Euthanased due to tail plait

[Illusion100]

Apparently there is a viral vid regarding a horse euthanased due to having a tail plait beneath dock, that because caught, ripped the dock off and had to be PTS?

Does anyone have a link to this video or have experiences of a below dock tail plait being dangerous?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I haven't heard about it but absolutely anything can be dangerous if you give a horse enough time to think about it.

 

[Illusion100]

I haven't heard about it but absolutely anything can be dangerous if you give a horse enough time to think about it.

Well this is it, but I've never heard of anything of the like!

One particular yard refused to let any livery plait manes over or plait tails below dock due to the fact they'd get "ripped out" by horse. The yard vets were baffled.

 

[evie.equine]

I have not seen that video but at my old stables we had a strict rules about not having tails planted below the dock but I never really knew why!

 

[ycbm]

No but I saw my own mare tread on her tail when she was getting up the other day and if her whole tail had been plaited heaven knows what damage she would have done. And her tail isn't even excessively long. My other horse has twice this year pulled proper hanks of hair out of his tail, so again who knows what the damage would have been if it had been plaited.

So I completely see how dangerous it could be to plait the whole tail, given that the dock is the extension of the spine, and personally I would never do it.
.

 

[Illusion100]

I have not seen that video but at my old stables we had a strict rules about not having tails planted below the dock but I never really knew why!

Loose tails can get caught too. Nobody seems to be able to find this vid. Vets did say whoever said this sounds like they made it up

 

[Illusion100]

No but I saw my own mare tread on her tail when she was getting up the other day and if her whole tail had been plaited heaven knows what damage she would have done. And her tail isn't even excessively long. My other horse has twice this year pulled proper hanks of hair out of his tail, so again who knows what the damage would have been if it had been plaited.

So I completely see how dangerous it could be to plait the whole tail, given that the dock is the extension of the spine, and personally I would never do it.
.

Yet breeders and showers plait below the dock all the time, as do many after washing the tail before a competition with no issue generally

 

[ycbm]

QUOTE="Illusion100, post: 14639801, member: 111301"]Loose tails can get caught too. Nobody seems to be able to find this vid. Vets did say whoever said this sounds like they made it up[/QUOTE]


Loose tails pull out a hank of hair, they don't stretch the spinal cord.

 

[ycbm]

Yet breeders and showers plait below the dock all the time, as do many after washing the tail before a competition with no issue generally

Yes, like a lot of things, it's fine until it goes wrong. My horse pulled down a line of hurdle fencing last winter rubbing his tail on it and getting caught. A hank of it was left in the fence. If it had been plaited he'd have been trailing those hurdles behind him around the barn.

 

[Illusion100]

Yes, like a lot of things, it's fine until it goes wrong. My horse pulled down a line of hurdle fencing last winter rubbing his tail on it and getting caught. A hank of it was left in the fence. If it had been plaited he'd have been trailing those hurdles behind him around the barn.

I don't understand how you can say that for certain. How is rubbing a loose tail, with potentially more capacity to get tangled more dangerous than a tail plaited to keep it out of the way?

Often tails are plaited specifically to avoid damage to them.

 

[Illusion100]

QUOTE="Illusion100, post: 14639801, member: 111301"]Loose tails can get caught too. Nobody seems to be able to find this vid. Vets did say whoever said this sounds like they made it up

Loose tails pull out a hank of hair, they don't stretch the spinal cord.[/QUOTE]

How does a plait stretch the spinal cord?

 

[SpeedyPony]

I would have thought the skin would rip before the spine was injured, still a really nasty injury though.
Although as ycbm says, there's a danger if they get caught and drag something with them, although again I'd expect the injuries to be to the legs from whatever they were dragging than to the spine.

 

[ycbm]

How does a plait stretch the spinal cord?

If it gets caught and pulls, it stretches the dock, which contains the spinal cord. If the tail is plaited the pull is distributed through so much hair that it will exert a considerable force before it would pull free.

I don't really see the point in arguing about this. If you are happy to do it, do it. I'm not, I can see a serious risk in it.
.

 

[SpeedyPony]

I don't understand how you can say that for certain. How is rubbing a loose tail, with potentially more capacity to get tangled more dangerous than a tail plaited to keep it out of the way?

Often tails are plaited specifically to avoid damage to them.

I think the idea is that they'd have to really work at getting the whole tail tangled, but if it's plaited then tangling part of the plait will still mean the whole thing is caught- just as if someone grabs a handful of hair in a fight they might rip it out, but if they catch hold of a pony tail they can drag the other person across the room.

 

[Illusion100]

If it gets faith and pulls, it stretches the dock, which contains the spinal cord. If the tail is plaited the pull is distributed through so much hair that it will exert a considerable force before it would pull free.

I don't really see the point in arguing about this. If you are happy to do it, do it. I'm not, I can see a serious risk in it.
.

If your horse stands etc on a loose tail it risks the same injury.

The yard vet practice thought it was a prank call. Although they stated a serious traumatic injury to the dock extensive enough to cause significant neurological problems is certainly possible, yet extremely rare, they have in their combined experience have never known a tail plait to do this.

I have been searching for veterinary articles regarding this, found nothing, so if anyone can link anything of significant note, please do!

 

[blitznbobs]

Sounds like an urban myth to me... I was a human a and e doc for many years and skin is a lot more ripable than nerve tissue... it’s actually pretty tough stuff... freak accidents do happen but there will be as many cases where an animal was saved because it’s tail was plaited as those that were lost because it wasn’t,

 

[Illusion100]

I think the idea is that they'd have to really work at getting the whole tail tangled, but if it's plaited then tangling part of the plait will still mean the whole thing is caught- just as if someone grabs a handful of hair in a fight they might rip it out, but if they catch hold of a pony tail they can drag the other person across the room.

I get the principle, yet mud, tangles etc can also pose an equivalent risk.

 

[Illusion100]

Sounds like an urban myth to me... I was a human a and e doc for many years and skin is a lot more ripable than nerve tissue... it’s actually pretty tough stuff... freak accidents do happen but there will be as many cases where an animal was saved because it’s tail was plaited as those that were lost because it wasn’t,

Yes, this is what the vets also discussed. The hair is likely to be removed first, skin second but unlikely and neurological damage is extremely rare enough for them not have encountered it.

Also, nobody else I know has had a horse PTS due to damage from a tail plait.

 

[fiwen30]

A plaited tail is stronger than loose strands of tail hair - it’s like old fashioned rope-making out of straw. A plaited tail would withstand far more tension/trauma before the strands snapped or pulled loose from the dock, so I could definitely see how a horse could seriously damage itself if a plaited tail got caught up on something and it panicked and tried to pull away.

 

[SpeedyPony]

I get the principle, yet mud, tangles etc can also pose an equivalent risk.

Tangles can incorporate the full tail, but I've not seen it that often, even in the feral ponies, and on a livery yard I can't see anyone letting it get that bad- that sort of tangle would take a good while to develop.

 

[Illusion100]

I would have thought the skin would rip before the spine was injured, still a really nasty injury though.
Although as ycbm says, there's a danger if they get caught and drag something with them, although again I'd expect the injuries to be to the legs from whatever they were dragging than to the spine.

Plus horses tend to rub the dock, not the nerveless plaited hair below, which is fixed loosely with small, breakable elastic bands

 

[Illusion100]

A plaited tail is stronger than loose strands of tail hair - it’s like old fashioned rope-making out of straw. A plaited tail would withstand far more tension/trauma before the strands snapped or pulled loose from the dock, so I could definitely see how a horse could seriously damage itself if a plaited tail got caught up on something and it panicked and tried to pull away.

See, if I plait my hair out of the way, it doesn't get tangled and matted so easily. Same as when I tie it up or put it in a bun.

 

[Illusion100]

Tangles can incorporate the full tail, but I've not seen it that often, even in the feral ponies, and on a livery yard I can't see anyone letting it get that bad- that sort of tangle would take a good while to develop.

This is it, we are talking about tail plaits that are in for a couple of hours in field to keep out of deep mud, or overnight in stable.

Not a tail plait left in for weeks and ignored.

 

[SpeedyPony]

Plus horses tend to rub the dock, not the nerveless plaited hair below, which is fixed loosely with small, breakable elastic bands

I take your point, but I can still see the lower half of the tail getting snagged on a gate/fence/wire as they're scratching the dock. I know if I left one of my lot plaited up I'd be worried about them ending up in the next parish pursued by a gate!
On a more serious note, I've seen horses get loose tail hairs snagged on brambles and thorn bushes and get a little worried/panicky until the hair ripped out, if they were plaited I wouldn't be worrying particularly about spinal injuries, but would worry about the damage they'd do to the skin of the tail or the rest of themselves thrashing about.

 

[Illusion100]

I take your point, but I can still see the lower half of the tail getting snagged on a gate/fence/wire as they're scratching the dock. I know if I left one of my lot plaited up I'd be worried about them ending up in the next parish pursued by a gate!
On a more serious note, I've seen horses get loose tail hairs snagged on brambles and thorn bushes and get a little worried/panicky until the hair ripped out, if they were plaited I wouldn't be worrying particularly about spinal injuries, but would worry about the damage they'd do to the skin of the tail or the rest of themselves thrashing about.

I've never had an issue with plaiting the dock below the tail for turnout etc, particularly with a little plaiting band holding the end together. Not that I do it often, just saves damaging the tail by cleaning mud/tangles out in bad conditions particularly.

Plus if my horse was noticeably rubbing it's dock in field or stable, I'd be sorting that issue out sharpish!

And electric fencing sure prevents a horse rubbing itself anyway haha

 

[cobgoblin]

Re the viral claim.. Why couldn't a horse live without a tail? They used to be docked short for carriage driving.
I would have thought the tail would have degloved rather than ripped off in the worst case.

 

[Illusion100]

Re the viral claim.. Why couldn't a horse live without a tail? They used to be docked short for carriage driving.
I would have thought the tail would have degloved rather than ripped off in the worst case.

The video doesn't appear to exist, nor the claims made behind it

 

[cobgoblin]

The video doesn't appear to exist, nor the claims made behind it

I'm sure it doesn't.
Just like the family in every school that only allowed members to use 2 sheets of loo roll. ??

 

[SpeedyPony]

I've never had an issue with plaiting the dock below the tail for turnout etc, particularly with a little plaiting band holding the end together. Not that I do it often, just saves damaging the tail by cleaning mud/tangles out in bad conditions particularly.

Plus if my horse was noticeably rubbing it's dock in field or stable, I'd be sorting that issue out sharpish!

And electric fencing sure prevents a horse rubbing itself anyway haha

Oh to have horses that respect electric fencing! ?
If the paddock is fenced such that there isn't anything to get it caught on I can see it wouldn't be such an issue.
I'm used to having hedges and trees accessible to the horses- and having ponies that will cheerfully barge through electric tape ?‍

 

[fiwen30]

See, if I plait my hair out of the way, it doesn't get tangled and matted so easily. Same as when I tie it up or put it in a bun.

Plaiting stops the hair from tangling within itself, but if the actual plait was caught and pulled, it would cause more damage to the dock than loose hair because it is stronger and can take more tension before giving way.