# I have a question about halter horses.



## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

I am -not- huge into halter, but I imagine they don't use fake tails because they are being judged on conformation, so they want the judges to be able to see their hind end.

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, that's just the first thing I thought of that made sense. :]


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Around where I live, tail extensions are the new trend, no matter what breed or class. The stock breeds, especially. I hate it. Fake tails are obvious and just look horrendous. Why can't people just be happy with what their horse already has? Is your horse not good enough for you the way he is? 

The last open halter show I went to, almost every horse there had extensions. It was awful. You could even see where it was tied in on some of them. And it just hung there. It didn't move with the rest of the tail. The horses didn't like it, either. They were curling their tails up and just looked ****ed. The way I see it, if your horse is a real stunner, is perfectly groomed, and struts into that ring looking like a million bucks, he doesn't need fake accessories to catch the judge's eye. You have to have that show-off mentality, too. Attitude alone can win it for you.

Ending my little rant there. ;D Natural > fake tails.

Also, they band the mane short in stock breeds and sport-type horses because a short mane brings out their neck. It all depends on the breed standard.


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

I love fake tails personally, i use them on my horses


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## Liberty (Jan 18, 2009)

For Arabians (pretty much the largest halter industry) it is ILLEGAL to use fake tails in halter or performance. 

I'm an Arab expert, not an expert on any other breed really. 

But they're obvious. People need to just take care of their horses tails. Halter is about the horse's natural beauty, pretty much. It's not a "WOW. That horse has a GREAT fake tail" kind of thing. lol.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Thank you, Liberty.


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

in halter its about what the horse has so like u don`t use fske tails.


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

Im talking about AQHA APHA Halter not arabs, Some horses cant grow long tails, i would never go to a show with out one, honestly


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## tempest (Jan 26, 2009)

I don't like fake tails, but on some horses it's ok for them to have one. Only horses with rat-tails should wear one.


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

Junebug said:


> Im talking about AQHA APHA Halter not arabs, Some horses cant grow long tails, i would never go to a show with out one, honestly


 I know i always use them on my western horses and english horses like i can`t live with out them


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to live without one. In AQHA and APHA shows, yes the thing right now is fake tails for riding classes. In some of the AQHA and also schooling shows following AQHA rules, halter horses will have a fake tail in. I agree with Jessabel that it takes away from the horses hind end when you have this poofy thing hanging off their butt. I have shown without a fake tail and placed top 5 so I think it's just more a personal preference.

Around here, Showmanship/Halter are usually at the beginning of the day, so it would be pretty easy to show in those classes and then put in the tail for your riding classes. Just PLEASE make sure it's in right. We see a lot of youth riders around here with them in horribly. It looks so bad lol

As far as the mane, Jessabel was right again. It's to show off their neck.


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

i can live with out them but i normaly always use them in shows on my AQHA because, his tail is thin, and for english when you braid the tail it makes it easyer to braid and do the pinwheel and stuff on the end.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

For horses that have scrubby tails, I definitely see the benefit. I just was talking about horses who don't really need it. Generally those are the ones, IMO, that look the most obvious.


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

my horse barly has a tail because it got caught to the fence my other one is only 2 and his tail isn`t like full yet so i don`t know how his will be.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I wouldnt put a fake tail on a 2 year old. I think they look bizzare with them.


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## kershkova (Jun 25, 2008)

i don`t like fake tails


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

im not useing a fake tail on my 2 year old i just got him, but i like foaled him and halter broke him ext. because i help train and breed horses at the barn i board at so she gave him to me.


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## jxclass19 (Feb 1, 2009)

A lot of fake tails are put in very bad! And they are almost always obvious! I am not a fan at all.


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Lol, I don't think the OP's question was 'do you like fake tails?' So if you don't, please don't comment on it. It's personal preference. I think it can balance a horse out when done correctly.

Also note, all of you 'haters', that sometimes these tails look so bad because the horse's real tail is nerve blocked. Horrible? Yup. But don't blame the fake tail all the time.

I think it MIGHT be illegal for halter horses to have fake tails... correct me if I'm wrong? But I thought they weren't allowed to have any embellishments.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Sorry horseoffire, I must of misread your post.


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

Thats ok


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## bgood400 (Nov 10, 2008)

They dont put fake tails in true halter horses. I am not sure why I just know that they dont. I think it may have to deal with seeing the hind legs. I put a tail in my horse when I show in halter but that is because he is a performance horse and not a halter horse. If I owned a horse that was strictly for halter I wouldnt put a tail in it.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

That makes sense bgood. I tried to look in the AQHA rule book, but I couldn't find any mention of tails...I could have over looked it though


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

my horse isn`t a halter horse eathier


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## twogeldings (Aug 11, 2008)

I saw a fake tail in a riding class once. Trail I think...it fell out, looked ridiculous. First I couldn't figure out what was up with that horses tail. Then it became obvious.


Looked MUCH better without that dead-animal looking thing dragging half a foot behind it.


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

Spastic_Dove said:


> That makes sense bgood. I tried to look in the AQHA rule book, but I couldn't find any mention of tails...I could have over looked it though


 Yeah i use it under performance halter, but i just wanted to ask that question, idk how it truned into "do you like fake tails"?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Remember, you are talking to horse people...quite possibly the most opinionated type of people


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Spastic_Dove said:


> Remember, you are talking to horse people...quite possibly the most opinionated type of people


That is the truest statement I think I have ever heard!


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

Yeah but read the question, if you would like to spread your opinion about tail extensions start your own thread,and were you at an AQHA show when you placed top 5?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Why the hostility?


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

Let's just get back on the main topic.


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## EquitationStar (Mar 3, 2009)

If you don't mind me asking, how are fake tails put in for AQHA classes? I show Hunter/Jumper and ours are braided in but how do you keep them from falling out??


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

EquitationStar said:


> If you don't mind me asking, how are fake tails put in for AQHA classes? I show Hunter/Jumper and ours are braided in but how do you keep them from falling out??


 They braid them in with the real tail and they usually dont if put in the correct way, and ju,pers do use them you just cant tell they are very small and are short.


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## ashleym100 (Apr 23, 2009)

i thought all halter classes allowed use of fake tails......my first breed show here in bc i was told if i wanted to seriously show my apha colt i'd need to get a tail extension......he was showing in yearling halter at the time


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## ZackLover1 (May 9, 2009)

ok so I show APHA and I have placed top 10 and top 5 at the world show in halter classes with a fake tail in, and yes it was a real halter class, not a performance one, as the horses i showed in these classes ONLY showed in halter...it was put in properly and to this day, looking at the pictures, you can't tell it was fake because we didn't use the under saddle type of huge bushy tail but simply a nice, lightweight tail to make my scraggly gelding's tail look normal... those huge tails should not be used in halter as it makes it difficult for the judge to see their back leg conformation, however a smaller fake can enhance this conformation by creating a straight line to compare against...using fake tails in different classes in different ways is no differrent than using different banding and braiding techniques to enhance their neck's appearance...and people, let's give fake tails a break! i understand how one that is too big or badly put in can ruin an appearance but so can bad banding and braiding...but if everything is done properly i don't think anyone can argue with it if they don't know it's there...and as for them being ****ed off with the tail in there is a weight limit on them so i think there are worse things that our horses put up with ie- pulling manes, etc.

last thought- halter horses are about displaying natural beauty and conformation, but we are allowed to jazz them up by highlighting these natural features by cutting and banding manes, making tails proportional to hind ends (nothing worse on a halter horse than a spindly tail and a HUGE butt!), fancy halters to highlight jowles, product on their faces, etc.


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## Junebug (Jan 18, 2009)

I use a tail on my performance halter mare and i do wetsern pleasure and hunt seat and it weighs 2lbs and seriously she acts like it wasnt even there, she never swishes her tail or anything. I do agree in have a small one for halter class maybe with a round end, i love halter horses!


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## Siestasgirl16 (May 4, 2009)

I personally have seen some fake tails put in so bad that it moves in the opposite direction as the real tail. I would say that if you are going to use them, know how to use them properly. If they are done right you shouldnt be able to even see them.


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## dvlqh (Apr 27, 2009)

It isn't illegal to put a fake tail on a halter horse for AQHA. Most of the time it is done on a horse that has a thin tail. You dont want a really bushy looking one. It can be tied in and hidden well, or if you really want to go all the way you can put extensions in by doing surgical knots. It takes hours but seriously makes a wonderful looking tail on the halter horse. Also, a lot of halter people use tails to help hide little flaws with the back legs (Not perfect hocks etc.). When you are banding a horse for halter you really need to practice and know you can make the bands small and tight. It puts the final shine on all the work that you put into them.


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