That'll teach me to sort tails out before winter..

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henryhorn

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www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
Our retired horses live a pretty natural sort of life, out 24/7 and eat inside barns on ad lib haylage.
They never get groomed, but get de-loused, wormed and foot trimmed and the odd tangle taken out of their obviously long manes.
Today I decided because of the mud in some places a mass tail trim was needed, so off I set with my trusty scissors and a pocket full of treats, something they never get here.
Did the first 12, some had those horrid twisty knots on so I just cut them out, then got to number 13. Now he arrived with a reputation, he had kicked his owner in the stomach causing a miscarriage and was a biter too. He has though been here a few years now and appears sweet, but you never forget what he can do when so minded. His tail was the worst I have ever seen in my whole life.
Last autumn some got those huge sticky burr things in their tails but they seemed to drop out over time, well his hadn't. Not only that but there were some twigs in for good measure, plus a matt of knots round the whole thing. I had to go back to the house for a stanley knife and literally saw through his tail . He now has quite a short tail still full of knots and all I can think of doing is putting loads of conditioner in it in the hope they will gradually loosen, there is no way I could tease it loose.
He stood through the whole procedure and never moved an inch, but never again will I leave those burr things in over winter, they are terrible.
The others all have knots etc but his reminded me of a bird's nest!
Any good solutions do tell me, I have several more tails to trim yet but glancing at them nothing as bad as his than goodness.
I did a lice check too and can't see any but think I'll use Spot On the lot next time anyway, as it's perfect lice breeding weather right now.
I'm off to have a good shower, handling shitty muddy tails all afternoon isn't my idea of a fun Sunday!
 
i think i'd bring him in, starve him for a few hours, then tie him up with a huge haynet and painstakingly tease every single hair apart one by one by hand, not pulling at all. it'll take ages but as long as it doesn't hurt, he shouldn't kick...
what a nightmare though!
i cut all the youngsters' tails short before winter, so they're out of the mud. sometimes i get a bit carried away, but they look okay by now... i like to think of it as a theft deterrent as well!
 
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i cut all the youngsters' tails short before winter, so they're out of the mud. sometimes i get a bit carried away, but they look okay by now... i like to think of it as a theft deterrent as well!

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That's actually a damn good idea, hack them off after the flies are gone, problem solved!
 
i keep my connis tail plaited all winter and let it grow ...so when i cut it ready for show season i cut all the minging stained bit off !!
 
I cut my TBx tail quite short before winter (we dont compete or anything over the winter) and bag my pony's tail when she goes out
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How about cut them short before winter - just below the hocks and cover them in pig oil - nice and cheap and very good for keeping mud sliding off and tangles to a minimum. P&S is also great on the manes for keeping the tangles down.

Alternatively - and not so cheap - tailbag the lot!

I personally go the tailbag route, but I only have two to worry about and Chancer's tail is one of his prized assets -really thick and just touching the floor.
 
I don't think perhaps you realise about how a horse in a herd changes living essentially a wild life so although I am very grateful for your suggestions, they aren't really practical. Turning perhaps 30 plus horses out on over 80 acres of wooded undulating grazing with tail bags on would ensure something itched on a tree branch and got caught possibly damaging itself. They couldn't wear surcingles or rollers so the tail bags would eventually drop off..
Bringing one horse into a stable environment after living outside for perhaps ten years is a major thing for the horse. We do virtually everything in the field as they get incredibly upset if removed from their mates. I have much more chance of not being kicked standing in the field believe me!
I wouldn't hobble this horse either (I didn't think anyone did things like hobble apart from covering anymore) as he had a terrible life in Spain before his kind owner allowed him to retire here. She sent me an email today thanking me for a pic of him she got after I'd done his tail, saying his face is incredible showing such a happy character no-one ever guessed he had hidden underneath the bad temper, so hobbling would undo all the work we have put in to rehabilitate him.
No, all I can do I think is cut off even more of the matted part and soak it with oil or thick conditioner and hope some of the worst knots unravel.. I've been taught a lesson not to ignore knots again!
Keeping lots of horses as a herd you have to accept conventional methods of doing stuff can't sometimes happen, even bringing one inside for a few nights can traumatise them to the degree they sweat and lose weight with separation anxiety.
Our farrier is great, he happily wanders round the herd with us and does trims etc where they are, trying to bring one in for this is guaranteed to get them worried.
I think a lot of it is they settle in and after a few years they sort of accept they won't ever move away, so if we appear and remove them into a nice stable even with company it wakes some primeval terror of losing their lifestyle here, and thus they misbehave.
Thanks again for the suggestions, I have never heard of pig oil but if nothing else works, I'll give it a go...
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Hi Sue. Although I dont think my horses tails are any where near as bad as you describe we often use a quick spray of Mr Sheen or other furniture polish that contains wax. It's much cheaper than Mane & Tail conditioner & really adds shine & lustre & stops tangles. Maybe best used as a preventative measure. LOL
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Hope the pig oil helps - and could you plait them for the winter - cut them short and put in one plait from dock down. Tesco's value terry bands really stay on well and don't do any damage.

Tailbags was a joke - no way would I put them on your lot.

If you are interested for horses that are not in the "wild" the tail is plaited and then the bag has a top loop that goes through the plait and is velcro attached - no rollers etc and if caught the velcro gives. I just take the bag off every month and comb and replait the tail. Mine don't live wild, but Stinky can have his moments in the bushes and mud and so far it has stayed put.

Good luck with 30 wild tails.
 
Thanks, will try both the furniture spray and some oil, and with any luck one of them might loosen it up a bit. I think normally the burr things just work their way out but this horse had twigs mixed in too, so the tail is probably the nearest thing to dreadlocks in appearance. I bet the only real solution is to cut it off....
Having cut his open and seen what's living inside like grit and debris, I don't fancy ever having dreadlocks, therei s no way they could get water to the inside of them..uggggggg.......!
 
Mr Sheen?? I'd rather go with the proper horse stuff, its not that expensive and I really wouldn't fancy furniture polishing them if they live pretty naturally - surely pretty likely to cause an allergic reaction in some of them?! I know you wouldn't put it onto skin but the whole standing head to tail thing, I'd worry they would get it in their eyes or something?

Does sound like you'd have to cut that one out
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but hopefully a trip round the herd maybe once a week with a bottle of canter mane and tail should help things to sort themselves out in future
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