Grooming Question

[albahurst]

I am thinking about doing AOTE in the spring and I need to know how to do the tail V so that the hair is nice. I am wondering if I:

1. A month or so before the first show, clip off all the tail V winter hair and allow the new hair to grow in, then style the V and taper it?

OR

2. Leave the winter hair and just style the V and taper it- and be glad when the summer hair grows in

OR

Something else?

Thanks! I would appreciate all the advice I can get!

Peggy

 

[mydaddysjag]

I clip my tail V, then go over the heair thats left with a #7f, in the direction of the hair growth(towards the tail) It still leaves it longer than the body hair, but makes it look nice and sleek.

 

[albahurst]

Thank you for the suggestion!

Peggy

 

[mininik]

Clip your horse about a week prior to your show in a #10, 15 or 30 (depending upon time of year, coat and skin color) and just go over the V with the same blade but going with the lay of the hair instead of against. When body clipping you can go a bit wide around the V and leave some room for error when shaping it at a time when you and the horse are steady. There is no need to leave a poofy V.

 

[Katiean]

I hate that darn tail V. I always mess it up. It gets too long, too short. too wide too thin. I hate the darn thing.

 

[mininik]

Are you just free handing it, or do you use a point of reference to go to on each side to form the tip of the V? The V should start on either side of the tail head and how far up from there will depend on the horse. Of course the horse needs to be standing square and steady, so help may be needed. I don't like doing the darn things either, so I save them for last and will even put off doing them if I don't think I can do it properly.

 

[miniwhinny]

Why do people do a V on mini's?

 

[albahurst]

I guess I am just freehanding it- I have, at times, tried to practice with the baler twine guide! Think I will be practicing on my broodmares and not my show baby!!!

I will save her til I figure it all out!

Maybe the reason for the V is because nobody can figure out any other letter !!

Actually, I was thinkin' that it was to make it look like the tail set is really high- like right off the hip. Somebody correct me on this if I am wrong!!!

All ideas are welcome!!

Peggy

 

[miniwhinny]

IActually, I was thinkin' that it was to make it look like the tail set is really high- like right off the hip. Somebody correct me on this if I am wrong!!!

Peggy

That's what I had thought too but I wasn't sure.

 

[tagalong]

Well, when we used to do full hunter clips on Warmbloods for winter sales - we also did a V. It was not to make a tailset appear higher - as that is basic structure and a smooth wedge of hair cannot camouflage anything....

It was simply to blend in better.... as opposed to buzzing off the top of the tail it would just flow into the body... or so I was always told...

...but I probably did not explain that very well...

 

[miniwhinny]

Well, when we used to do full hunter clips on Warmbloods for winter sales - we also did a V. It was not to make a tailset appear higher - as that is basic structure and a smooth wedge of hair cannot camouflage anything....

It was simply to blend in better.... as opposed to buzzing off the top of the tail it would just flow into the body... or so I was always told...

...but I probably did not explain that very well...

That makes sense too. I like it. I think it makes the tail set look neat and tidy and I clip a V myself just on the "kids" hanging out at home here.

 

[skanzler]

We do the tail V on all of the show horses. I start the year with a 10 blade so that all the horses are clipped off and ready to start working. I leave the tail head in a V from that point on. I stand the horse square under themselves so that thier backbone is straight. I then place my thumb on the point of the croup. I start at the base of the tail head on the left side of the horse. I make sure that I stay steady and that the horse does not move. I am always aware of the movement under my thumb. If the horse starts to move I lift the clippers so that I dont' make a crooked swipe. I will go at an angle from the side of the tail head up to my thumb. Wide at first and narrowing as I work closer to the width I am working toward. I alternate from one side the other, making sure that I stay even on both.

Of note you can not get an even V if you start with your horse wearing his winter hair. I will usually take the hair over the V down, going with the hair so that I can see the edges of the V clearly.

Everyone is different as to how wide they leave them and how high they go. I use the horse's general conformation and body habitus to tell me.

I finish with taking the V hair down with a the hair to finish the look, so that the hair there is not standing up and poofy looking. I want it to lay clean and crisp.

The V is used as a point of reference. As with most grooming, it is the visual effect it give when looking at the horse from a distance. It is said to be used to give the illusion of a flatter topline and a tail set this is a little higher. It will not help a rapter butt or a short hip, but sometimes it will give the illusion that the top line is more flat. It is all in the eye of the beholder.

 

[user 488]

Well, with the Arabs we clip a very SMALL V to keep the horses from rubbing the tops of their tails when the hair is growing in. Any new hair growth can be itchy. It is also used as Tagalong said to make it blend into the tail better for a smoother appearance.

Anyone that thinks that creating this huge V on a poorly conformed rear end is fooling any judge into thinking that a horse has a better tail set or better top line is dreaming

but it will create a smoother appearance on a good rear end from a distance.

And please if you do clip a V "backwards clip" over the V to keep it from looking like a huge poof of hair standing up back there. It really can look kind of "dumb".

 

[albahurst]

Good information here! Thanks so much!

Peggy

 

[Katiean]

My colts winter hair is about3"-4"long. He really put on a coat. How will I clip around that? It is gonna look super stupid to have a tail V that lng.

 

[user 488]

Katiean....this was already addressed in my post above. You are right. The long hair will look stupid.

And please if you do clip a V "backwards clip" over the V to keep it from looking like a huge poof of hair standing up back there. It really can look kind of "dumb".

Meaning........run your clipper over the "V"........... WITH the hair instead of AGAINST it like when you are body clipping. Keep running the clippers over the area until you remove the desired amount of hair. I usually use a #10 blade when doing this.

Hope that helps.

 

[HGFarm]

I dont like the looks of them either and have seen some ridiculously big ones- and I have talked to judges who say the first thing they think when they see a long one is to see what is trying to be hidden by it. I have seen folks try to use them to hide a tail that drops off or to try to 'fill in' what is not there. Silly.

I dont make mine very long- but yes, blend it with the blade going with the hair when done.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I hate that darn tail V. I always mess it up. It gets too long, too short. too wide too thin. I hate the darn thing.

LOL me to no matter how much extra I leave to play with it always ends up looking like my large horses (hunters) did just a very slight barely there V at the actual tail head and that is it.

I just cant stand the look of a long V so maybe it is my sub concience saying a little more here a little more there and before i know it.. dont have to worry nothing left LOL

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

Right!

 

[Kendra]

Maybe the reason for the V is because nobody can figure out any other letter !!

This made me laugh! Going to be my answer next time I get asked! LOL!!