tail carriage..

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risky business

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After reading the thread about tail swishing it lead my mind to wonder something that iv thought about before but never asked.

It's about horses tail carriage, might seem a silly question but why do some horses have more of a tail carriage than others?

I had a Welsh D mare and she hardly carried her tail at all and only once in 6 years did I ever see her carry her tail high (like when there excited, tail up ect). But of course some horses have a natural high carriage, some a little and some not really at all.

Is it to do with breed, preference from the horses point of view or something else?

I'm most likely reading to much into it but I always remember loving watching a friends warmblood have a good canter in the field tail held high, then mine behind looking rather boring :p. I just assumed she just couldn't be asked.
 
Kali always carries his tail . . . just away from his body, so I know (assume) his back is nice and relaxed . . . it's just something eh's always done . . . under saddle, on the lunge, etc.

P
 
Where the tail is set has quite a lot to do with it. It's not a total rule of thumb, but so-called cold bloods tend to have lower tail set than TBs and Arabs. And of course a heavy tail (like my Welsh Section D has) is harder to carry high - it weighs a ton!
 
Most of mine have been tail carriers, only one was right up like an arab (a WB/show pony cross), the rest, up and away from their body. They have been various types, WBx, TBx, full TB, ID with a bit of TB and various ponies/ crosses. I like to see a carried tail, it makes a horse look 'jolly' for want of a better word, and like a dog with it's tail between it's legs if it's clamped down. I think breed/type have something to do with it but also feel a thick tail left too long will drag it down as there's simply too much weight for it to be carried.
 
Mine carries his tail very high naturally, even when standing. He can be tense through his lower back so I prefer to see his tail swinging than stiff, but he always has it high. He is a full tb.
 
Mine stands his tail up at all times, sometimes just to 1/2 way sometimes over his back, much to peoples amusement :p He's just happy and a PBA though :) His back is fine etc. :)
 
My anglo's tail curls right over his back sometimes, makes him look a bit like a pig! :)
My luso dosn't have a high tail carriage though and they're supposed to be hot blooded?
 
My welsh a tends to hold it higher when having a hooley, but its always held just away from her body. She carries herself like an arab quite alot, prancing about, head straight in the air etc there's alot of arab in her breeding and i don't think she realizes she's only 12hh :rolleyes:
 
Thats interesting TwyfordM i will have to check my Welsh sec A's breeding. He carries his tail high when excited and my goodness his trot becomes epic - he almost doesnt touch the ground! But when striding out normally he carries his tail just slightly up which i like as i always associate it (rightly or wrongly) with a nice relaxed and supple back
 
Interesting that cold blood/ hot blood may make a difference, not something I can say I thought about. :)

My mare had a really thick tail and carried it slightly so it wasn't 100% flat but she never bothered hooning about with her tail up. Can't say I'd bother if I had her tail either! :p
 
My two arabs are different in how they carry their tails. The grey is a much calmer temperament and she needs a lot of stimulation for her to flag it, for example she will flag it if the hunt goes past. The gelding on the other hand flags his tail at any little thing. He's a much more forward, hotter and reactive type and when he's really excited he'll curl his tail over his back which I've never seen the grey do.

My anglo on the other hand does carry her tail up from her hindquarters, but I've never seen her lift it much over horizontal.
 
Interesting thread. I was wondering the same about tails. My late mare never carried her tail much at all, even whn excited, and she was a WB x TB/welsh. There is a mare at my yard, pure hanovarian, working at medium and with lovely paces who works with her tail clamped. I had always thought this meant they had a back problem, but she wins virtually every time out.
 
Those of you with horses and ponies who hold their tails high do they also swish when excited or doing fast work ?

My welsh b will lift and swish his tail when he gets excited out hacking and when cantering in the school and I am concerned as was worrying he was uncomfortable somewhere so am going to get his back and saddle checked. He is a very showy pony so maybe its the arab coming out in him ?

Edited to add he is sound as vet did a trot up check when she came out recently for yearly health check and vaccs.
 
Tail carriage is to do with breed. Some breed standards even mention how the tail is usually carried (the PRE/Lusitano have a required natural low tail carriage, as does the Irish Draught). The Arab is well known for his high tail, as are several "saddle" breeds in America (many unfortunately emphasised with tail nicking, tail sets and gingering). The Gelderlander, and most original WB breeds, have very free, high-carried tails. The weight of tail hair will not have a noticable effect on how a horse carries his tail: the tail after all is part of the spine - and the back has some of the largest muscle mass on the whole body. A clamped, crooked or swishing tail however is a different matter entirely, and all are signs of discomfort or bad temper.
 
castella said:
Those of you with horses and ponies who hold their tails high do they also swish when excited or doing fast work ?

My welsh b will lift and swish his tail when he gets excited out hacking and when cantering in the school and I am concerned as was worrying he was uncomfortable somewhere so am going to get his back and saddle checked. He is a very showy pony so maybe its the arab coming out in him ?

Edited to add he is sound as vet did a trot up check when she came out recently for yearly health check and vaccs.
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My Welsh A does but only when first turned out. He is wearing a tail bag with his tail in a plait today so it looks quite solid - he looked like a cow when he was swishing it lol
 
My heavy gypsy cob flags his tail if that's the work l, like an arab, straight up! He only does this when hes at his most excited so not very often. He also has a seriously thick tail.
my PBA however carries his but not as i thought he might. Its always disappointed me that he doesn't really as out of the two hes the one who's always running about!
N&F
 
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