# saddlebred tail harnesses good or bad?



## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Iv heard about them and have seen a few. They look pretty bad. Are they ment to slowly break the tail? My friend who is into arabians has told me that the harness holds the dock straight up slowly breaks it and re-heals into that position. The harnesses I have seen do hold the dock straight up. I was also told that the horse gets "used" to the pain. I would love to be more educated in this subject, do they break the tail orrr?
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## tempest (Jan 26, 2009)

The harness itself doesn't break the tail. What I believe goes on is that someone will break the tail and then set it in the harness so that it will heal in the designated position. Even after the tail heals, it must continue to be put in the harness to help keep its shape otherwise it falls to the side.


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## lv2kyshowtrot (Jun 30, 2010)

I have owned saddlebreds and With all my horses I have used a tailset.
They do not hurt the horse nor break the tail.

You can get the tail cut when there young if you want to, So when there tails are in the set it will heal that way but you also can just keep a tail set on them all the time and eventually there tail will be trained to stay up like that. I have done this with many horses and you have to keep it on for a couple years then after they should be fine but also you may want to put the tail set back on them when they are being shipped.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks! That helps alot
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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Oh lord, no. The tail is not broken. I am at a horse show right now, and on my phone, so I cannot properly get the information to you properly. If I don't respond by Sunday, shoot me a PM and I will explain all you want.
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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm not fond of them. I saw a bunch of Saddlebreds at a horse expo recently that all had tail sets on. They looked rather uncomfortable and stiff and they had a wild look in their eyes. Now, it might not even have had anything to do with the tail sets, but that's what it looked like to me. Maybe the horses were mistreated at home, or maybe the equipment wasn't fitted properly. I don't know enough about saddleseat to tell the difference.

I was under the impression that saddleseat horses were supposed to have naturally high tail carriage. Tail sets look terribly restrictive to me. But again, I know nothing about Saddlebreds.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Jessabel said:


> I'm not fond of them. I saw a bunch of Saddlebreds at a horse expo recently that all had tail sets on. They looked rather uncomfortable and stiff and they had a wild look in their eyes. Now, it might not even have had anything to do with the tail sets, but that's what it looked like to me. Maybe the horses were mistreated at home, or maybe the equipment wasn't fitted properly. I don't know enough about saddleseat to tell the difference.
> 
> I was under the impression that saddleseat horses were supposed to have naturally high tail carriage. Tail sets look terribly restrictive to me. But again, I know nothing about Saddlebreds.


Saddlebreds have naturally high tail carriage like Dobermans have ears that stand up naturally. I'm in a rush, so I can't explain fully, but the tails are not broken at all. A tiny incision is made in the underside of the tail and the ligament that holds the tail down is cut. The horse still has 100% full use of its tail, and they can still clamp it down if they want to... the only difference is that when the tail is relaxed it stands up instead of down.

All Saddlebreds look a little crazy, haha. It has nothing to do with mistreatment or an uncomfortable tail set. If you saw a tail set being put on a horse you would see that every measure is taken to make them comfortable. And they're only put on after the tail is cut and a few weeks before shows. They don't wear them their whole lives.

I've gotta go now - I'll let LadyDreamer explain further.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I know nothing about tail harnesses so can't comment on that, but dobermans do not have naturally standing ears, they have to be cropped to stand.


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## Azale1 (Jul 5, 2010)

I used to work for several different large Saddlebred barns when I lived back in KY. Their tails stay up because they have their tails cut. Just as has been stated before. But before they are cut they do NOT carry their tails high. They carry their tails just like every other horse. Also they stay in the tail sets 24/7 whether showing or not. Before being cut and not. The only time they are not in the set is when they are being worked. Then they go right back in.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

haviris said:


> I know nothing about tail harnesses so can't comment on that, but dobermans do not have naturally standing ears, they have to be cropped to stand.


That was my point, haha.
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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

Ok, I get it!


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## phoenix (Jun 7, 2010)

I hate them, i worked in a saddlebred barn and some of the show horses wore sets; most of the horses with sets on would get rubs and sores on the underside of their tails. As already explained the tails are cut and heal in the sets, if this isn't done right by a licensed professional it can have horrible results, one horse at our barn had her tail done and it was botched so her tail ended up this little curled up horrible looking thing that she couldn't move.

Someone said that the horses have full use of their tails, this is right as long as the tails aren't wrapped and in the set. With the set on the tail stays still so really 24/7 the horse has no use of its tail to swat flies.

I personally think they're awful.


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

They sound horrible! and cruel!!


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