Reasons for not leaving horses tail too long

Cuffey

Cuffey

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Please help me find ways to persuade a complete stranger to cut her ponies tails
They are currently trailing on the ground behind the ponies

I was taught that should a horse tread on its own tail or another horse stand on it and the horse then moves, there was a real possibility of permanent damage to the nerves at the top of the tail

How do I get this message over---politely please-- that long tails are a not a good idea!!
 
Bahhh, a huge bug bear of mine with what seems to be a trend in Norway. I have seen so many horse and ponies here that if you doubled the tail over at ground level the excess from the floor would almost reach said horses hocks.

I have no idea why, it looks awful and is not nice for the horse to have to negotiate it's tail when it moves around.

Then you have the horse owners who cut too short and when the horse lifts it's tail it is well above the hocks.

Trouble in Norway is proper riding as a sport has only been around in the past what 30 years. I have actually seen a huge improvement within the 6 years I have lived here, certainly in regards to feeding, care, equipment and riding.
 
disgusting muddy wet tail slapping around hindlegs is a good start, eugh.
someone told me they're more likely to get arthritis in their hocks if this has happened, but i have no idea if it's true.
standing on tail, ouch, i can believe it would damage the nerves... not to mention make horse shoot forwards.
surely it's an absolute no-brainer?
btw you can see from my far right siggy pic just how averse i am to wet muddy tails!
 
Showing a pony horse with an untrimmed tail makes the horse look unbalanced, full manes and tails may look pretty but it detracts too muct attention from the overall conformation of the animal, the whole picture is what someone sees, and that picture must be as good as you can get, hence trim only to balance the look, may it be native or warmbloods . Long tails otherwise for pet/breeding stock doesnt really matter, its horses for coarses
 
Meh, there's worse things than a long tail but it just looks horrible. Plus it often goes into one solid lump at the end which can't be nice to srag around, and is no use for swatting flies, which is what it's there for.
 
The wet muddy tail--I do remember hunting one day and a pony being an absolute nightmare totally hyped up running away with the rider--sure it was the wet muddy tail slapping on its hindlegs that was the cause of the problem

The ponies I stopped to look at were miniatures--rather unkempt--manes and tails tangled with dock stalks but hay in the field. In my head--why keep pets if you cant be bothered. Need to go back and try to find out who owns them
 
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If a horse is just being a horse in the field I DO leave tails long and just trim them, in summer they are needed. Fortunately I don't get mud past hoof level so that isn't something I have to contend with. In the past my horses didn't go out in the field (bog) without tails tied up - ever.

I can see very valid reasons for trimming tails in winter, as mentioned, mud and ice can't be comfortable, but feral ponies cope, presumably the ends break off in vegetation etc.

Delicate, people don't like to be made to feel inadequate, or criticised, tact is required, if their feet and general body condition are OK then I wouldn't say anything, none of my business.
If I was that concerned I'd probably say "I bet those tails get muddy and tangled in winter " To be honest, if a total stranger came up to me and said bluntly "those tails are too long they should be cut" I'd be straight on the defensive. I may see the validity of it and would most likely trim them later but I'd resent the lecture however subtle it was.
 
Don't mind too much either way, just want to say Enfys what a beautiful mare - presume its a mare, she looks pretty and girly
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Ah, thankyou, kind of you to say so.
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Ummmm, not a mare though, same horse as in the signature except for #2.
 
I personally dont like them too long, which is handy as i last cut our tail in the dark so its much shorter than the normal
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but much better in the mud
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I would be surprised if it causes real problems though and hadnt heard this, the wild guys seem to do ok and presumably always have done. Presumably if they stand on a bit it just pulls out

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sorry got a bit pic happy!
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Tiger's tail drags on the ground it's very long!!!

But he's a pure bred arab and thats the 'look' for the show ring, it looks lovely on him as he is an arab and his tail is jet black and sliver at the bottom

But at home his tail is ALWAYS kept up to prevent him stepping on it ect, I always leave hair out though so he can still swish his tail ect
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I think long tails look horrible on anything other than arabs ha ha

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Arabs are different though, when they carry their tails it can make a good 10" (+/-)difference can't it?

I just used to plait mine, that shortened them enough so that they weren't standing on them and still gave them something to swat with.

We'll have to agree to disagree about arabs being the ONLY breed that looks good with a long tail though.
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I've never heard of long tails causing problems apart from muddy and wet.

if you think that tails should be a "certain length" keep your own horses tails short, but why would you tell a stranger to cut her horses tails...because its muddy.

if I was that stranger i would be offended.

you keep your horses in a certain way, so let the other people do what they is thing best for their horse.
 
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Thanks for all replies
Enfys
If it was just the tails--I would keep my nose out but think they need help to find a farrier as well

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Fair enough, slightly more cause for concern then. Are they horrendous?
 
Surely it doesn't matter that much that a horses tail is a bit long - especially if they have other problems which are in need of tending to ?? Honestly I would just ignore it and try and find a tactful way of suggesting the hooves are too long instead
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How about minding your own business. Native ponies have full manes and tails and live quite happily without interfering busibodies deciding their view is the only view.
 
As you said she's a complete stranger and therefore you have no idea why her ponies tails are so long.

It's hardly a welfare issue to keep your attention to your own horses.
 
my darlings have long tails, the boy looks stunning in the show ring running out with it full & uncut & the new girlie has the most scragly tail as someone with no idea has trimmed it so i will be lettnig hers grow out.

sorry but manes/tails are personal choice, would you like someone saynig you had to cut your hair off in case you caught it?
 
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How about minding your own business. Native ponies have full manes and tails and live quite happily without interfering busibodies deciding their view is the only view.

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What a thoroughly nasty post.
 
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How about minding your own business. Native ponies have full manes and tails and live quite happily without interfering busibodies deciding their view is the only view.

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What a thoroughly nasty post.

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No not nasty just from someone who is fed up that people are so sure that the views they hold are so correct that it gives them the right to impose them on other people. What is even more infuriting is that they frequently come from people who are not as knowledable as they think.
 
I like long tails! I am growing my horses' ones out as I think they look scraggy short. Once they get near the floor I will trim them (so they're a few inches above it). Personally I don't like short tails, I don't like the look of them. But that's just my oppinion, if people want to have their horses tails at a certain length it's up to them.
 
Magicgirl, try not to generalise. You are unfairly being nasty to someone who is not the source of your antipathy. This person has asked for advice in order to be diplomatic, and she has not marched in with an opinion, voiced rudely, as yours is.

It is best to try to treat people with respect as you will find what goes around, comes around. Also, if you practice generosity of spirit, you may find it will lift your mood.
 
I don't like long tails, but I don't have anything against them as such if thats how people want to keep them. For me, its impractical (and messy) to have them long - I even cut my shetlands tail as it gets absolutely filthy otherwise and goes into "dreadlocks". Even with my Welsh D who I showed as a M&M, I still trimmed him lightly but then with Welsh cobs you're meant to. Have to admit, even the native breeds your not meant to trim I never see totally wild - people still "tidy" them.

Personally, I would never say anything about it to strangers though. On the grand scale of things, its not important. It sounds like the farrier-issue is more of a worry.
 
I hate seeing tails that drag through the muck. Mine are cut to hock height for the winter and then left to grow to fetlock length for the summer. I have never seen a free running horse with a long tail.I presume that tails are kept to a certain length by gorse bushes, brambles etc.
To the 'rude' person-I think you will discover that 'Cuffy' is an extremely knowledgeable and highly respected person in the equine world
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Bit like calling Einstein an accountant
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