# Does anyone else have problems with witch's stirrups



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I was just wondering if anyone else had trouble with witch's stirrups, also known as hag-knots, in their horse's mane? How have you found is the best way to deal with it? Do you brush it out, use detangler, etc.?
Here are some pix if you don't know what I am talking about. Neither of these horses are mine, they are just pix I found on the web.
















In case anyone is interested in knowing how they got their name, keep reading.



> In the Middle Ages, it was said that this clairvoyant power of horses made them a special target for witches and faeries to steal them from their stables and fields.
> 
> 
> They believed the witches tied "hag knots" in the horses manes to help them hold on while they "hag rode" them to coven meetings.Then they brought them back, sweating and exhausted, just before dawn.
> ...


Some of the old range cowboys used to believe in this as well. If the horses tied to a picket began to cause a fuss, whinnying and stomping, there were some cowboys who would refuse to check on them due to the belief that witches were trying to ride them away. These cowboys believed that if the witches were caught, the witch would put a hex on the cowboy and his horse causing bad luck and eventually death.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I keep the mane shorter thusly knots are less likely. I'd roach if I could. ( hubby won't allow it) If the mane is that long, I'd suggest braiding it...I don't know how else to keep the knots from forming, other than brushing everyday (but that can be damaging too)

Cool story though. I have lucky rocks/ holey rocks all around my house. We collect them everytime we're at the creek!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

That is a really great story! 
My Saro gets them, she isn't taken out and brushed, conditioned and messed with as much as the horses we ride. She has a long full mane so it gets to be a mess sometimes. The others have short thin manes so its not as easy to knot up. 
Vida's used to do it but I mess with hers often enough and keep leave in conditioners on it. It stays pretty knot free. 
I guess the witches and fairies really like riding my Pretty Saro :lol:


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I've used WD-40 and a lot of time to remove some pretty nasty knots.

(Don't listen to Amy!!! She's the Roaching Queen)


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## aintgotnone (Dec 14, 2008)

Interesting stories of the name.

I like Eqyss Avocado Conditioner. Spray on the mane and let set awhile. Then I start with a couple of strands of hair at a time and they slide out of the knot.

It really doesn't take long at all!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

My app gelding has gotten these.
It's always just one and about halfway down his mane.

He really has it all knoted/twisted up but it takes about 5 minutes to get it out (with a lot of conditioner too!)

My other 2 don't get it. Vega's mane is too short and Montana's is at a good length.


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

Stella gets those sometimes and I just work at them with a metal curry comb. If they're really bad, I've used our dog's de-matter thing.


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

I love long manes and tails, and insist that all mine have them. Yes even the broodmares! I have found that if the horses manes start to do this I trim off the dead ends (about two inches or so) put in some cowboy magic detangler, comb through and this stops it for about 6 months or longer. If you have dry manes you may need to add some leave in conditioner to the hair.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

Id braid the manes, not a tight braid but enough to avoid it from happening. I show so mine get chopped but when I had my mini I would braid and then brush and re braid like every week.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

They are called witches knots where I am originally from and Fairies knots where I now live.

I have always been familiar with the legend but have never read it, so thank you for posting it

I have four horses and the only one that has ever gotten witches knots is my Bay Arab. He's the smallest as 13.3H and I've always half joked that "they" must like him the best because he's short

I always pick the knots out by hand - one hair at a time:shock: 

My Arab loves to be fussed with, so the only impatient person during the hair de-tangling event is me


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Ack, I dislike those immensely! :evil: I don't usually have a problem with them, but when Daytona's mane was longer, she'd get them. Usually keeping it short helps prevent them.  As they can be a hassle to 'un-knot'.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Although keeping mine in braids would not work because they are all turned out to pasture and there are too many things for the braids to get caught on. I will have to get some detangler or try the wd-40.  And roaching is not an option, I have mustangs and I like their manes to look the way they would naturally. I let them grow as long as they will.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

:lol: you guys are funny :lol:

I'm surprised my horse's natural dreads have not become knots. I showsheen my guys's mane 1-2 week. Not sure if it makes a difference because even when I don't use that stuff, it makes no difference. Do you find it happens more with thinner vs the thicker manes?


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

It's so weird b/c my one TB has an incredibly long, wavy mane and he hardly ever gets knots and I hardly have to brush it, whereas my Arab gets these ALL THE TIME even when I groom him daily! And his mane isn't as long, nor is it wavy. So weird! And thanks for sharing the legend! I had never heard it before.


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

My2Geldings said:


> :lol: you guys are funny :lol:
> 
> I'm surprised my horse's natural dreads have not become knots. I showsheen my guys's mane 1-2 week. Not sure if it makes a difference because even when I don't use that stuff, it makes no difference. Do you find it happens more with thinner vs the thicker manes?


All my horses have long manes, some are thick and some are thin. The only time I have knots is when they start to develope "dead ends". I trim these off and no more knots!


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## zanytactics (Sep 8, 2007)

cowboy magic detangler and shine,....works awesome...also can try show off time's know-knott.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Machine Oil or MTG most definately... I've gotten many, many ''witch's stirrups'' (lol) out of horses names and tails using Machine Oil and a human comb.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

None of my horses have ever gotten them. I use Mane & Tail Detangler on their manes and tails, it helps a lot. 
Once Athena's tail was so long it dragged on the ground, but after being turned out with a few flirty geldings, her tail was chewed off all the way to her hocks. :evil: I used the M&T Detangler all winter and kept her tail braided every day, and by spring her tail had fully grown back -all the way to the ground. 

Even though my horses don't get them, many of our boarders horses get them. Those suckers are hard to get out at times.


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## CallieMae (Oct 28, 2008)

Lots of horses I know get those knots all the time! Up here, though, they've usually been called wind knots...Until recently. Some lady out in the boondocks says bigfoot (along with his family, of course) followed her from Maine (or is it Wisconsin? lol) when she moved up here! She claims that he comes at night and braids her horses manes (AKA: the witches/faerie/wind knots) and leaves her "stick signs" (AKA: Sticks laying next to each other when there were no sticks there hours ago) in her driveway. The funny thing is, this lady is DEAD serious about it. They wrote up an article in our local paper (which included pics of the 'bigfoot braids' and 'stick signs'). We all laughed pretty hard! So now whenever our horses have those knots, we're like "Oh, it looks like bigfoot came to visit!" haha...Just thought some of you might find that laugh-worthy, lol. I know our whole town did!


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