27 Tail Care Tips From HN Readers

What’s the secret to a long, thick, shiny tail? From detangling strategies to favorite products, everybody’s got an opinion. Here are a few gathered from a lively Facebook debate sparked by Carla Lake’s “12 Fabulously Full Tails” post over the weekend.

You can check out Carla’s original post here. Many thanks to all those who submitted photos and advice!

Lauren Brittain (Photo above.)

Katherine Richards: “Only use very soft brushes on the tail, no combs. Feed flax.”

Jasmine Awadallah: “Braid it, put it in a sock then vet wrap the sock. Also use Cowboy Magic or Healthy Hair Care and pick it instead of brushing.” (Photo above.)

Amy Morgan: “Here’s my tail care tip — leave it alone.”

Mikaila Herold: “Healthy Hair Care Moisturizer! Excellent natural product to spray and leave in, helps keep the hair soft and minimizes tangling. I work as a groom and use it daily– after one month I saw a difference in the skinnier, more thin tails.”

Lisa Massee: “I leave it alone, never brush it until his show baths, then I shampoo and condition it, spray Show Sheen in it and brush it while it’s wet… that’s it!” (Photo above.)

Cindy Bean: “A great tail comes from a healthy horse for starters — be sure you are feeding good grass hay and healthy appropriate feed as needed (many horses do well on low starch feeds). My tip is, ‘Don’t constantly mess with the tail (or mane either).’ Let them grow and don’t comb and brush them unless you have to. Just keep them reasonably clean (hose them off when you hose your horse off — no fancy products needed) and then when you do comb/brush first carefully detangle (which won’t be bad to do if your horse has a nice healthy diet with enough fat in it and they are kept reasonably clean all the time… but carefully detangle before doing the nice conditioner/shine product of your choice and a full brushing/combing out for show time (and of course bang that tail for shows for us English riders). This is what has worked for me and mine have lovely tails! Even the one that had a somewhat scrawny tail when I got him now proudly carries a full, shiny tail!”

Addie Wetteland: “I use Infusium 23 EVERYTHING! Shampoo, conditioner, and the spray is perfect for everyday use to prevent breakage and promote shine and thickness! Also they make your horses tail (and mane) super soft!” (Photo above.)

Janet Griffin: “We also feed our horses soy oil, available in large containers from Costco, with their low-carb plus beet pulp feed. Good advice above to not fuss or brush too much.”

Heather Tompkins Keith: “Pig oil. We use it for the cobs to strengthen the manes and tails. Ours are show cobs in Ireland.”

Kaitlyn E Lorentz: “I keep mine moisturized with oil (Africa’s Finest) and kept up in a breathable yet waterproof nylon bag. It only comes out for special occasions. I only brush it once every couple of weeks when the tail gets rebranded, oiled and bagged. I also keep it about to the bottom of the fetlock, so it gets trimmed regularly. Secret to a great tail is great genes, unfortunately.” (Photo above.)

Horse Addicts Only: “All my horses have fab tails. If I comb or brush them it is usually with my fingers and several times a week I give the mane and tail a good massage with hair oil (Moroccan, etc.). Be sure to massage the tail bone and only do this after you ride as your hands get really slippery. When you do have to brush the tail, start from the bottom and work to the top. When bathing be sure to wash out all the shampoo. However, do not rinse out the cream rinse completely.”

Izzy Maset: “I wrap mine whenever he trailers — other than that keep it banged and leave it alone!” (Photo above.)

Mehgan Oehninger: “My chestnut mare has a beautiful full tail. It tends to twirl towards a dreadlock though, so brushing is an absolute must. I use Ecolicious Equestrian Moisture Maniac to keep it pretty and full. It restores the deep red shine like that, plus it gets rid of the dandruff. She also gets fed vitamins and good quality alfalfa. So to get a good tail, it’s gotta be inside and out care.”

Nicole Bryan: “On my OTTB I just use Mane& Tail leave-in conditioner and Mane & Tail detangler, a very large toothed brush and start at the very very bottom of his tail and gradually work my way up. In the winter time I braid his tail and keep it up and every once in a pull it out and use a no-rinse horse shampoo. He’s not on any supplements just really good pellet grain and alfalfa/timothy hay. I have to trim his tail two times a year. I think a lot of it though has to do with bloodlines as well.” (Photo above.)

Cindy Daughenbaugh Perkins: “My Saddlebred had an incredibly thick mane that gave me headaches when I had to pull it — and no, thinning with scissors or trimming was NOT sufficient — FAR too thick. But his tail was the opposite kind of despair. It was great down to his hocks and then it just totally wimped out. He was 100% dressage with me and never had his tail cut or set. I tried everything to get it to grow — you name it, I tried it — no dice for the entire 22 years I owned him. I got at best about 100 thin strands to grow down to his fetlocks and that was it. So it’s often just heredity, folks!”

Charlotte Lucier: “This is my Morgan Kaj. I drop it once a month, wash and condition it, use a little Cowboy Magic Detangler and comb through and let dry. I tie it up while drying. Once dry I braid it with a pair of pantyhose then wrap it up in a sock until either a show or a month comes to pass.” (Photo above.)

Brittany Wheeler McKerlie: “MTG occasionally and only fingers run through his tail, no brushes.”

Anna Durant: “Free grazing and supplements.”

Kaisa Soini: “My Kodi.” (Photo above.)

Kara Shaver: “Untangle daily by hand — don’t brush or comb. Keep the dock clean and avoid shampooing or conditioning the dock as it can cause rubbing.”

Lesa Moseley: “Good nutrition and conditioners and finger combing.”

Corynne Russell (Photo above.)

Carol Thompson: “We used Mane & Tail. Braid the tail, put in a generous amount of Mane & Tail, then put in a sock. Leave it alone. And maybe once a week take it apart, comb and redo the tail.”

Heather Tompkins Keith: “My 4-year-old Gypsy Cob.” (Photo above.)

Lili Giese: “My horse’s mane and tail is naturally curly, so I just let the tail stay unbrushed. The ringlets protect themselves, so I only make sure to pull the leaves and sticks out of it. It really is the genes that determine a good tail and mane though.”

Brittany Wheeler McKerlie (Photo above.)

Mehgan Oehninger: “You can just use canola oil. But I would recommend EcoLicious Equestrian. They have a deep restore serum. My mare rubs out her mane, to the skin, on the fence. And it really helped it not only grow back, but she hasn’t managed to rub it out since because it’s stronger. Sometimes, you just have to experiment because some things work for others, and some things don’t. To reiterate, just like humans!”

Colette Rose Udvardy (Photo above.)

Kandy Bolton: “Cowboy Magic and a hard bristled body brush.”

Judy Gamboa Callsen: “Twinsies!” (Photo above.)

Carrie Torre: “Brush and detangle my horses’ tails once a week. Other than that, leave them go.”

Heather Tompkins Keith: “This is how we keep manes and tails intact!” (Photo above.)

Maxine Moscardini Cook: “I use oil conditioner packs. It takes three and I leave it on 30 minutes.”

Erica Sloan Passman (Photo above.)

Go Riding!

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