Tangle Wrangling

Now that we have a clean, dry tail, the idea of protection is paramount. First, remove the knot, if there is one and run your fingers through the tail. When you run into a tangle STOP! Using the brush or your fingers, gently pull the hairs free from the sides of the tangle until the whole thing falls free. Try not to break the hairs. Work from the bottom of the tail toward the tailbone in small sections. This is where that good conditioner will save you time and hassles! As each section is cleared of tangles, either move it to the side or tie it up out of the way. Once the whole tail is smooth and tangle free, it is time to think about how to keep it that way.

The Protection Racket

One of the most common ways to keep a tail clean and unbroken is to braid. Just making one long braid and then leaving it to dangle is not a great idea. These whip-like tails can get caught on any projection and break and they really hurt when they hit you! So, with a clean tangle free tail, start at the tailbone and braid all the way down to the very end. Secure with a rubber band. There are several schools of thought on how to proceed from here. First is Vet Wrap. Fold the tail into a manageable bundle by running the end of the tail through the braid at the end of the tailbone and folding it back onto it’s self. Repeat several times if the tail is very long. Make a neat, small package and wrap tightly with Vet Wrap (not up around the tailbone, please!) or similar product. This will keep the tail completely clean and out of the way. This is good for a trip to the show or maybe to keep for a day or two at the most. However, this is not the best process for long-term tail keeping. With vigorous tail swishing, the vet wrap will wear through and the whole thing will come apart. The second school of thought is the tail bag. This has worked the best for me and works like this. Using a lycra tail bag with soft stretchy ties (the kind with the nylon strap and snap breaks the hairs) I keep the tail up for several weeks at a time. To do this, feed the end of the braid down into the bag. Take 2 of the ties and run them in opposite directions through the top of the braid. Pull until the bag is tightly against the top of the braid. Take the ties behind the tail, careful to keep them on the bag, not the tail and wrap them back around to the front, pulling snugly. Then tie a single knot and a bow, just like for your shoe. Be sure to stretch the material as you do this. It is the stretch that makes it hold. Tied this way, the horse can go out in the pasture and swat flies without getting his tail tangled and broken.

In about 2 or 3 weeks, the top of the tail will start to look frizzy and messy. This is when the tail needs to be redone. If it still feels relatively clean, it can be re-conditioned and put back up. If it is grimy or smelly, it will need to be rewashed and re-bagged. The bag can go through the clothes washer and be hung up to dry. The third school of thought uses the same principal as the above, except each third of the tail goes into a special tube before it is braided. These essentially do the same thing as the lycra bag, except they are braided in. For the old timers out there, here is one more tidbit. A long (over the calf) men’s tube sock can be substituted for the lycra tail bag (with the man’s permission first, please!). The top of the sock is split into 4 sections and it is used just like the lycra bag.

Get all the yellow out!

It may take a couple shampoos with ‘the blue stuff’ to get a white tail clean, but it will be worth your time. Now that it is clean, do your best to protect it so it will not have to be redone as often. I do not recommend chlorine laundry bleach for this. It is very caustic for you and the horse! If it is absolutely necessary, use the paste kind for bleaching people’s hair and follow the directions carefully! This will be less damaging to the hair. Once it is clean, follow the directions above for keeping it sparkling white.