Putting up a tail for winter

[GlacierRidge]

Both of my geldings have nice, long tails. My older gelding's tail is nice and thick...my younger one has quite a thin tail, but drags the ground. They get little ice/snow balls in them in the wintertime, and last year I just kept their tails braided...undoing the braid once a week or two, and redoing it....and that was it. But I remember reading this article onetime...I think it was by Cherry Hill, where they cut strips of bedsheets or something, braid it into the tails, and will actually leave the tails up all winter like this, and get a lot of growth this way. I would like to protect my boys' tails, and am wondering if maybe protecting it this way may help my younger one's tail get just a little thicker. I know I need to keep it up or bang it....as he steps on it...gets it caught in the fence, etc etc.

Anyway, so I'm thinking of washing and conditioning the tails good, and putting them up for winter. Just wondering if anyone has any tips for me, who may do this? Thanks!

Angie

 

[Keri]

I just bang the tails around their ankles. Keeps the mud and snow out of it. Then it grows back nicely by the time the first show hits.

 

[Connie P]

I wash and condition the tails - spray with infusium and braid. Then I take an old sock of my husbands (no holes) and cut the top of the sock into four sections. Turn the sock inside out and put your hand inside, grab the tail and wrap the sock around the tail - pull two strands of the upper sock thru the braid at the top and tie in a knot - same with last two strands. Keeps the tails beauitful for the winter.

 

[Alex]

I do the same as Connie P except I found its worth the $10 to get a tail bag. They hold up better than socks IMO.

 

[Rebecca]

Most of the time they're just braided or down. Sometimes I braid them then wrap them up with vet wrap just below the tailbone, this way they don't drag at all.

I've never been able to figure out tail bags or the sock thing, every time I try it just falls out after a few hours.

 

[Minimor]

We don't put our horses' tails up & never have. Ours generally have nice thick, long tails when left au natural, so that works for us. If they do start to drag enough that they become annoying (they or I start stepping on them) then I trim them--I don't bang them, just do a rough type trim that makes them look natural--to just above ground level, so that they don't drag.

I've known too many people that braid & bag and their horses tend to have very long but very thin tails. By leaving ours alone they stay thicker & it's a lot less work.

 

[minih]

In the winter here they are all turned out and have a chance to run and play. No tail bags or anything, lots of hay and company from the other horses. By spring their tails have filled out nice and fluffy.

 

[Shari]

I just bang the tails around their ankles. Keeps the mud and snow out of it. Then it grows back nicely by the time the first show hits.

Same here.

 

[GlacierRidge]

Thanks for all the great input! I'll have to see what works best for us!

Angie

 

[Jill]

Yes, you can make a really good tail bag / wrap out of a sheet or cotton muslin cloth. You wash the tail, apply conditioner that you leave in, cut the cloth into 3 long strips, tie it in the tail (below the bone, be sure) and the separate the tail into three sections. Take each section of tail and wrap the cloth around and around it like a mummy. Then braid the wrapped sections of tail together. You should take it down every 4-6 weeks and re-do (but I know plenty don't and have fantastic tails anyhow!). I've never done this myself to my horses, but a former trainer of mine did and the tails were always very full and long.