Tails - how do you do yours?

[Achinghips]

Anyone got any piccies or hints and tips - I'm making a right pigs ear of my mare's tail Thanks

 

[Suziq77]

I pull my horses' tails but luckily they all stand still beautifully so I don't need to use any of the short cuts which work nearly as well but still not quite as well even when used properly.

See the supreme products website for tips. I think they have videos on there too. You tube probably also has video clips of tail pulling but make sure you see a clip of the end result! http://supremeproductsltd.blogspot.com/2010/04/supreme-products-mane-and-tail-pulling.html

 

[Tnavas]

I now cheat - I don't pull but carefully cut and shave to get the look.


First cut the hair back with scissors to follow the line you would normally pull - then with battery clippers shave back as close as you can to the skin.

Over the top use thinning scissors to get the shape. Constantly comb the hair back down until and re trim until you have the right shape.

Damp and tail bandage each day - I bandage at the start of my grooming session so the bandage has a chans to lie the tail hairs. Its easy to maintain if you have small clippers like the Whal 'PocketPro' battery clippers. If used without the little black combs they clip really close.

 

[JenHunt]

I leave it to grow au naturel....

then plait it for eventing, or plait and stitch up for hunting.... looks like this

 

[Mince Pie]

I'm another who plaits. Even if it's no longer 'correct' for showing I would rather plait.

 

[BeckyBoodle]

I have an arab so all au naturel. I do nothing with it on the whole, although occassionally I commit sacrilege and cut it when it starts to trail on the floor.

 

[Mildred]

I use a razor rake comb thing - cant recall the name of it now!

 

[Cuppatea]

plait. always.

 

[JenHunt]

wow cuppatea.... I wish I could plait like you! It's a pity wire wool is so difficult to plait neatly!

 

[Jesstickle]

I thought I could plait a tail until I saw them cuppatea. You put me to shame!

 

[Enfys]

Cuppatea, now they are what I call plaits, beautiful.

JenHunt, immaculate.

I can never quite get my head around just why plaiting is not the done thing in the show ring, why is that?

My horses rarely party, tailwise everything is left as is (usually hock length and ratty- thanks to the foals) and trimmed if it gets too long.

 

[Kat]

Those plaits look gorgeous, love to see a well plaited tail.

 

[Cuppatea]

wow cuppatea.... I wish I could plait like you! It's a pity wire wool is so difficult to plait neatly!

I thought I could plait a tail until I saw them cuppatea. You put me to shame!

Cuppatea, now they are what I call plaits, beautiful.

Aw thanks guys!

PS. Also available for hire...!

 

[Gilbey]

cuppatea I take it you are a pro groom at a racing yard? They are easily the best I have ever seen and I've been around the block a few times!!

 

[only_me]

I pull mine B likes it! Hate clipped tails - look awful imo!

Can't plait so I pull

LOADS more to come off, but B has a habit of sitting on his tail when travelling so can't pull too short & he alternates between siting on it and holding it over the back ramp - so can't have a tail bandage either

Cuppatea they are beautiful!

 

[millreef]

Cuppatea you're an artisan.

 

[SplashofSoy]

cuppatea, wonderful plaits. It looks like it the plait is raised almost a reverse to the normal?

I leave my boy's tail and plait although as he is chestnut his tail is so multicoloured takes so much longer than black as all the detail shows.

 

[BigRed]

Bloody hell cuppatea, those tails are fabulous ! how long did it take to get that good ?

 

[nikCscott]

Even if i do say so myself- i can plait well, but cuppatea has blown me out of the water!

I always plait my boy's mane but not his tail as it's so thick and i don't think even cuppatea could stop it looking like a hairy log - he has the tail of the hairiest cob ever and weighs a ton. I can pull but on him it never lies right, so i commit the heinous crime of cutting and shaping the sides (cutting into it like the hair dressers finish a good cut.

 

[CastleMouse]

Pulled, and cut just below the hock

 

[Enfys]

cuppatea, wonderful plaits. It looks like it the plait is raised almost a reverse to the normal?

QUOTE]

The hair is taken under instead of over.

(Says she quickly braiding her own hair to make sure )


Cuppatea, they'd LOVE you in the show barns here, although they generally roll the braid at the end of the tail into a bobble (instead of doubling and sewing up) There are actually Professional Braiders going around the circuit.

Some horses seem to have about 30 small braids, doubled and sewn with coloured wool, my hands would be crippled and totally numb after doing just 2 horses like that. My showing friends were horrified when I braided their hunter jumpers up to show them the the way I would be do it in the UK.
"So few braids, No wool, God, it is SO plain!"

 

[vroutledge]

I am too embarrassed to even take a picture and put it on here................''IT'S'' tail is currently lovely and long and thick at the bottom but at the top it is now non existant she looks like she has a disease or alopecia......the whole of winter her mane and tail have looked amazing thick, full and glossy, the second summer arrives ''well i think i will rub my tail and half my mane of now then she cant plait it so i can get fat in the field instead of having to strut my stuff at competitions''.....much better option obviously!!! i cant even get away with it looking like it has been pulled.

 

[Cuppatea]

Cuppatea, they'd LOVE you in the show barns here, although they generally roll the braid at the end of the tail into a bobble (instead of doubling and sewing up) There are actually Professional Braiders going around the circuit.

i used to do that sometimes, i'd make a sort of rose with the bottom part or a spinning top type of thing. They jinxed me though, I never won turnout with them so i just leave it traditional all the time now.
So when i am too crippled to ride any more i have a new proffesion in a new country! Whoop whoop, all is not lost!!
It would however do my head in with all that coloured thread going on, it winds me up no end when i see white plaiting bands on horses! Grrrrr! dont get me started!!!!!

 

[Jesstickle]

You must earn yourself a tidy pot of TO prizes in a year Cuppatea. Or if you don't you should! I can plait ok, and I saw some good ones out racing but yours really are something else!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I can't do the inside out tail plaits that Cuppatea can do, I can only do them normally. I will take a pic later if my horse will oblige by not waving his tail around at me like he usually does!

I plait the racehorses and pull my show horses. BTO's at the races are handy pocket money

 

[whisp&willow]

ive never been much good at plaiting tails... but am having to practice for showing Willow (just turned 1) she's not a fan of having her mane pulled so far... so im not up for doing her tail. i dont know why but i think it must hurt more! (irrational i know!)

i prefer to see a well plaited tail than a pulled one. why has the trend moved over to pulled?? anyone know?

cuppatea: you busy on the first wed in aug??!! ha ha! xx

 

[mulledwhine]

Cuppa tea they are really a work of art.

Have just bought a solo rake, just had a go on his mane, scared to death of taking too much out.

Tips on using it on tails gratefully received

 

[Cuppatea]

cuppatea: you busy on the first wed in aug??!! ha ha! xx

take me on a trip to the Talisker distillery and im yours!!!

 

[Cuppatea]

You must earn yourself a tidy pot of TO prizes in a year Cuppatea. Or if you don't you should!

BTO's at the races are handy pocket money

yeah, it made my meager 'wages' into something i could live on!
I did manage to win BTO with every single horse on the yard at some point.
I regularly got £150 at Brighton (with the same horse!) and had £200 for one at chepstow I also had an 80% win rate at cheltenham!! God i miss that money!! You're lucky to get a tenner at point to point!

 

[whisp&willow]

take me on a trip to the Talisker distillery and im yours!!!

done!