Grooming/washing tails...properly

[chickflick1066]

Hello, I am just wondering what is the proper way to de-tangle and brush a tail so it looks neat and presentable - not the usual mess Stumpy's is, it's a horror. I always avoid grooming her tail. Will I have to spend hours de-tangling the knots myself? Also, will a sort of mane and tail spray help? I once made my own out of a bottle of Dove shampoo diluted with water, untill I spilt it the other day! Perhaps if I washed it first...how would I do that! Sorry I am so unknowledgable, no one at the riding school really ever taught me...

Thanks - Araminta

[chewitmonster]

It may not be how everyone else does it but....

I wet the tail either with a hose or bucket and sponge (my horse thinks the warm water hose is a huuuuge monster!!) then put shampoo in it and lather it up making sure to really work it into the ends. Then simply wash out again either with a hose or dunking it in a bucket. Once all the soap is out spin the tail in a circular motion to 'spin dry' it and/or towel dry it (don't rub too hard - pat!! lol). I then put loads of mane and tail detangler in it and then brush through and leave to dry. :) That help?

The mane and tail detanglers reallllllyyy work well and help keep the tail cleaner than normal!! xxx

[Merlinz gal]

right lol im a very precise mum and like things done MY way and to the best of standards lol (omg i sound really pompus now lol im not:D)

but i do:

*spray the tail lightly with main and tail conditioner
*leave for a couple of seconds
*go through with a metal pulling comb small section by section then the whole thing

*clean body brush then go throygh small section by section again
* give the whole tail a go over with a body brush.
merlinz tail stays nice and soft this way hope it works for you too:D

[virtuallyhorses]

I'm a great believer in the 'leave it alone' theory - I used to have hip length hair myself for half of my life so I have made a study of hair breakage :D

So IMHO - never brush or comb a tail unless it is untangled first. Personally I almost NEVER brush a tail EVER - its a left over prejudice from my long hair days and it freaks me out to see people brushing tails. If you do the washing process right - you can shake a tail or at most finger comb to drop all tangles. 99% of the time leave it alone (the top professional groomers will tell you this too). To untangle a tail you need to wash it first but remember that wet hair is at its most vulnerable - when wet it will stretch more and then snap.

So before washing - you MUST have a good conditioner on hand - not a cheap one. Hair washing and health is all about the conditioner - you can have a cheap shampoo but the conditioner must be good . Best Buy - PANTENE. Don't waste your money on horse shampoos and conditioners - get a hug bottle of Pantene (or an equivalent human brand like Fructis or Schwarzkopf) - if you're feeling rich get the shampoo too but a cheapie shampoo is fine.

Next rinse the tail thoroughly - preferably with a hose but a bucket is good for soaking poo out, personally I think sponges are useless - ever wash your own hair with a sponge? . Only once the entire tail is thoughly wet can you put any shampoo in - do not scrub! Start at the top and a good meaure of shampoo all the way down the tail. Squeeze it into the tail rather than scrubbing - you don't want to mess it up or break the hairs remember. Then go back to the top - use your fingers to gently work the shampoo into the tail - you need to get all the scurf out - use your fingertips. The slipperiness of the shampoo will help you to begin to untangle and the hairs at the top should be a bit shorter anyway. Rinse often - you may need to apply shampoo 3-4 (or more times) to get the tail really clean and work on little areas if it is quite poo-ey. When working on the long hairs and bottom of the tail use a squeezing motion to push the shampoo through the tail rather than scrubbing which will tangle and break the hairs.

Once it is all clean and rinsed thoroughly - condition. Simply run lots of conditioner all through the tail from top to bottom - again use your fingertips and the slipperiness of the conditioner to start to untangle - but don't rush it. Again squeeze the conditioner through - use gentle long strokes on the longer hairs to make sure every hair is well coated with conditioner. Leave it for several minutes. Rinse thoroughly - as you are rinsing use the water to help untangle - gently swishing the tail free of conditioner and tangles.

Allow to dry naturally - use your fingetips to very gently part tangles - use a very wide tooth comb (afro combs are the best) to help - but NEVER pull on a knot. If you've never washed before you may get 50-70% of the way there - be happy with that and leave it. Repeat the whole process the next day\week to get a completely tangle free glossy tail. Each time the tail will be easier and the conditioner will help keep it tangle free and clean - it'll also make it stronger :)

Tips - NEVER use hot water to wash or rinse - warm or lukewarm is ok but cold is best for the final rinse (the scales on the hair follicle will lie flat and make the hair look shinier). A little cider vinegar in the last rinse before conditioning will ensure all shampoo is removed.

[RodeoDreamer33]

This is all great advice.
My number 1 product in my tack box is my detangler. THe mare I ride a lot is a Morgan/Tennessee Walker and she has a very bushy and thick mane and tail. I always use my detangler in it before I brush it.

I use Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine - it works great!!
You can find it at most tack shop and at www.statelinetack.com

[danielle:>]

I brush tails witha mane and tail comb . It may not be the best , but it doesn't seem to do too much damage . I also use canter mane and tail detangler . I spray it all through the tail . I begin combing it , and if I find any knots I spray more detangler on it them use my fingers to get them out . I also do the whole tail in about 15 sections so I make sure I don't miss any bits . It also makes my job easier , especially with thoses horses with huge bushy tails . :D

[eventerbabe]

a second vote for cowboy magic. i wash tobys very thick tail with a good quality HORSE shampoo (please don't use human shampoo, it strips the grease out of the coats and can dry the hair out) followed by a cowboy magic demineralising conditioner, then use the cowboy magic detangler gel.

also, when brushing the tail out, start from the bottom and work up. a wide tooth comb makes detangling so much easier, my boy got treated to a toni&guy wide-tooth comb coz i couldn't find one anywhere else!

[Jumping Genius]

you want to start at the bottom and work your way up that way you won't get stuck with tangles when you brush down! it really helped me when my 4-h leader showed me how to do it! my baby's tail is now pretty! :)

[mustang fan]

when i do the tails we wash them and condition them ( about once every other month) then you use human detangler and start brushing from the bottom at work your way up. I learned that in 4-h! :p