Tail washing

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
I currently have a skanky mare in spring, after a long winter, tail. It needs a wash, and I am not scared to admit I hate doing it, it stinks and is crusty and horrible :eek: do you have a trick for getting a really manky tail clean easily? special shampoo? hot water? condition first? I normally end up doing 3 or 4 washes to get it vaguely clean, breaking up the lumps of crud by hand :confused: and then spend an age teasing out the knots left behind, there has got to be an easier way!
 
Warm water and a bucket of washing up liquid. Dunk the whole thing in as high as she will let you and let it stay there until you think your send will drop off.

Break it up rinse repeat.

I brush my two every day so it never gets icky good luck
 
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I don't envy you @Jessey - we've a lovely little Highland mare on our yard, I've said I'll help wash her tail when the weather warms up a bit, but it is minging to be honest and sounds like a pretty grim job! I'm really lucky that Belle is very particular about keeping her tail clean, she holds it out of the way for ages after she's peed or squirted so it never gets manky thankfully.
I'll watch this thread with interest though for the upcoming wash job on the little mare.
 
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I damp tail with hose and add shampoo, leaving to soak. Then dunk tail in a bucket of water with shampoo. I usually hold in bucket as long as I can stand balanced holding the bucket of water. Then just rinse with hose.
 
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Load it in baby oil/conditioner and leave for a day or so then add more and gradually comb through then get some washing up liquid once it’s easy to get the brush through and wash it all out. Once washed comb more conditioner through rinse then add more baby oil and plait it up. Pop in a tail bag for extra protection :)
 
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Hogans tail is even thicker than his mane, so he can't physically lift it when he poops. There's always a bit of poo on the underside. I use NAF Silky to brush the underneath and it comes away AND smells a lot better! At some point I'll have to wash it though. Was very lucky with Ramsey - he's got a beautiful silver tail, and it only got grotty when he had a runny tum.
 
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Load it in baby oil/conditioner and leave for a day or so then add more and gradually comb through then get some washing up liquid once it’s easy to get the brush through and wash it all out. Once washed comb more conditioner through rinse then add more baby oil and plait it up. Pop in a tail bag for extra protection :)
I used todo the tail bag thing, and worry about keeping it clean, but I don't show anymore so no need to now :p It's only this time of year it is really grotty, it's peeing in the wind all winter, the first season and lack of any care from me that does it, once it's had one good spring clean and the weather settles it's normally nothing a brush or quick wash won't take care of :)
 
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I spend a fortune on mane and tail conditioner for Bens tail and brush it through everyday. It takes a good 20 minute brush some days to get rid of all the poo, but I quite enjoy it. I find it therapeutic and I am always satisfied when done.
 
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I spend a fortune on mane and tail conditioner for Bens tail and brush it through everyday. It takes a good 20 minute brush some days to get rid of all the poo, but I quite enjoy it. I find it therapeutic and I am always satisfied when done.

:eek::eek::eek: If I brushed Raf's tail every day he'd have none left :oops: I do his tail by hand, but then he doesn't pee on his tail and he rarely poos on it, occasionally he gets a little bit of it stuck up his bottom and I have to pull it out, which makes both of us squirm :p I do brush Jack's tail though, and I too find it quite satisfying, but again his tail is really clean.
 
:eek::eek::eek: If I brushed Raf's tail every day he'd have none left :oops: I do his tail by hand, but then he doesn't pee on his tail and he rarely poos on it, occasionally he gets a little bit of it stuck up his bottom and I have to pull it out, which makes both of us squirm :p I do brush Jack's tail though, and I too find it quite satisfying, but again his tail is really clean.

Ben's tail is at least 4 times thicker than any other horse on the yard. There is so much of it so I don't care if some comes out when I brush it. I must take a picture and show you just how thick it is.
 
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Mine gets a wash when comes into season and the wind blows the wrong way. :)
It doesn't get too bad though. I do brush more than I was and she/I enjoy washing it. But not when in season as she will reverse. :eek:
She gets a good massage as well so maybe that's what she likes more.

I always do in warm water and just use a bog standard human shampoo and nothing else. I struggle to get the water to change colour! So the rain must rinse it for me.
 
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