Traditional cobs with BIG heavy tails

hayinamanger

hayinamanger

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My grey has a very thick tail, it's an inch or so off the ground, so it's heavy and when he poos, he can't lift it high enough and the tail collects a lot of poo. If you don't show, how long are your cobs tails. do you keep them long or chop them off? :eek:
 
You could try plaiting but leaving a generous tassle at the end to keep the flies off. I've found that my cob can lift his tail ok but if he's stood with his back to the wind the hair blows back and catches the poo. He also wears a fleece tail bag if we have particularly loose poo due to new grass which are easy to make and wash. Hope that helps.
 
Are you sure its too heavy or does he just have loose poo? a lot of irish cobs in particular have had a heavy worm burden in their younger days which makes them scour a lot - it can be rectified by daily tablet provided by your vet though I know someone who swears by a small pot of bio yoghurt drink each day :)

I have recently 'banged' my cobs tail and it does look smart as well as keeping it out of the mud so staying cleaner longer - he wouldnt keep a tail bag on I dont think !:rolleyes:
 
pull my cob's HUGE tail VERY discretely ... It's still a huge tail, just a normal huge tail rather than a totally oversized huge tail LOL!! .... Also keep it plaited in the summer and bagged in the winter!
 
Hairy boy's tail used trail on the ground before a youngster ate some of it. Its tremendously thick and heavy but generally self cleans just by rubbing oil into it and brushing away any dried poo with a plastic curry comb.
 
horserider said:
Hairy boy's tail used trail on the ground before a youngster ate some of it. Its tremendously thick and heavy but generally self cleans just by rubbing oil into it and brushing away any dried poo with a plastic curry comb.
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Yes, that's what I usually do, I just wondered if other owners kept the tails long or trimmed them.
 
Flicker51 said:
Are you sure its too heavy or does he just have loose poo? a lot of irish cobs in particular have had a heavy worm burden in their younger days which makes them scour a lot - it can be rectified by daily tablet provided by your vet though I know someone who swears by a small pot of bio yoghurt drink each day :)

I have recently 'banged' my cobs tail and it does look smart as well as keeping it out of the mud so staying cleaner longer - he wouldnt keep a tail bag on I dont think !:rolleyes:
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Thanks, no abnormal droppings/scour, just a mahoosive tail :p
 
I have the same issue, he's hogged and his tail is banged to about 6" below his hocks:

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With my trad who I show I bang her tail on the diagonal, feathering it do it does not look square.

Keep it detangled and silicon gelled so poo slips out of it. You can thin it out from behind if needed.

Careful plaiting it up just invade they tread on it, unroll and ride free and then replait. Rather use a tail tube then a bag.
 
I have been having the same problem with my older and arthritic Fell! Her tail is so heavy and thick that to cut it at the bottom I have to hold it in both hands and someone else cut! She wee's and poo's through hers as it is just too heavy for her (and her stiff old back!) to lift, I washed it the other day as she smelled like a post office on pension day, and it took 2 shampooings just to get through to the dock and get the inner hairs!
I have now in desperation clippered the sides so that the hair at the dock falls over and the tail looks unpulled, but it has reduced the weight so that she can lift her tail a little higher! It was either that or take out shares in Canter and Silicone Gel!!
 
Rosehip said:
I have been having the same problem with my older and arthritic Fell! Her tail is so heavy and thick that to cut it at the bottom I have to hold it in both hands and someone else cut! She wee's and poo's through hers as it is just too heavy for her (and her stiff old back!) to lift, I washed it the other day as she smelled like a post office on pension day, and it took 2 shampooings just to get through to the dock and get the inner hairs!
I have now in desperation clippered the sides so that the hair at the dock falls over and the tail looks unpulled, but it has reduced the weight so that she can lift her tail a little higher! It was either that or take out shares in Canter and Silicone Gel!!
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Pmsl at the post office on pension day! I generally oil and comb to get the worst of it out, and wash thoroughly once a month or so. :)
 
I put Star's tail into about 5 plaits so that she can whisk. I pull the hairs from underneath the taill and the sides, to the front to make the first plait - a bit like a French plait. This puts most of the 'vulnerable' hair out of harms way. I use non tangle hair bobbles from the hair dept in Asda. Much better than plaiting bands.
Keeping it in plaits also stops it tangling, and allows her to pee without the tail hanging in the stream. Best way ever to turn a white tail, tobacco yellow.....
Before a show, and when travelling, I put the tail in a tail bag.
 
What you can do is to put a tail bag on the under half, ie part that gets dirty and leave the top layer out as a fly swish. I bag both my two tails all winter completely and in the summer do the above.

Might be worth having back checked. The first gypsy mare I had could not lift her tail up properly and peed and messed all over it. Two sessions with a very good chiro and she was able to lift her tail up properly and rarely messed it.

If you don't want to bag, then brush a lot of pig oil through the hair and then plait up either all of it or half.
 
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