[Meg n Cash 08]

My friend has a horse show the day after Halloween and she wants to get her QH's tail looking full and thick? Are there any suggestions besides hair extensions, to even give it the appearance of a thick and full tail? Thanks! Meg

[horsiehuntersam]

In this short of time, you can't really do much.

I would suggest however, for your friend to stop brushing out the tail unless it is clean and conditioned (which can be done up to once a week) and that she keeps the tail up and preferably bagged w/ MTG and coconut oil during the winter.

If she does this, re-doing the braid & bag once a week, her horse will have a GORGEOUS full tail.

[Alliekk]

Wash the tail with shampoo only, no conditioner. Then, when the tail is dry, floof it and hair spray it. Depending on the color of the horse's tail this will make it look MUCH thicker. For long term results I agree with Horsiehuntersam (that's a mouthful :P)

[taylor~paint08]

You really can't do it that quick.
But a good way to get your horses tail thick and long is, wash the tail (no conditioner) and then let it dry, brush it, and put the tail in a braid. Every couple of days wash it again and rebraid it. LEAVE the braid in.

Im doing this on my 3yr old and he is already getting a longer tail and a thicker one, but it has taken about 2-3weeks.

At the show brush it and sorta fluff it with hairsrpay. Put some show sheen in it to make it shiny and look a little thicker..

Hope this helped.

MiKayla

[Arabian1713]

I've never tried it, but I've heard that banging the tail makes it look thicker. I'll have to try those previous tips! My mare needs it!

[meljean]

Used to do this with show horse string, wash tail, and condition lightly, rinse well, then separate into 3 or 4 sections, keep one loose and use bobbles to keep others out of way.

Standing as far back as length of tail warrants, use a blow dryer and finger pick through tail, lifting one or two hairs at a time, while drying. Continue doing this until each section has been dried and picked out, do not put any pressure on tail hairs, no brush/comb. Just finger pick and blow dry. As each section is completed, take bobble and loosely take end of section and secure up towards dock, again very loosely, it should almost look like there are the bags they carry firewood in a little at time, can't think of another way to describe it, but fluffy and full.
When getting ready for show, take bobbles out, and finger fluff again, and jiggle hair as fluff, so it stands separately from the other hairs. You can take and also lightly gather ends of tail in fingers, and raise upwards and gently shake so hairs separate.

You can use hair spray, but spray on inside, as you fluff, very lightly, not on outside as that tends to make hair heavier, but spraying the inside as you fluff up, or finger pick, and don't soak hair with spray, will help it stay full.

Also, someone can stay beside as go into ring, and hold ends of tail, and then as horse begins to move to gate, give tail a light toss, to let wind/movement fluff it up.

Don't know what friend shows in, so may not let someone carry tail to ring, but it is normal for Saddlers.

[Quick2Skip01]

Originally Posted by taylor~paint08

You really can't do it that quick.
But a good way to get your horses tail thick and long is, wash the tail (no conditioner) and then let it dry, brush it, and put the tail in a braid. Every couple of days wash it again and rebraid it. LEAVE the braid in.

Im doing this on my 3yr old and he is already getting a longer tail and a thicker one, but it has taken about 2-3weeks.

At the show brush it and sorta fluff it with hairsrpay. Put some show sheen in it to make it shiny and look a little thicker..

Hope this helped.

MiKayla

I would advise against NOT conditioning the tail at all in regular maintenance. Shampoo strips the natural oils from the tail, and raises the cuticle of the hair shaft (think shingles on a roof thats what the cuticle looks like.) If you DONT condition, you are leaving those shingles raised (thats what conditioner does, it smoothes out the cuticle) and making the tail more prone to knotting, tangling, (even if its braided.)

You will get more tail growth by conditioning the tail when you wash it

I personally do not wash the tail at all in the winter. I MTG every week, only take the tail bag/wrap down when I have to, and then I moisturize with Healthy Haircare Moisturizer or coconut oil.

[taylor~paint08]

Originally Posted by Quick2Skip01

I would advise against NOT conditioning the tail at all in regular maintenance. Shampoo strips the natural oils from the tail, and raises the cuticle of the hair shaft (think shingles on a roof thats what the cuticle looks like.) If you DONT condition, you are leaving those shingles raised (thats what conditioner does, it smoothes out the cuticle) and making the tail more prone to knotting, tangling, (even if its braided.)

You will get more tail growth by conditioning the tail when you wash it

I personally do not wash the tail at all in the winter. I MTG every week, only take the tail bag/wrap down when I have to, and then I moisturize with Healthy Haircare Moisturizer or coconut oil.

I've gotten told many ways to do it and yes usually I do shampoo and conditioner in the tail I have just heard from other people to not use it, so thank you. But usually I use both, but the braiding does help to get the tail full and long lol.
I'm doing this on my 3rd old now lol

[Quick2Skip01]

Originally Posted by taylor~paint08

I've gotten told many ways to do it and yes usually I do shampoo and conditioner in the tail I have just heard from other people to not use it, so thank you. But usually I use both, but the braiding does help to get the tail full and long lol.
I'm doing this on my 3rd old now lol

Oh, I read the last post and thought you said you were not conditioning the tail.

I agree that braiding, and keeping the tail up also helps greatly