# Severely matted tail



## Jay19 (Jan 30, 2019)

So a couple months ago I got a new horse. She is a 14 year old grey quarter horse. She is in amazing condition all except for one thing. I guess the owners never groomed her tail... like ever.. it is severely matter from the bottom of the tail bone and down to the end. I can pick up the mat with one had and it’s just one giant ball of hair. I don’t want to cut it because I would have to cut her entire tail off and she would have no fly protection. I have a show coming up soon and I really want to get this mat out!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Have you tried coconut oil? People swear by that stuff. 

I've used Mane 'N Tail Detangler & it works wonders. My mare's tail was a mess last year when I got her...that stuff really worked and got all the knots/tangles out.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Go to a store of some kind Tractor Supply, Rural King, Menard's and pick up a gallon of mineral oil. It's cheap and you will use a lot of it. Pour it on and start picking. The hairs will slide apart better with oil. Just start working it in and pulling little by little with your fingers. Be patient, it will take about an hour. You will lose some hair but not a lot and your horse will still have a tail.

Once you get all of the knots out, you can wash the mineral oil out with shampoo.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Cowboy Magic and lots of it, along with time and patience. 



Slowly, very slowly, detangle the tail with your fingers and generous amounts of Cowboy Magic. It will take time, so maybe grab yourself a stool to sit on.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

A few thoughts- really any oil or detangler, people have favorites, for something bad the more oily the better. Drench and let sit for a little. Start at the bottom and do the easiest bit. A comb, even a hoofpick are good tools if you need to get in between but mostly use your fingers- WEAR GLOVES. Messy but personally I always cut myself on horse hair. Maybe I'm just weird but gloves won't hurt, even just rubber gloves are another layer, and if you're using . You do NOT need to do it all at once, just make sure what you've finished is brushed out nicely (still with oil) so it won't retangle. You WILL lose a lot of hair, but if you do it right what you are losing is hair that has already detached and just got stuck in the tangle, and the nice attached hair will stay that way (sort of like having dreads in lol).


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Mane n Tail detangler and an Oster mane n tail brush! Spray knot until it drips, squeeze it through the knot. Hold the knot in your left hand, and with the brush, start at the edge, and pull at it with the brush. You will start to pick out hairs, and eventually it will come out.
This doesn’t have to be done all at once. You can leave it and come back to it, just respray it and repeat!

Good luck!!


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## WalkTrotLope (Jan 4, 2019)

Our horse Winnie's tail was full of burrs when we bought her. It had not been brushed in probably years. We used Apple Cider Vinegar as a natural detangler because we had it around and lots of time. Good luck!


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

JuliaWhitehead said:


> Our horse Winnie's tail was full of burrs when we bought her. It had not been brushed in probably years. We used Apple Cider Vinegar as a natural detangler because we had it around and lots of time. Good luck!



That tail reminds me of the horses at the last boarding barn - and tails were deburred and brushed at least weekly :shock: But after a day they looked like your horse again...


OP, as most people have said - anything that makes the hair slippery will work. While Cowboy Magic is my favorite, it can get expensive if you need a whole bottle or two. Cheap baby oil works as well. 
And then patience is your friend.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

What everyone said is great. I like show sheen or even wd40 works. If you get exceptionally desperate you can take a knife and cut straight down through the mat. You’ll obviously lose some hair doing that, but it’s better than cutting it all off. Then go back to brushing apart from the bottom up.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I used coconut oil on my TWH and it was awesome but it took about 30 minutes to get it all out. You have to use your fingers to untangle it. Don't try to brush through it, actually separate it and comb small bits at a time. I had to go from bottom to top to side and slowly work it out. The second time I did her tail I used ManelyLongHair which is pretty amazing stuff.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Matted tails i will soak with a detangler, this can be mineral our, conditioner or whatever is to hand. 

I use a dog comb with a handle and medium teeth, 

Start at the very bottom, I put the hair across the front of my thigh and start combing. It takes time but well worth it.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Creap cream rinse mixed with warm water and poured over and squeezed through. You can do same with a detangler then like Foxhunter I put it across my leg and work it from bottom to top. You may need to do it in multiple sessions or get a friend to work with you. Even then it can take hours. Protect your hands and wear clothes that you dont mind getting dirty. Hoof pick, wide metal comb, brush with wide set ball end "bristles". Anything to gently pull hair apart. As someone mentioned most will have already detached and you are just separating that out and detangling the rest.

It doesn't take long for a horse to get like that. Weeks even days for some no burrs needed. Just depends on texture and curl factor. A couple of my drafts are horrendous about matting. One week with no care and they have dreads. The others have fine hair like silk that tangles fall out of.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Another vote for WD-40! Spray on, use the nozzle to get down in the mats as much as possible. Massage in and leave it for a day. The next day, start at the bottom and just use your fingers or hoof pick and start separating hairs (it's like untangling Christmas lights-grr). Don't plan on getting it all done in one day. You'll be tired and so will your horse. Once you have a nice tangle free tail, wash it, condition it and enjoy! If the horse seems prone to matting, after you condition it, braid it up. 

Before we get a real windy spell, I spray our manes and tails with a 50/50 mix of baby oil and gold Listerine. Detangle with my fingers and let the wind blow! It really eliminates those annoying wind knots and tangles. When the storm passes I get to spend more time riding and less time grooming.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

There are three ingredients.

1 a lot of something greasy or oily. Almost anything works, but I would stay away from silicon based sprays, they make the hair brittle and you really need a LOT.
2. a hoof pick
3. a lot of patience

My rescue came to me with a tail like a club. It took several sessions of an hour or more (she couldn't stand forever and my fingers got sore). I didn't have to cut anything.


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## humanartrebel1020 (Nov 12, 2018)

Soak the tail . Shampoo, Then take a conditioner made for humans and saturate in completely.Take your brush (not comb) and start and the ends till slick and keep working going from the bottom to the top. I use Shea Moisture Raw She Butter Extra- Moisture Detangler For my own hair and This detangler is SUPER Slippery on the hair.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Lots of oil and hand work. It will take time but its worth when it means saving her tail which I'm sure is gorgeous. Go download an episode of something on your phone and throw in some headphones and get to work.


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## GrittyGrulla (Feb 11, 2019)

I've always used PAM cooking spray for really bad mats. Sounds odd, works like a charm.


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## MissLulu (Feb 3, 2019)

I don't have any suggestions but I would love to see before and after photos.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

If the tail is just dirty and matted wash, condition, dry. Spray with WD40 and let sit then go to picking it apart.
I still prefer WD40 after all the other stuff I've tried. Plus it is cheap and almost everyone has a can of it. If you are worried about the ingredients because it is not made for horses wash it out after using.

If there is a bunch of Burdock in the mat, I prefer not to wash but pull them out dry still using the WD40 and maybe some gloves if your fingers are sensitive to the prickles. Wash and condition afterwards to clean and straighten the hair it will keep it from tangling. This is when I like to use leave in conditioner.


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## humanartrebel1020 (Nov 12, 2018)

To preserve Braid at turn out or stall rest.


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