# how can i turn my horse's brown tail to flaxen tail?



## saddlebredgirl6 (Jul 29, 2012)

I have a chestnut horse with a brown tail. It has a few gray/white strands in it. I want to get his tail lighter and I would love for it to be a flaxen color with a few brown streaks. I have tried lemon juice to lighten the color but that hasn't helped. Are their any homemade remedies of products that I could use to lighten his tail? Thanks.


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## saddlebredgirl6 (Jul 29, 2012)

would bleach work? could that harm the tail?


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## sommsama09 (Oct 28, 2010)

Why don't you just accept the horse as he is? Does colour really matter? Just my opinion - not my horse. Dont mean to sound rude - just curious :wink:


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

What's wrong with his tail as it is? My chestnut has a red mane and tail, and I think they're quite attractive.

Besides, if you try and lighten it, you may damage the hair, especially if you continue doing it as the hair grows out.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Just like our hair, coloring and bleaching it makes it weaker. They swat flies with their tail. If the hair is weak and brittle, it would break off and they can't swat flies as well.
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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

saddlebredgirl6 said:


> would bleach work? could that harm the tail?


Please don't try anything involving bleach and instructions from the Internet to change the color of your horse's tail. There's a huge amount that can go wrong in a very big way.
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Maybe get extensions and put in the tail for different color
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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I would think that peroxide is your answer, but you absolutely will damage the hair doing this. Also, you need to protect the rest of your horse very well. You don't want that peroxide getting around the anus especially. Also, I would coat the underside of his tail with something. Maybe vaseline? I don't know. Ask a hairdresser if that would work.

Seems like a lot of work and then it's going to grow out anyway. Personally, I wouldn't do it.

Edited to add: I really like the extensions idea from usandpets. Much safer and, more versatile too. You can change the colours according to your mood!


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## saddlebredgirl6 (Jul 29, 2012)

*Flaxen Tail Reply*

I do love my horse they way his tail is now. I was just wondering if their were any non-harmful ways I could make his tail lighter. If his tail could be lighter, great, but if their isn't a way then that is perfectly okay. I asked about bleach because I didn't know how it would treat it. Now I know not to use it. Thank you for your replies.


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## saddlebredgirl6 (Jul 29, 2012)

Speed Racer said:


> What's wrong with his tail as it is? My chestnut has a red mane and tail, and I think they're quite attractive.
> 
> Besides, if you try and lighten it, you may damage the hair, especially if you continue doing it as the hair grows out.


Nothing is wrong with his tail as it is now. He is a big show horse and flaxen tails are very rare. I was just wondering if he could get that look also. But, since there is too much of a chance of harming it, I don't want to take that risk.


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

saddlebredgirl6 said:


> Nothing is wrong with his tail as it is now. He is a big show horse and flaxen tails are very rare. I was just wondering if he could get that look also. But, since there is too much of a chance of harming it, I don't want to take that risk.


since he is a show horse, I would think, tha altering his color, would be a big no no.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

If he has silver shot through his tail? You can wash/rinse it in White Mink shampoo for people, it is usually at wrongmart on top shelf, and is in grayish bottles with pink tops, and is for women who have gray/silver hair and helps to take the yellowish tint out of it. Doesn't dye it per se, just brightens the silver strands.

I used to use it on WC French Commander when I groomed Saddlers. It also seemed to leave the hairs so that when fingerpicked out after washing, they were more "separate" and left a really full tail.

It really made his tail, which was tremendously long anyway, glisten in the lights of the ring.

But, if your horse is in training, the grooms should be doing all of this, not you, unless you are grooming for training barn your horse is at? Trainer may not want you messing with groom's business?


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Palomine said:


> But, if your horse is in training, the grooms should be doing all of this, not you, unless you are grooming for training barn your horse is at? Trainer may not want you messing with groom's business?


Do most training barns have dedicated grooms? :shock:


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

verona1016 said:


> Do most training barns have dedicated grooms? :shock:


Maybe at upper level barns.

I was thinking, if your horse is at a barn that has a dedicated groom, you probably own a pretty expensive horse and wouldn't even think of changing their hair color. If you can afford a barn like that, you probably could go buy another horse with the colors you want. Not trying to be mean, but just saying.
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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

I don't know much about other breed shows, but at appaloosa shows, changing the color of any part of the horse is not allowed.
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