Trimming a Full Tail

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caleigh97

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Hi - I have a Fell pony that I am going to begin to show in affiliated classes this year, and she has a lovely thick tail - but it trails about four inches on the ground. I am assuming that it will need to at least be trimmed but it also needs to keep its look as a full, natural tail - does anyone have any idea how to do this?

Last season it trailed only about an inch and looked presentable but I have a feeling that this year it is a little bit too long!

Thanks :)
 
I found the easiest way to trim a tail properly is actually with clippers and carefully skimming the bottom off with them - best way imo of getting a neat finish :)
 
Noooo, don't trim with clippers, it will create a blunt look, not acceptable for showing fell ponies. Here are the guidelines, I suspect the best way to get a slightly shorter but natural look would be to maybe use some form of thinning rake on the very end of the tail:

Ponies to be shown unplaited and untrimmed, including head and face, mane and tail, which should not have been previously plaited as the hair should be straight and silky.

Ponies may be shod or unshod.

White rope or webbing halters may be used to show the youngstock, brood-mares and geldings in hand. Foals to be haltered and led. Stallions and colts 2 years old and over should be shown in a leather show halter or bridle. Stallion tack is optional. Yearlings may not be shown bitted.

Brood mares suckling foals not to be shown under saddle or in harness.

Eye make-up and hair dyeing is not allowed.

Clipping of winter coats on working ponies whilst not encouraged for showing is not debarred.

Ponies not to be penalised if they have been freeze-branded.
 
As QB says, I am pretty sure that it is not supposed to look trimmed, so you don't really want a neat finish. I think you need to rough trim it by cutting up into the end of the tail with scissors to avoid the 'banged' look.
 
Cut it straight about an inch more than you'd like , then cut upwards , more so at the sides, so it doesn't looks straight.
 
emm1s said:
As QB says, I am pretty sure that it is not supposed to look trimmed, so you don't really want a neat finish. I think you need to rough trim it by cutting up into the end of the tail with scissors to avoid the 'banged' look.
Click to expand...

I washed and rough trimmed it yesterday and it went really well - thanks for all your help!
 
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