Do you have a tail maintenance routine?

[Huckleberry Hooves]

Hello all! Today was my day to wash tails and re-bag them(for the ones that wear a bag) and came to thinking what everyone else does. Do you bag their tail or just leave it? Grow it out or cut it? Please share your routine or plans! I would love to know what you all do!

 

[Cayuse]

I just leave them loose. One of mine has seborrhea so he get special shampoos. The other one grows a long tail and I trim it so it skims the ground. Any longer than that he steps on it and pulls it out in hunks

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dapper Dan grows a luxurious tail. I keep it trimmed just above the ground. He gets a scaly tailbone so I wash it with Selsun Blue every month or so. I spritz on a moisturizer at grooming time and I have an aerosol that has uv blocker. My new mare has a thin tail. We are working on getting it into better condition. It is looking much shinier already. I keep it trimmed and use the moisturizer on it. I don't like their tails to drag the ground; for me that isn't a good look, but I know many people consider it quite elegant. I don't bag them, as they are out in the pasture. When we are going to an outing, I braid his tail and it looks like a movie star with a nice glossy wave.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I trim mine just above the fetlock. I usually give them a good trim before winter. I agree with the above, though I will add, I cannot stand seeing a horses tail dragging in the mud.

 

[plaid mare]

My mini has coarse hair. We have clay, and when he rolls it's a mess. I wash it with pantene 2n1 shampoo. I never comb dry because it rips the hair. I use a large tooth plastic comb, starting at the bottom, and working my way up. I hold the hair above the spot I comb to ease the tension on the hair. I also trim daily. Just barely any, maybe a centimeter to help with breakage (clay is murder on hair). I have a spray bottle of cream rinse water for the days I don't bathe him. It helps. I love a long mane, but sometimes my mini is naughty, and goes to the one broken spot in the fence that rips clumps out. That's a hair cut day, and bye bye tail. I hope this was helpful!

 

[MajorClementine]

Candace grows a really long tail so I braid it and fold the end up through the braid so she still has a "fly swatter" on the end but it's up off the ground.

 

[plaid mare]

Good idea.

 

[lilly the pony girl]

With my shetland, who is prone to bucking, I generally leave it long. If I do anything with her tail I either trim it or braid it (just so it stays clean and doesn't drag on the ground). I rarely ever brush the tail as it takes a while to grow and I don't want to rip some of the hair out. With the other mini/ponies I simply keep it at a manageable length. I keep theirs long enough to be braided on certain occasions and to be a "fly swatter"

 

[plaid mare]

My mini is a naughty puzzler. He will disassemble all braids, tail bags, and anything else I concoct.