# Growth Rate of Horse Tail?



## AngC (Sep 10, 2015)

Any opinions on how many inches a horse tail grows per year?

Poor Nicky; his new nickname is "Bucktail Bob." Nicky acquired burrs in his tail and mane; I thought we had ridded his pasture of them all, but after a recent windstorm he rolled in a bunch of them, plus rolled up a bunch of fallen cedar needle thingies into his mane/tail to really knot things up. I did pretty good picking some out of his mane but had to cut some of them out. Then I was working on his tail; the husband and I miscommunicated--after Nicky gave me a little kick in the face, because I wasn't paying attention ...not Nicky's fault.

I didn't realize how high up into his tail Nicky had burrs and was having trouble working my small scissors and told my husband to cut straight across horizontally.

...poor guy (Nicky, not the husband.) Nicky's tail is rather short. I'm just glad we screwed up after fly season.

Growth rate, anyone?


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## Ryan Johnson (Sep 10, 2015)

Absolutely no idea of the growth rate but hope your ok






Give it a trim every now and then , should help to promote good growth


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## AngC (Sep 10, 2015)

Ryan Johnson said:


> Absolutely no idea of the growth rate but hope your ok
> 
> 
> 
> ...


NOOO! ...no more trimming!!!

It's partway between his hock and stifle. To me, it looks obscenely short -- although I've seen photos of horses with tails that short.

I like _hairy_ horses.

All of ours have ( well, had) long manes/tails. ...to the point, that my procrastinating self knew that I had to trim, because Nicky and also Coco were sometimes walking on their tails. I just didn't want his *that* short. I've tried to convince myself that he looks like a polo pony... or that it makes him look slimmer. ....aww, poor dude. I wonder how long it's going to take for our mistake to grow back.

By-the-Way, thanks, Ryan; but I'm fine. Nicky tagged my nose which made the husband freak when he saw a smidge of blood. The few times I've ever been hurt by a horse (which this really doesn't count) it has been because I've done something stupid. ... as in this case.


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## Ryan Johnson (Sep 10, 2015)

Half way between the hock and the stifle is fine in my books , just think of it as a "cut" instead of a trim.

Glad your ok


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## madmax (Sep 10, 2015)

Two inches a month.


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## Rocklone Miniature Horses (Sep 10, 2015)

Don't brush it


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## paintponylvr (Sep 10, 2015)

Growth rates vary w/ my herd. Age of horse, individual horse, time of year.

This year, with our move to sandy soil and "no grass - just weeds" - our youngsters have gone CRAZY with growth - attracting all the weeds and burrs. This weekend I plan on spending time just combing out manes/tails and cutting the tails since 1/2 of them are literally standing on their tails when tied up to eat.

BUT wow - 2" in one month - WHAT's the trick to getting that? None of mine have grown that much,





Most of ours have no forelocks and very little growth there anytime of year.

So - Hock to stifle - it's cut right below his tail bone. Might take some time - for some reason it takes longer when that short and not a foal. While I love long tails, I think that between the hocks and fetlocks is a decent length... BUT I come from a western background where for more than 20 years our horses had their tails shortened to hock height (some of the older grooming books still have that for a western working horse). That helped keep the brush, burrs and CACTI from attaching to our mounts when working or trail riding in "rough" country.


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## amysue (Sep 10, 2015)

Put MTG on it and it will grow faster. I have always used this product on our oops haircuts or on spots where they rubbed mane or tail hair off. It's made by Shapely's and most tack stores or feed dealers carry it. I know tractor supply carries it. As for the length per month...every horse is different, adding a skin and coat feed supplement may aid the regrowth process. As others suggested, do refrain from combing/brushing it to avoid breakage. I use a soft body brush to brush debris out of tails to avoid breakage.

One of my guys tails fell off as a result of an allergic reaction to vetwrap. We put tails up on our show horses to keep them from stepping on their tails. I wash and braid the ends, fold up the braid and wrap the "bun" in vetwrap. Well, Timmy is allergic to whatever is in it, probably latex, so he rubbed his itchy swollen tail dock until the whole tail scabbed right off. He looks like a little bob tail cob! It has started growing back, little by little and the MTG seems to be speeding up the process.


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## chandab (Sep 10, 2015)

Genetics and nutrition.

I have one mare that tends to pee on her tail, so after fly season, I cut her tail about at her hocks, come spring it's about down to her fetlocks again if not longer.


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## AngC (Sep 12, 2015)

paintponylvr said:


> So - Hock to stifle - it's cut right below his tail bone.


Nicky's got about 4 inches below his tail bone.

I'm ashamed to admit that we were arguing about scissors; to my husband's credit, he noticed that Nicky has a tail bone and cut below it.

I wonder what Shapely's MTG is? I'm kind of thinking that if you "whack" hair, it's gone until it's good and ready to grow back. ...sigh..., Nicky came to us with a bad shave job. I guess I'll have to look through old photos to see how it went.


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## amysue (Sep 12, 2015)

MTG is a liquid product that they label as a conditioner. It is slippery and has a strong odor but it does make my horses hair grow faster. It's funny, I feel like I have to clean up bridle paths once a week on most of mine as they grow like a weed, but if someone rubs hair out, it takes forever to grow back.


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## targetsmom (Sep 12, 2015)

I am not sure about 2" per month but we have to trim most of ours regularly so they don't drag on the ground and we take off about 2" when we do that. Maybe more like 6 weeks. Not all of them grow at that rate, but most of our 12 do.


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## AngC (Sep 14, 2015)

amysue said:


> MTG is a liquid product that they label as a conditioner. It is slippery and has a strong odor but it does make my horses hair grow faster. It's funny, I feel like I have to clean up bridle paths once a week on most of mine as they grow like a weed, but if someone rubs hair out, it takes forever to grow back.


Thank you; I've written it on my shopping list and will see if I can find it. I'm still dubious of surface treatments on hair that's gone. I think our best bet is to not do that sort of stupidity again.


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## paintponylvr (Sep 16, 2015)

AngC -

Check BEFORE you use it to make sure he won't have a reaction to it - MTG.

Most feed stores and TSC carry Shapley's MTG now. Here's a pic of the new product - I haven't seen it around here yet... I use the Original. This says you can get up to 3" of growth in 1 month.






I have had 3 (the ones who had the most hair missing on their manes/tails from itchy rubbing) have serious reactions to the sulfur or the combination of ingredients in MTG. One was our daughters' purebred arab mare, the 2nd her 1/2 shetland son (becoming more itchy and sensitive to bugs - rubbing every year) and 1 mini shetland...

BUT I too, love it and use it on the ones that I can. Also, when you do apply it, do so at first at night w/ limited sun exposure. Being in heat, bright sunshine can add to the "burn"... I used it on a 1/2 shetland filly once that had a lot of white over the top of her neck/mane - the resulting sunburn did more damage than the rubbing did previously (or added to it?) - it was pretty bad. Manes don't grow at all on sunburned necks, LOL.


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## AngC (Sep 18, 2015)

hmmm... I think I might want to check this out a bit more before smearing it on his tail head. (I kind of try to operate under the concept of "do no harm.)

Thank you, though, for the label. It appears the active ingredient is 4-percent sulfur. I'm feeling more dubious after reading that the label indicates it's also a cure for fungus and rain rot, in addition to promoting hair growth.


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## Tab (Sep 18, 2015)

Nutrition indeed. That is one thing I've noticed when raising the protein level in the feed ever so slightly.


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## Strangeaddiction (Sep 21, 2015)

Try not to brush it with a comb, if it has anything stuck in it, hand pick it out or use a hard brush to get off mud etc. Nutrition is important and flax is something I put all my horses, big and small on, it helps a TON with growth of healthy hair coat, mane, tail and hooves. Also keep it washed. Most important part is keeping the tail bone clean and that will premote growth. I have a client who washes her horses mane and tail every other day and she can wrap the tail around the horse lol! I do mine about once a week. Simple care can work wonders!!


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## AngC (Sep 21, 2015)

Strangeaddiction said:


> Try not to brush it with a comb, if it has anything stuck in it, hand pick it out...


Just saying...

I wasn't trying to ramp up the rate of tail growth. We screwed up, so I had wondered how long it takes to "unscrew" the human error. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Thank you all for your responses/advice. I don't think I'm going to mess around with Nicky's diet (like adding protein or flax) Fly season is done and gone, so at least we didn't do it when it would affect his comfort too much. And he does look rather sporty; like a polo pony. ...well, ok, maybe not. Thanks all.


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## chandab (Sep 22, 2015)

It's both nutrition and genetics. I think I posted before, I have one mare that will grow quite a bit of tail (I cut it almost to her hocks before winter, she's about due, and it's down to her fetlocks by spring, so about 6" give or take in about 6 months), and others that don't seem to grow much of anything (they are all on the same diet, so it has to be genetics mostly for the difference among my herd).


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## misty'smom (Sep 23, 2015)

I may try this MTG if I can find it at our TS store or our Co-op farm supply store. Misty has rubbed about a 2 inch section of her mane off this summer! She has been sticking her head out one of the gates to eat the grass even though she has grass to eat inside the gate!!!!! I guess the grass is greener on the other side!!!! Lol Sorry had to say it as it fit our situation!! It has started to grow back since mid summer, about 2 inches. But it still needs to grow quite a bit to be the same lengh as the rest of her mane!!


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 24, 2015)

You can spray W D40 on a tangle or bur and work it out. Mineral oil is also excellent for removing tangles and burs. I buy an aerosol from SmarkPac that contains mineral oil and a UV protector. It works beautifully for removing tangles and cockleburs. I spritz it on every few days during the summer for the UV protection.

My horses have all been good tail-growers. Even ones I get that have skimpy tails look better after a few months. It must be nutrition. I snip a couple of inches off about once a month.

I try not to brush too much. Discovered Grandpa's Pine Tar shampoo from someone on this forum and absolutely love it.  I order it from Lehman's, but it's probably available other places.


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 25, 2015)

The aerosol is called Silverado Shine.


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## AngC (Sep 26, 2015)

I would be hesitant to use WD-40 anywhere on a horse; the information on their MSDS doesn't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling: http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf

I used Head and Shoulders to bathe our horses this past summer. The "classic" type, which contains pyrithione zinc (1%.) It seems to wash out ok in cool water. I have psoriasis, and I figured if my sensitive skin could handle it, perhaps it would be ok on a horse. (...fully realizing that my skin is different than horses.) For the same reason (my experience with psoriasis) I wouldn't use any type of coal tar shampoo. But that's just me.


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 27, 2015)

WD 40 spritzed on a cocklebur in a mane or tail to aid removal is not the same as spraying the product all over the horse every day. If one needs a quick fix I don't see any reason not to use it. Better than cutting off a tail or hacking a mane. AngC, you motivated me to look at the label on the can I keep in the kitchen drawer. It is a brand new can, so it has all the latest disclaimers and warnings on it. The original formula is no longer for sale in California; thank goodness I live in one of the other 49 states where the original formula is still for sale.

The shampoo I mentioned is PINE TAR , not coal tar. Totally different product.


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## AngC (Sep 29, 2015)

Marsha Cassada said:


> WD 40 spritzed on a cocklebur in a mane or tail to aid removal is not the same as spraying the product all over the horse every day. If one needs a quick fix I don't see any reason not to use it. Better than cutting off a tail or hacking a mane. AngC, you motivated me to look at the label on the can I keep in the kitchen drawer. It is a brand new can, so it has all the latest disclaimers and warnings on it. The original formula is no longer for sale in California; thank goodness I live in one of the other 49 states where the original formula is still for sale. The shampoo I mentioned is PINE TAR , not coal tar. Totally different product.


On principle, I wouldn't be adverse to a little spritz here and there with some petroleum product (but WD40 really smells vey petroleum-y; I have no clue whether that is or is not a problem; my usual approach is that if I'm in doubt... don't do it. So in the future I'll try something else.) But I meant absolutely no criticism of your approach.

Unfortunately the deed is already done; i.e., the whacking off of Nicky's tail. So I'll have to wait and see. To mitigate future incidents, we did a concentrated walk-down on the pasture and removed them all--the plants. I thought we had them all; guess not.

Sorry also... for my misreading of PINE TAR vs COAL TAR. I'm not familiar with PINE TAR. Bathing season is pretty much over in our area, so maybe I'll have a look at that next year.

I gotta' say, though... I'm a little dubious.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 1, 2015)

Hmmm, how to address some points w/o knocking everyone???

Products (and Us) have changed a lot in the last 20-30 years. Part of the "improvements" are to increase shelf-life of products - which, personally, is worse to me than using a basic petroleum based product. You'd be surprised how much of your everyday life is based around "petroleum products" - to include the plastics you might drink out of everyday...

Pine Tar and Coal Tar have long been used in products meant to be used for skin/hair - and often alleviate itching/flakiness. So does Sulfur. I love some of these products and have sometimes used what's meant for me on our horses and VICE VERSA. I still have equine vets recommend Neutrogena T/Gel (a human shampoo) for horses w/ skin problems and itchiness. W/ this ongoing thread, I decided to look up the contents of that product and it is Coal Tar, not Pine Tar (LOL). And this product still works "wonders" on some horses/people... AND as with many products today - it worked better 20-30 years ago before all the "new scents" and "improved" shelf life ingredients added to it. Don't understand how a product can say "Original formula" and "New Scent" at the same time.




Head and Shoulders products make me shudder - they cause more itch for me personally (and dander - G - imagine that) than they stop (BUT that's me). Because I have such a nasty reaction (I will break out in hives from H&D made today - didn't use to though), I can't/won't use it on our ponies simply because I have to come into contact with it when I wash them with it. I RUN from products today that say "No Animal TESTING" on the label. If it wasn't safe for testing on animals, I REFUSE to be a human guinea pig,




. And often those same products cause severe itching &/or allergic reactions for me (even though I generally don't have allergies...o, yea, but that was more than one messed up test, too, and we gave up on testing me for allergies and instead just treat w/ anti-histamines if necessary, LOL. Cheaper in the long run, too).

Horse products meant to improve hair growth or make hair sleek & shiny will have the opposite affect if used wrong. Products meant to stimulate hair growth may impede or stop growth if the skin is soaked and products meant to make it slick and shiny may cause brittleness and severe breakage if overused or have too much used at one time. Directions and following them can be a wonderful thing and a good product can be a bad one if used in-appropriately.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 1, 2015)

AngC - I'm truly not trying to pick on you. I understand why you asked the original question. I hope you don't take offense.

You, too, often make me research and look deeper when you've questioned things.

In the end, hair growth is as individual to horses as it is to humans. Since it is a part of the body that is alive and grows, yes, it is best addressed nutritionally. All the topical products in the world aren't going to work fantastically well, if a horse isn't receiving proper nutrition. Since your guys are well taken care of, I would think that that issue is addressed and you just need to explore some of the products mentioned for "hair growth help" or "improvement". Not every product will work for each horse.

You could even try Olive oil or Coconut oil - applied to the skin and worked thru the hair. Both will do wonders for the skin and will make the hair silky and soft HOWEVER both are major dirt attractors if left in. I know of several Arabian breeders/showmen that will use Olive Oil to soak their horses' manes and tails and then wash it out. Kinda like a hot oil treatment for our hair... and a little bit applied to cockle burrs or stickers will make pulling them out easier. Maybe more natural for you than WD40 or any other horse product if you have them on hand.


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## AngC (Oct 1, 2015)

paintponylvr said:


> AngC - I'm truly not trying to pick on you. I understand why you asked the original question. I hope you don't take offense.


Absolutely no offense taken!!! (I suspect I tick off more people here than I mean to.)

To back up... we had cockle burrs in Nicky's tail. That was our fault, we should have removed the offending plants. We've since done that. Then, the husband and I miscommunicated and after arguing about scissors, we cut his tail shorter than I care for. That's a done deed. I realize that some people here believe that you can "make" hair grow. I'm hugely dubious (how would you even measure that?) Perhaps with some kick-butt nutrition, you might eek out a smidge better growth. My original question was meant to solicit opinions regarding average amount of hair growth. Perhaps I was asking a question that can't be answered.

I also realize that petroleum products are everywhere and in everything. But I just can't see spritzing WD-40 on a horse. Perhaps, it works for other people. Perhaps, they can wash them afterwards. In my opinion, it stinks.

One last thought: I've been dinking with psoriasis for more years than I care to count. ...the only thing they don't give to humans is pine tar (I tried to research that a bit and ran out of patience, in conjunction with trying to get the husband's Xbox thingie running.) I've used T-Gel products (squinting at your photo, I'm pretty sure I've used higher concentrations than the over-the-counter T-Gel you pictured) ...also used sulfur products, steroids, etc. Some of these I wouldn't use on a horse, because ...well, I think their skin and my skin is different. But I guess to each their own.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 2, 2015)

Unless his tail simply doesn't grow at all (& some don't), he should have a long enough tail by next summer that there won't be a problem. If for some reason it isn't and you want it to grow longer, you can braid it up (with a conditioner in the braid) and attach "string" hairs to add length for swatting flies. I've seen that done by folding the braid over, pulling it thru the top of the braid and leaving a loop at the bottom that you attach that string to.

The various products do help to encourage hair growth - mainly because they address true or possible underlying problems in/with the skin. Anytime those are addressed, the hair will grow better/longer/faster. Also, a product that keeps the mane/tail sleek/shiny/slippery both keeps burrs out of the mane/tail and makes it easier to brush them when should you do so - all will help to aid growth by preventing damaged hair and breakage.

I don't know how you can measure actual growth and chart/compare it. But I have felt like I've seen differences. And while tails will grow during the winter, I've felt like I've seen growth slow down - especially in stalled horses w/ limited turnout time/sun exposure - but again, that's my experience.


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 3, 2015)

And there is always the moon sign one could go by when trimming a tail...

http://www.almanac.com/bestdays/timetable


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## Rocklone Miniature Horses (Oct 3, 2015)

I have never cut a tail ever. Can't bring myself to it. Just can't. Same with manes lol


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## AngC (Oct 9, 2015)

Rocklone Miniature Horses said:


> I have never cut a tail ever. Can't bring myself to it. Just can't. Same with manes lol


Yeah, I love a long mane/tail! Every time I look at Nicky, I feel bad. I don't trim bridle paths either. I'm going to snip Coco's tail, though. It's dragging on the ground (about 3 or 4 inches worth.)


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## always learning (Oct 9, 2015)

guess I'll find out how fast a tail can grow. When I got to the barn tonight (doing chores a bit early) I found one of my goat kids merrily running around, apparently squeezed through a stock-panel opening. Caught and tied it, then noticed Molly's tail. She was tied in her alternate spot and her tail had been chewed off to the end of the bone and some from the sides also. Why would she stand there and let that happen? I'm sure if she'd kicked the little begger a couple times, it would have quit (and I wouldn't have blamed her a bit). I might as well roach the mane now, so it will at least match the chopped off tail look.


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## Barnmother (Oct 10, 2015)

We have always found Cowboy Magic (a slimy, slippery, silicone feeling like product) works wonders to get pixie knots and other tail issues cleaned up. MTG contains sulfur which is why it is good for itchy skin, manes and tails. As to whether it actually stimulates growth I don't know but if they aren't scratching and breaking the hairs off it would sure make it seem like it was stimulating growth. I would not use WD-40 on my horse for manes and tails, it is made as a water displacement product for metals and the like.


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 10, 2015)

always learning said:


> guess I'll find out how fast a tail can grow. When I got to the barn tonight (doing chores a bit early) I found one of my goat kids merrily running around, apparently squeezed through a stock-panel opening. Caught and tied it, then noticed Molly's tail. She was tied in her alternate spot and her tail had been chewed off to the end of the bone and some from the sides also. Why would she stand there and let that happen? I'm sure if she'd kicked the little begger a couple times, it would have quit (and I wouldn't have blamed her a bit). I might as well roach the mane now, so it will at least match the chopped off tail look.


I have a friend who has goats and miniature horses. The hroses love to stand by the fence and let the goats chew their forelocks and tails. That nibbling must feel good.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 10, 2015)

Besides goats, foals can/do develop a "thing" for chewing tails. I had one do that ONCE - I braided up "mom's" tail, put a sock over it and smeared it with the product called "Chew Stop". Thankfully it stopped that baby from chewing tails!!

We then added vit/mineral supplement to both the mares' and the foals' feed. Can't remember what we used, it was in the 70's... The horses, that year, were getting some type of grass hay instead of the Alfalfa we usually had and a simple oat/corn feed mix (know that we got it from a local grain elevator in 100# sacks - don't think it had anything else in it)...

Always Learning - let us know how long/fast your mare's tail grows! And if either you or AngC are willing, it'd be cool to see pics of the growth over the next 6 months.

I haven't done much actual grooming this year. I have tails dragging the ground in every paddock/pasture - never had that before so - first time for everything! I need to take the scissors out with me when I feed tomorrow and remove (I "bob" the tails at fetlock length) 3-6" off of almost all of the ponies. That's just so weird.


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## lucky seven (Oct 10, 2015)

I snipped a bit of Sevens tail off this summer and now its dragging on the ground again. Need to do it again as he steps on it when he backs up. Must grown more during the hot summer months.


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## AngC (Oct 10, 2015)

paintponylvr said:


> And if either you or AngC are willing, it'd be cool to see pics of the growth over the next 6 months.


What a good idea! It was way too stormy/soggy today to take my camera out, but I'll measure his tail and take photos; and track/measure until spring.

I'm not sure what that will tell us, but I think it's a good idea.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 11, 2015)

Don't know that it will tell us anything other than kinda cool - since you were asking about the growth rate of the tail, LOL.





Our arab mare had her tail braided and in one of the fleece tail bags while out in our pasture. I was told it would be ok and for a while it was - then one day we went out and ... she had NO TAIL... The bag and most of her tail were hanging on the side of the fence where she'd gotten it caught while standing swishing flies. Took several years for her tail bone to "recharge" and regrow her tail... The 2nd pic (w/ Skye - it's braided up and doubled up to hold it, not ripped out yet). Didn't affect her at local OPEN shows when our daughters' were riding her.

















It's growing back!! It's braided again. And then it's down past her her hocks again when she is relaxed and standing still ... She also has what's known as a "rye tail" - where she carries it off to the side. This is considered a fault - when it's not due to an injury. I can't remember if we ever had her worked on by a chiro or not. If we did, it didn't fix the "rye tail" - she still carries her tail off to the side to this day! She's 21 this year.









Well see if this will load w/ 7 pics instead of 6... nope. Gotta go cut a few...


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## paintponylvr (Oct 11, 2015)

Here is a pic in 05 -






& 06






and this past spring. She never has grown a thicker tail since the incident of pulling it off, and don't remember it ever getting all the way to the ground again either. yes, her mane has been roached completely off. It got so tangled last fall (over at Vicki's) that it was removed and allowed to grow back. Took forever!! Don't have a current pic.


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## paintponylvr (Oct 11, 2015)

PS - Arabs look terrible with a roached mane so I'm glad it was easier to care for...


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## AngC (Oct 11, 2015)

Grandpa's (I call Nicky Grandpa because he's such a grandpa) tail looks about like the first top left photo. I guess that isn't so bad.


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## always learning (Oct 11, 2015)

Good idea on pictures, I'll try to get a pic of Molly's tail job, and even if I don't get it posted, I ll have it for my own records. I did scissor roach her mane last night, except for her forelock and a handfull on her shoulder. Doesn't look any worse than her tail.


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## AngC (Oct 16, 2015)

I finally got around to measuring Nicky's tail. From the base, it's a pretty firm 16-inches.

I also tried to measure the two girls. I got side-tracked with horsey-kisses. Plus, they're harder to measure because their tails aren't "straight-cut" across the bottom like Nicky's currently is.

(The husband and I got in an argument about Nicky's "whooz-its"... that's what my husband calls his male parts The husband thinks that Nicky's "package" will be more vulnerable to cold, because we chopped Nicky's tail so short. I opined that the tail doesn't protect/warm the horses' private parts ...and offered to test the theory on the husband with some ice cubes. The husband declined, vigorously.)

I'm not using anything on his tail, because I somehow have this idea that hair is "dead." So slathering "stuff" on "dead" hair is not going to make a difference. We'll see what happens. I'll report back in 6 months.


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## always learning (Oct 16, 2015)

AngC---tell hubby not to worry about the "package" getting cold, if it gets too cold he'll just pull it up closer to the body. Years ago, I bought back a pony I'd sold as a weanling. A horse-dealer we knew called one winter day and asked if we were interested. Well he'd had such distinctive markings, and the price was right, so she hauled him over. In the 3 years he was gone, he'd been broke to ride and drive, and (I thought, because nothing was showing, gelded). But he was just keeping them warm, because a couple weeks later when the weather warmed up, I went to the barn and he definitely had a pair so big I was amazed he could hide them. Went on to sire several nice colts, before I had him gelded.

Got a picture of Molly's unfortunate tail trim, will try to post soon.


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## AngC (Oct 18, 2015)

Trying to upload a photo of Nicky's chopped-off tail.

It's not working. How do other people get photos into posts.???


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## AngC (Oct 18, 2015)

View attachment 29654


I found this photo in shared media. I can't figure out how to get Nicky's chopped-off-tail photo into the "shared media" and/or into a post. The hubby's kind of cute kissing Baby, though, isn't he?


I give up; probably no one was too interested in seeing Nicky's shortened tail anyway.


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## FurstPlaceMiniatures (Oct 18, 2015)

See, I either like a short old style quarter horse tail, or a long flow-y one that looks like it's off the cover of a romance novel - no inbetween.

If he's stocky, why not consider trimming his tail like an old western quarter horse, and pulling his mane accordingly too? That would look AWESOME on the right horse, maybe take some pictures in a silver halter?

Oo! One more thought, why not do him up as a draft horse if you do t like the old style QH? Braid his tail into a bun and decorate his mane real nice!


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## always learning (Oct 19, 2015)

Funny you should mention doing like a draft horse. After Molly got her tail radically shortened, I cut her mane off, except for forelock, and she does look drafty.. She looks like she gained 20-30# and looks like a mini draft horse. The short tail makes her butt look wider, and the roached mane makes her neck look thicker,


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 19, 2015)

AngC said:


> I found this photo in shared media. I can't figure out how to get Nicky's chopped-off-tail photo into the "shared media" and/or into a post. The hubby's kind of cute kissing Baby, though, isn't he?
> 
> I give up; probably no one was too interested in seeing Nicky's shortened tail anyway.


Love his markings!!


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## AngC (Oct 20, 2015)

Marsha Cassada said:


> Love his markings!!


The husband's markings? (chuckle) (sorry, lame joke.)

That's Baby. She's a she. That's a baby picture. She inherited half of Nicky's spots. (Nicky's the one in my avatar photo.) Baby has since lightened up so much that sometimes I wonder if she won't be a real appaloosa. Her spots stay; the rest is subject to change with each season. Love it!


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## AngC (Oct 20, 2015)

I spent a half hour or so dinking around trying to get a photo into a post here on the forum. I bombed.

I vaguely recollect that there's an issue with IPBoard and IE11? ...or maybe not. I gave up. I stuck a photo of Nicky (aka Bucktail Bob) here: http://horseyhouse.com/


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## paintponylvr (Oct 20, 2015)

Nicky is actually looking GREAT and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that barn!

And probably the best recipe for the tail? TIME.

And yes, a "costume" that incorporated his short tail would work great at this time of year and that could include some draft poses. He looks like a "Sugar Bush" draft horse, except I can't remember if they had the docked tails or not. HA - they do!

"Sugar Bush - 1" 

"Sugar Bush - 2"

and the site that had the 2nd image -  Drafts with Dots - it's another site for me to go out and read. I love learning new things and hadn't heard of the "Sugar Bush" horse until just a couple of years ago. Looks like this site hasn't been updated in a while - from about the time I first saw/heard of this horse, but the opening paragraph (s) on the page are very intriguing....


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## AngC (Oct 21, 2015)

Nicky thanks you for admiring him, *paintponylvr*.

The Sugar Bush horses are quite handsome. I love draft horses; but, they're way too large for me. There's a Friesian I adore, named Mystic Warrior. I can't find his owners' home page ...so no link.

But in my dreams, Nicky looks like Lancelot: http://dressur-design.de/pferde.html
That is the Fabio of horses.

I too like flowing manes/tails like *FurstPlaceMiniatures* and that horse is a romance novel cover candidate!

The barn came with the property; it's designed for full-size horses. What's really cute is that I close the top doors and leave the bottom doors open; our little goobers like to stand in the doorway and look out. What's even cuter is that the barn was going to be my husband's wood-working shop.


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## Minimor (Oct 22, 2015)

Rubbing stuff on the hair to make it grow is pointless because yes, the hair itself is dead. The idea is to rub stuff into the skin --stimulate the hair follicle and you may stimulate hair growth.

Does it really work? Sometimes, with certain "stuff"


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## paintponylvr (Oct 22, 2015)

I also LOVE watching that little guy perform (Lancelot)! He's a fun little guy and she's done an awesome job with him.

The barn is similar to what we have now - except that part of ours is a hay storage area, the largest part currently houses equipment and lots of harness - not sorted out properly yet and the last "wee" area (very narrow) is used to store our feed - for the Jr mares. The feed area has a full size door on it - with a latch that has a hay string attached. It can be shut while inside and then still opened (a good thing). That middle section has top and bottom doors but our taller shetlands have to "duck" to go under. Right now, I'd prefer that they weren't inside. The hay section only has a bottom door and doesn't look like there was ever a top door built/hung. Don't think it's ever been fully painted. And our "barn" was inherited w/ our purchase, too.
















I might actually have portable hooped shelters up in each pasture by full winter this year... Maybe. Actually w/ plenty of hay and the different trees to shelter behind/under - the only ones I'd be "worried" about are the boys - "their" trees don't have leaves during the winter, while the girls' pines keep an amazing amount of rain, snow and ice off of them. The boys will be the first to get shelters...


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