# Help! How can I get my mare's mane and tail black?



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I have used human hair coloring on some horses. Just be carful not to let it get onto the coat on the neck, as it will stain it. I had a horse with a sunburned, bleached mane. I got a mane tamer, cut gaps in the top ridge where I pulled the mane through. I then put the coloring on it. I had to let it stand for about 45 minutes before rinsing it off. The mane tamer held the hair off the neck.

It is safer to test a small strip of hair to make sure it will color well (and safely). It will mean wasting one box as it cannot sit around while the test runs.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Allison Finch said:


> I have used human hair coloring on some horses. Just be carful not to let it get onto the coat on the neck, as it will stain it. I had a horse with a sunburned, bleached mane. I got a mane tamer, cut gaps in the top ridge where I pulled the mane through. I then put the coloring on it. I had to let it stand for about 45 minutes before rinsing it off. The mane tamer held the hair off the neck.
> 
> It is safer to test a small strip of hair to make sure it will color well (and safely). It will mean wasting one box as it cannot sit around while the test runs.


I used human hair dye, and it made the hair in her mane and tail really thin.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I think they make the darkening shampoos designed for black and dark horses don't they? Are you talking about Mystique that is all bleached out? I don't know if something like this would work or not but it is all that I could find. Maybe this in combination with a supplement like black as knight would do the trick and stop it from happening in the future.

Quic Black™ - Color Enhancing Products


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## Aoi Miku (Sep 27, 2009)

Use vegan dyes. They have no peroxide or ammonia in them, they're also a conditioner.
It washes out a bit but they're pretty cheap anyway.
Brands like Stargazer, Manic Panic, Directions etc;
They all have black.
Aswell as other colours.
I use the Sky Blue on my horse sometimes from Crazy Color. Come out amazing on White manes and tails.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

smrobs said:


> I think they make the darkening shampoos designed for black and dark horses don't they? Are you talking about Mystique that is all bleached out? I don't know if something like this would work or not but it is all that I could find. Maybe this in combination with a supplement like black as knight would do the trick and stop it from happening in the future.
> 
> Quic Black™ - Color Enhancing Products


Yeah, I'm talking about Mystique.

I've used Quic Black before (and other darkening shampoos)... They help a little with her coat, but not so much with her mane and tail.

One shampoo I've used that worked really well is Black Horse Henna, which is made by the people who make Black-As-Knight. It dyes her body black and lasts for three months, but it's really expensive so I didn't want to use it in her mane and tail.



Aoi Miku said:


> Use vegan dyes. They have no peroxide or ammonia in them, they're also a conditioner.
> It washes out a bit but they're pretty cheap anyway.
> Brands like Stargazer, Manic Panic, Directions etc;
> They all have black.
> ...


And those won't make any hair fall out? How long do they usually last?


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## QHChik (Jun 26, 2009)

the best way to keep hair from doing this is to keep them inside during the day. We had to do that with my bay gelding. We also dyed his tail black but since his mane was kept short it was never an issue. We also only dyed his tail once a year so we never had any issues with damage. One other thing is that they do make temperary spray in color that you could try. We used it on legs and scars, but I guess it would work on manes/tails too.


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## Aoi Miku (Sep 27, 2009)

Nope, they condition hair instead of damaging it.
I use Crazy Colour on myself and my horse and mines only just started fading after 3 weeks.
I always find if, everytime you bath them re apply it. You don't have to use the whole bottle at once if it's not needed.
On a Black mane it should come out really well and stay put until you either bath her (even then it stays and doesn't come out straight away) or when it rains.
If it rains and said dyed part isn't protected it'll run.
What parts do you plan on doing? Is it her whole tail and mane?


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

QHChik said:


> the best way to keep hair from doing this is to keep them inside during the day. We had to do that with my bay gelding. We also dyed his tail black but since his mane was kept short it was never an issue. We also only dyed his tail once a year so we never had any issues with damage. One other thing is that they do make temperary spray in color that you could try. We used it on legs and scars, but I guess it would work on manes/tails too.


I do keep her inside during the day (except when I'm riding her). How did you get away with only dying his tail once a year? How long did it stay black?

I have used the temporary spray for other things, but I wouldn't want to put it in her mane or tail. It seems like it would make them sticky and gross.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Aoi Miku said:


> Nope, they condition hair instead of damaging it.
> I use Crazy Colour on myself and my horse and mines only just started fading after 3 weeks.
> I always find if, everytime you bath them re apply it. You don't have to use the whole bottle at once if it's not needed.
> On a Black mane it should come out really well and stay put until you either bath her (even then it stays and doesn't come out straight away) or when it rains.
> ...


Hm... I'll give that a try then. Does it come off when you just hose him off? Or if his mane gets sweaty?

I'm planning on doing her whole forelock, the top of her mane, and the ends of her tail. The rest is already black.


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## Aoi Miku (Sep 27, 2009)

I wouldn't know if it came off when he sweats (isn't backed), and normally when I used to put it on Haruko she'd be clipped.
It doesn't come off completely it fades gradually, but after about a month or so.
It's sometimes stayed in for about 3 months before I've had to re top it completely.

Hmm, Okay.
I'd probably get about 3 bottles then.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Something like this might work too, a henna hair dye that is "all natural"

Henna Hut - Natural Black Hair Dye


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## QHChik (Jun 26, 2009)

CloudsMystique said:


> I do keep her inside during the day (except when I'm riding her). How did you get away with only dying his tail once a year? How long did it stay black?
> 
> I have used the temporary spray for other things, but I wouldn't want to put it in her mane or tail. It seems like it would make them sticky and gross.


It would stay black all through the summer. We had to dye his tail because his fake tail was always jet black and his real tail would fade during the winter when he was out all day. Max stayed in the barn during the day and we never needed to do it again. We would dye it in May (with Clairol or whatever, just jet black hair dye) and it would be fine until the first of September. 

That's probably true about the spray stuff. Like I said, we just used it to make his legs really black.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Aoi Miku said:


> I wouldn't know if it came off when he sweats (isn't backed), and normally when I used to put it on Haruko she'd be clipped.
> It doesn't come off completely it fades gradually, but after about a month or so.
> It's sometimes stayed in for about 3 months before I've had to re top it completely.
> 
> ...


Okay, sounds good. Thanks for the help!




smrobs said:


> Something like this might work too, a henna hair dye that is "all natural"
> 
> Henna Hut - Natural Black Hair Dye


I like the sound of that too. It looks like the Black Horse Henna shampoo, but WAY cheaper. I will try that as well.




QHChik said:


> It would stay black all through the summer. We had to dye his tail because his fake tail was always jet black and his real tail would fade during the winter when he was out all day. Max stayed in the barn during the day and we never needed to do it again. We would dye it in May (with Clairol or whatever, just jet black hair dye) and it would be fine until the first of September.
> 
> That's probably true about the spray stuff. Like I said, we just used it to make his legs really black.


Hm... I guess I hadn't dyed her tail with human dye since I started turning her out at night. When I dyed it before (when she was turned out during the day), it would only last for a few months. I'll try that again if the other dyes don't work out.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Sometimes adding copper to their diets can help; Especially if the 'red' is starting at the roots, it could very well be a slight deficiency of copper. My black gelding was really burnt when I got him, and over the period of 6 months, with having him on a higher copper supplement, he drastically changed. Worth a shot.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> Sometimes adding copper to their diets can help; Especially if the 'red' is starting at the roots, it could very well be a slight deficiency of copper. My black gelding was really burnt when I got him, and over the period of 6 months, with having him on a higher copper supplement, he drastically changed. Worth a shot.



She's on two supplements with copper in them - Black-As-Knight and Platinum Performance. They helped her coat a lot, but not her mane and tail.


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## SoMuchManureSoLittleTime (Jul 6, 2009)

We use Just For Men as a touch up for sun-bleached manes and tails before a show.

Easy and works well.


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## gaited horse mom (Feb 7, 2010)

CloudsMystique said:


> I've worked REALLY hard getting my mare's coat back to black... But her mane, tail, and forelock are still red. I used to dye them with human hair dye, and they would look amazing and jet black, but then I realized that the dye was SERIOUSLY thinning out her hair. Having a thick mane and tail is much more important to me than having a black mane and tail, so I stopped dying it. Is there anything else I can do to them to make them blacker? I have her on supplements and night turnout, I spray coat saver sunblock on her all the time, I use black shampoos, and I always make sure to hose off all of the sweat on her. All of those things helped with her coat, because she can shed her coat and grow it back black. But she can't just shed her mane and tail and grow them back...
> 
> 
> Any ideas?


Hi, just saw your post and I have a horse with a black mane and tail. I used human hair dye for awhile but I've been using Equine Colorshine for years and I can touch it up whenever I want. There's no peroxide in it and you don't have to rinse it out. Kinda makes the hair thicker feeling and looking. You should give it a whirl. It definitely has been a big help with my guy!


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

gaited horse mom said:


> Hi, just saw your post and I have a horse with a black mane and tail. I used human hair dye for awhile but I've been using Equine Colorshine for years and I can touch it up whenever I want. There's no peroxide in it and you don't have to rinse it out. Kinda makes the hair thicker feeling and looking. You should give it a whirl. It definitely has been a big help with my guy!


 
Thanks so much! I'll definitely give that a try.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I don't believe in dying a horse..


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

White Foot said:


> I don't believe in dying a horse..


Why? She couldn't care less and I'm not causing her any physical harm.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Well for starters, you just said it thinned your mares hair. It is a natural defense against flies. And horses are meant to be natural. Why put them through it for our aesthetic needs?


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

^^Needs such as riding and bathing and clipping such? If it does not hurt her what is the problem, and as she said, she stopped when it thinned the mane... Hey, didnt you used to be Equestriun? What happened?

Anyhoo it could very well be split ends that are red, best thing its to tirm them off, they don't hold color well at all...







*Before trim, all red and dry and scraggly with split dead ends...*









*After, shorter, but all black and healthy lookin..*


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

White Foot said:


> Well for starters, you just said it thinned your mares hair. It is a natural defense against flies. And horses are meant to be natural. Why put them through it for our aesthetic needs?


Yeah, it thinned her hair... and I immediately stopped. Now I'm looking for something natural that won't thin it out. I don't really understand why you have a problem with that.

And not that it really matters, but the length of her mane and tail was still the same when I first posted this thread. Thickness doesn't have a huge effect on her ability to get rid of flies.

Also, she's turned out with a fly sheet and a neck cover and fly sprayed daily. She's more protected against flies than any mustang out west. Natural is not always better.

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill here...


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Honeysuga said:


> ^^Needs such as riding and bathing and clipping such? If it does not hurt her what is the problem, and as she said, she stopped when it thinned the mane...
> 
> Anyhoo it could very well be split ends that are red, best thing its to tirm them off, they don't hold color well at all...
> 
> ...


 
That looks good, but I couldn't bring myself to trim it, haha... That's sacrilege to me.

It is mostly the ends, though.

Here's a picture of her:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4339302066_196ddce409_b.jpg

That shows you her forelock, but not her mane because most of it is on the other side of her neck. Her forelock is the reddest, though, between the three.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

It's just my opinion.. If you can't use most human shampoos on your horse then why would you use toxic human hair dye? I don't really care what you do, if you want to dye your horses hair and spend money on dye then by all means do it. The way I see it is they are our children that can't talk or have a say in anything. Would you dye your child's hair?


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

White Foot said:


> It's just my opinion.. If you can't use most human shampoos on your horse then why would you use toxic human hair dye? I don't really care what you do, if you want to dye your horses hair and spend money on dye then by all means do it. The way I see it is they are our children that can't talk or have a say in anything. Would you dye your child's hair?


 
They aren't toxic - they're chemical. It's quite different. And who said you can't use most human shampoos on horses?

You do a lot of things to your horses without asking their permission (riding, for one). Is that cruel?


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

I don't know about how to make it black but I think it looks pretty with the red highlights lol


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

CecilliaB said:


> I don't know about how to make it black but I think it looks pretty with the red highlights lol


Haha, thanks : ]


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

We have a product in AUS called showpony colour - Designed specifically for horses. maybe you have it/an equivalent in the US?


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> We have a product in AUS called showpony colour - Designed specifically for horses. maybe you have it/an equivalent in the US?


Is it an actual dye or just a color-enhancing shampoo?

I looked it up and couldn't really tell. But I did find that it costs $143 :shock:

I've tried using regular color-enhancing shampoos and I've tried henna shampoos. They don't seem to work that well on manes and tails.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

It's a dye. It is very expensive - though it keeps and I think you get more than one use expecially if you are only doing manes and tails.

You can et one unit of colour to do a mane and tail for $33 AUS. Not too bad. 

Here is the website: Showpony Colour


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> It's a dye. It is very expensive - though it keeps and I think you get more than one use expecially if you are only doing manes and tails.
> 
> You can et one unit of colour to do a mane and tail for $33 AUS. Not too bad.
> 
> Here is the website: Showpony Colour


 
Ohhh, I didn't see the different quantities. I was looking at the biggest size. Shipping's only $30 - not bad, coming from the other side of the world.

Do you know someone who has used it?


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Not personally. Have heard mixed reviews - Some horses react to it but you get that with everything. On horses that didn't react have only heard positive things. If you are only doing the mane and tail then you would be hard pressed to get a reaction - I'm considering getting some just for my boys tail.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> Not personally. Have heard mixed reviews - Some horses react to it but you get that with everything. On horses that didn't react have only heard positive things. If you are only doing the mane and tail then you would be hard pressed to get a reaction - I'm considering getting some just for my boys tail.


It sounds pretty good. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for the info!


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## BlackAmethyst (Oct 4, 2009)

Actually, my friend runs a breeding farm. I remember her having me dye her 5 arabian colts manes and tails for there photo shoot. She used the Naturals dye you get from wal-mart. Its stays in for 28 days and washes out. But I dont see nothing wrong in dyeing there manes and tails. Her horses didnt have any reactions to it at all!


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## BlackAmethyst (Oct 4, 2009)

or you could try the Quic Black Shampoo. We used that for like a week and it there coat and mane and tail black!!
It works, its expensive for a little bottle though. Like $13.95 for a 16 oz bottle.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks, BlackAmethyst. I'll give the Naturals dye a try first, since it's more convienant than the dye from AU. I've tried Quic Black and didn't have much luck with it. I just bought a thing of Emerald Black shampoo but I haven't tried it yet (it's been too cold). I should get a chance to sometime this week, though.


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## Maire995 (Jan 23, 2010)

HI sorry for the ignorance but i was just wondering how did your mares main and tail get red?


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Maire995 said:


> HI sorry for the ignorance but i was just wondering how did your mares main and tail get red?


The sun.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Maire995 said:


> HI sorry for the ignorance but i was just wondering how did your mares main and tail get red?


 Could be the sun, a vitamin/nutrition deficiency, split ends from too much grooming/bathing/dying... a lot of things could be the culprit.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Honeysuga said:


> Could be the sun, a vitamin/nutrition deficiency, split ends from too much grooming/bathing/dying... a lot of things could be the culprit.


 
It was the sun... She's now kept in a stall during the day and turned out at night and that stopped her mane and tail from getting any redder (and turned her coat black), but her mane and tail are still red on the ends because she can't just shed them and grow them back.

She's on two different supplements, doesn't have any split ends, and I always hose the sweat off of her.


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