here’s his tail currently..sorry for bad pic. I started taking a flick brush and brushing the dock of his tail today, so much dirt came out and doesn’t look healthy, I will never use a hair brush on his tail again!!
I’m going to try yalls ideas immediately!!!
Tail bag it is, and I’m going to try either cowboy magic or maybe rose water shampoo or something.

 

[younghorsetrainer]

Oh I think that I have something that you can use! I haven't tired it yet but I hope to really really soon. And it has really good reviews that it worked well!

DIY Mane & Tail Growth Recipe for Horses {Printable} - Savvy Horsewoman

🐴 Get this super easy DIY Mane and Tail Growth Serum Recipe for horses that really works! Quickly grow your horse's mane, tail, forelock or coat.

www.savvyhorsewoman.com

 

[beau159]

here’s his tail currently..sorry for bad pic. I started taking a flick brush and brushing the dock of his tail today, so much dirt came out and doesn’t look healthy,

I think that is where somewhat regular WASHING can help. You don't want to overdo and dry things out but washing can help keep the dock cleaner and help clean off that junk that accumulates (dead cells and such)

Tail bag it is, and I’m going to try either cowboy magic or maybe rose water shampoo or something.

My favorite shampoo is the plain ol' Mane and Tail Shampoo. It suds nicely and gets clean.
I didn't mind a Cowboy Magic RoseWater Shampoo. My mom gave me one, and it wasn't bad, but my regular Mane N Tail seems better.

I also CONDITION with a good conditioner. I actually use human conditioner, Moroccon Oil that I buy at Walmart. I put a ton in and really rub it into the dock of the tail and then let it sit a few minutes. Zero tangles when you go to brush out the tail once it's dry. I do also put the cowboy magic detangler in before I brush.

Even though your boy doesn't have much to bag, I would still try it because the weight might help stimulate some growth.