Tips for a Top Tail

Some horses are just born with jealousy inducing tails! While a fake tail is common in competition, tails still crave everyday attention! I have curly, dry hair that is prone to breaking, and I treat my horse’s tail exactly as I would treat my precious locks. Here are some tips to keep your horse’s tail looking magnificent all year round.

• Go light on the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS is the ingredient in shampoo that makes it foam up. It can have a drying effect on the hair follicle, so use sparingly.
• Do use conditioner! There are plenty of horse specific conditioners on the market which will not only nourish the hair follicles, but can also help detangle. Conditioners come in both rinse and non-rinse varieties. We have a variety of conditioners available at Mary's Tack and Feed.

• Not all brushes are created equal. If your horse has a thin tail, using a wide tooth comb, or a paddle brush with fewer bristles will do the least amount of damage to the hair follicle.
  1. When you do brush, do so after conditioning and start from the bottom of the tail and work your way up.
  2. You also don’t need to brush a horse’s tail every day or even every other day. Gently picking debris with your fingers suffices.

• Invest in a good detangler. There are a lot of great detanglers on the market and they all work effectively.
• Do trim! Trimming split and dead ends is imperative for stopping the damage further up your horse’s tail. If left to their own devices, damaged ends will greatly weaken the hair follicle and cause your horse’s tail to lose length. For horses with thinner tails, trimming above your horse’s fetlock will create an illusion of fullness.
• Supplements! A lovely tail is mostly genetics, but a good diet full of vitamins and biotin will help enhance your horse’s tail (bonus points for improving their hooves, too!).

We encourage you to come in the store and check out the variety of mane and tail products we carry. If you still find yourself stumped, don’t hesitate to ask us which products are our favorite!