# Washing tails - How often is too often?



## Haley (Aug 18, 2009)

My mare's tail gets washed about 4x a month, because we show. It's never dried out, in fact conditioner helps keep hair moisturized. 

I don't pull out hair while shampooing so I really don't know about that question.  I just was her tail with EZ All Total Body Wash that you put in their foamer.. I've found it actually gets them cleaner than the traditional way.


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

I was my horses' tails once in a blue moon. I don't see the harm in doing it every few weeks though.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I have washed and conditioned once a week before and never have had any issues.


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## catandminot (Feb 18, 2009)

CloudsMystique said:


> Can they dry out like their body does if you bathe them too much?


Yes, tails can get dried out if you wash them too frequently. The shampoo strips the oils of the hair and can cause breakage. (Not a good thing since many people aim for long and thick tails)... 



CloudsMystique said:


> I like to shampoo and condition my mare's tail (without bathing her whole body) every couple of weeks. Do you think it's okay to do it more often? Or should I be doing it less often?


For example, my Thoroughbred/ Percheron mare has really dry skin,-- especially in the winter-- and I can only wash her tail once a month at most. When I do wash it, I use Mane and Tail Dandruff Shampoo (found in a local Sally Hansen's store actually!  ) and then condition heavily with the Mail and Tail Dandruff Conditioner. The rest of the time I usually don't do anything to it. At most I may put it in a tail bag in the winter to keep it a little more manageable with her thick Percheron hair, but that's it.

In your case I think that every couple weeks would be fine. It really depends on the horse though. Just watch the moisture level of his tail and then adjust from there. If it's too dry, don't wash it so often. If it is fine, keep doing what you are doing.



CloudsMystique said:


> Also, in your experience, does it make a tail thinner by pulling out hairs while you're shampooing it? Or does it make it thicker by making it less likely to get tangled and pulled out?


It honestly depends on the horse. For example, I don't lose that much hair when washing my tb/perch mare. Actually her hair probably does better being washed, just because she has so much of it. However, my palomino quarter horse mare has a lot thinner hair and tends to lose a lot of it (mane and tail) when bathing. I noticed it the last few times I have bathed her, and I just have to be really careful with it.


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

Wow, I have never washed any of my horses tails.... Brush them yes, but never shampoo them...


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

I wouldn't say you need to shampoo a horse's tail every few months unless it's for a specific purpose. I've found that just using some spray on conditioner and brushing the tail out is just as good as shampooing it (as far as maintaining cleanliness, unless it's muddy or something), and that way you're not washing anything off of the hair, like the natural oils.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks for the replies everybody!




ChevyPrincess said:


> Wow, I have never washed any of my horses tails.... Brush them yes, but never shampoo them...


You don't shampoo their manes and tails when you bathe them?


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

On a side note I use alot of products that I used to use as a dog groomer; products that are designed to not strip the 'good oils' from the coat, but cleanse well. When I had dogs (recently moved, and had to place them in new homes) I had to maintain cleanliness on them well, due to allergies I had to them; so I spent more on good quality products, and felt better on being able to use them on a weekly basis. My poodle had a full show coat too, and he looked fantastic. Heck, showdogs are sometimes bathed on a daily basis, depending on the shows, and how dirty they get, and how much of a clean up they need prior to stepping into the ring. So there are products out there that won't ruin your horse's skin and coat quality. I'm giving my horse a quick bathe pretty much every week, because the dust and dirt that builds up due to the wind storms in my area. She seems to enjoy it, and she's not dry in the least. Race horses are bathed everyday, sometimes twice a day depending on their workout schedule. 

One of my faves is Dynamic Duo, and I love Coat Handler products as well.


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

mom2pride said:


> On a side note I use alot of products that I used to use as a dog groomer; products that are designed to not strip the 'good oils' from the coat, but cleanse well.


What a good idea!


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## HorseLove4ever (Apr 21, 2009)

well usually a day before i show, i give my horse a bath and wash his tail. i use my own shampoo and conditioner (works like a dream!) L'oreal vive pro smooth intense for dry rebellios hair thats thick. comb it out, moisturize like mad lol and braid it and throw it in a tail bag. i usually have a lot of shows and i havent noticed any change in the oils in his tail. but if you find that she is losing hair while you are washing, try brushing her tail very carefully before you wash it =] hope i helped!


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## Julia is horse (Sep 6, 2009)

im trying to grow out a longer and thicker tail on my horse, so i apply MTG and sulfur powder mixed with vaseline avery 2 or three days it workd magic but it gets greasy so then i wash it maybe every week or when i have time, yes a tail can get dried out but it wont if you apply a moisturizing conditioner. i use mane and tail or vetrolin than any good conditioner(even human conditioner works like garnier fructise)=) and then i give the tail and mane a few days break from the sulfur and mtg then i reapply it and repeat the process again. my mare has grown maybe 3 inches of hair in about a month!


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