How can I keep horse tail up and out of the mud

exracehorse

exracehorse

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So, the Ginger Witch has a beautiful thick tail that touches the ground. She’s half Welsh. I know I can cut. But reluctant as it’s a gorgeous flaxon colour. Gateways are like thick mud soup. She’s been stomping in it. Brought in tonight and it wasn’t a tail at all. Just a thick block of mud. I washed off. Shampooed. Plaited. But what can I use to lift the plait and hold up. I tried my hair band. But it broke. What do other folk do. I am hoping after a predicted sunny dry week, the ground will dry.
 
Pig oil and sulphur on the ends will make it run off
Short term baby oil but doesn't work any where as well as the pig oil.
Loose plait the bottom and double it up?
 
marmalade76 said:
I trim mine shorter in the winter, it soon grows but I'd never let mine get so long it touches the ground, not even the natives.
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Same here, due to the mud mainly that can then prevent the back of heels being cleaner and drying off easier. My mare has a very thick heavy tail that drapes by her heels moreso than the gelding.
It soon grows back. But if showing them and wanted to keep the tail i’d bag it most likely.
 
PurBee said:
Same here, due to the mud mainly that can then prevent the back of heels being cleaner and drying off easier. My mare has a very thick heavy tail that drapes by her heels moreso than the gelding.
It soon grows back. But if showing them and wanted to keep the tail i’d bag it most likely.
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If anything I think thick, heavy tails are best kept a bit shorter or thinned, they get so heavy and often look clamped down. I often see cobs with over long thick tails that catch between their hind legs and get bounced from one hind leg to the other as they trot.
 
marmalade76 said:
If anything I think thick, heavy tails are best kept a bit shorter or thinned, they get so heavy and often look clamped down. I often see cobs with over long thick tails that catch between their hind legs and get bounced from one hind leg to the other as they trot.
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Agreed, there’s some mega thick tales that must be a challenge to care for.
My mares will reach the ground, and trail 4 inches, so i’ve always trimmed it so she doesnt get too tangled in it as you describe. When her first winter hit, with the mud, i then went above fetlock for fetlock health.
The gelding has a fifth of her tail in weight and thickness…its a whisp really! Just one quick snip of the straggly end above fetlock over winter serves him well.
 
Mine had a fabulous tail, but I was vicious with the chop in winter. Otherwise, when clean, I oiled it or used mane and tail so mud tended to drop off, although the tick stuff was a terror.
 
Thank you OP I’m having this Helen too this year for the first time with my highland. I’ve been periodically washing and adding oil but it’s not gone too well.
 
PurBee said:
Agreed, there’s some mega thick tales that must be a challenge to care for.
My mares will reach the ground, and trail 4 inches, so i’ve always trimmed it so she doesnt get too tangled in it as you describe. When her first winter hit, with the mud, i then went above fetlock for fetlock health.
The gelding has a fifth of her tail in weight and thickness…its a whisp really! Just one quick snip of the straggly end above fetlock over winter serves him well.
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It's not just the care (TBH I prefer it when I have a horse with a skinny tail, much easier to deal with!) It must be uncomfortable for those that get them wrapped round their hind legs when they move and the weight must take some effort to lift & swing it to swat the flies.
 
@marmalade76 my next pony will be an appaloosa with a wispy tail 😅 Ds tail does as you describe if it's wet and muddy gets wrapped around her back legs and gets poo ringlets 🤢 as she can't lift it up enough. It's so thick I've started getting the farrier to cut it as I get cramp in my hands and it ends up uneven😅
WinterScreenshot_20241013-125051-131.pngsummerScreenshot_20240919-152327-579.png
 
So. I’ve chopped some of the bottom off. I washed out the horrendous mud. Ran some baby oil through. Plaited in three plaits. Lifted each one and secured. Not sure if the plaiting bands will stay put as her tail is so thick.
 
marmalade76 said:
It's not just the care (TBH I prefer it when I have a horse with a skinny tail, much easier to deal with!) It must be uncomfortable for those that get them wrapped round their hind legs when they move and the weight must take some effort to lift & swing it to swat the flies.
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And my girl doesn’t lift it all out of the way to pee so she gets a peel stained tail. I’ve lopped another 4” off it today having put shampoo and conditioner through the muddy mass.
 
Cloball said:
@marmalade76 my next pony will be an appaloosa with a wispy tail 😅 Ds tail does as you describe if it's wet and muddy gets wrapped around her back legs and gets poo ringlets 🤢 as she can't lift it up enough. It's so thick I've started getting the farrier to cut it as I get cramp in my hands and it ends up uneven😅
WinterView attachment 155763summerView attachment 155762
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Very similar to my girl. She’s a lady of unknown breeding but looks Dales-y.
 
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