|
A beautiful shiny tail will help to draw attention to your horse.
At shows one of the things a judge will look at is whether the tail of
your horse is clean and whether it is presented correctly for that showing
class. This page looks at a number of items that you need to know
about your horse's tail - anatomy, how to wash it, how to plait it and how
to trim it.
How to Wash a
Tail
So before washing - you MUST have a good conditioner on hand - not a cheap
one. Hair washing and health is all about the conditioner - you can have a
cheap shampoo but the conditioner must be good . Best Buy - PANTENE. Don't
waste your money on horse shampoos and conditioners - get a huge bottle of
Pantene (or an equivalent human brand like Fructis or Schwarzkopf) - if
you're feeling rich get the shampoo too but a cheapie shampoo is fine.
Next rinse the tail thoroughly - preferably with a hose but a bucket is
good for soaking poo out, personally I think sponges are useless - ever
wash your own hair with a sponge? Only once the entire tail is thoroughly
wet can you put any shampoo in - do not scrub! Start at the top and a good
measure of shampoo all the way down the tail. Squeeze it into the tail
rather than scrubbing - you don't want to mess it up or break the hairs
remember. Then go back to the top - use your fingers to gently work the
shampoo into the tail - you need to get all the scurf out - use your
fingertips. The slipperiness of the shampoo will help you to begin to
untangle and the hairs at the top should be a bit shorter anyway. Rinse
often - you may need to apply shampoo 3-4 (or more times) to get the tail
really clean and work on little areas if it is quite poo-ey. When working
on the long hairs and bottom of the tail use a squeezing motion to push
the shampoo through the tail rather than scrubbing which will tangle and
break the hairs.
Once it is all clean and rinsed thoroughly - condition. Simply run lots of
conditioner all through the tail from top to bottom - again use your
fingertips and the slipperiness of the conditioner to start to untangle -
but don't rush it. Again squeeze the conditioner through - use gentle long
strokes on the longer hairs to make sure every hair is well coated with
conditioner. Leave it for several minutes. Rinse thoroughly - as you are
rinsing use the water to help untangle - gently swishing the tail free of
conditioner and tangles.
Allow to dry naturally - use your fingertips to very gently part tangles -
use a very wide tooth comb (afro combs are the best) to help - but NEVER
pull on a knot. If you've never washed before you may get 50-70% of the
way there - be happy with that and leave it. Repeat the whole process the
next day\week to get a completely tangle free glossy tail. Each time the
tail will be easier and the conditioner will help keep it tangle free and
clean - it'll also make it stronger
Tips - NEVER use hot water to wash or rinse - warm or lukewarm is ok but
cold is best for the final rinse (the scales on the hair follicle will lie
flat and make the hair look shinier). A little cider vinegar in the last
rinse before conditioning will ensure all shampoo is removed. Never
brush a tail and try to leave it completely alone between washes.
The more you fuss with it the more the hairs will break.
|
