# Mane n' tail, how to keep them clean?



## twogeldings (Aug 11, 2008)

Alright, so my gelding Loki has one of those lush, shoulder-length manes and tails that brush the ground. The problem is keeping the muck out of his tail and the knots out of his mane.

Should I braid his mane? I braided Sam's mane before and it worked great, except for the fact that after a day or two the bands would break. I used regular small rubber bands from the store, nothing fancy. Are there special equine bands I should use?

What about his tail? How do I keep it clean, yet functional? I don't want to bag it, he would either pull it off or one of my other geldings would do it for him.


Ideas?


----------



## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Braiding them works really well. Just make sure you keep it loose at the top of the braid so it doesn't pull out hairs and make his neck sore. You can tighten the braid as you get to the thinner part.

If your rubber bands break, try using duct tape. It works really well for me. My gelding always shakes out his tail braid, so I put duct tape around the whole little fringe part at the bottom of his tail. My mare doesn't shake hers out, so I just put one line of duct tape around the part where the rubber band would go.

Good luck : ]


----------



## DolldUpNDiamnds (Apr 14, 2009)

*Fairytail manes and tails*

Has anyone every read the book "Own a fairytail horse: How to grow a thick luxurious mane and tail" by Beth Moore? She claims she can grow your horses mane at least 4" a month. I have seem some of the horses with like 4- 5 foot manes. Here is a link for it Growing Horse Manes and Tails - Benefits. Anyone tried this or have any info on it? I would love to grow my QH one of those manes like the andalusions


----------



## MirrorStage2009 (Sep 10, 2008)

DolldUpNDiamnds said:


> Has anyone every read the book "Own a fairytail horse: How to grow a thick luxurious mane and tail" by Beth Moore? She claims she can grow your horses mane at least 4" a month. I have seem some of the horses with like 4- 5 foot manes. Here is a link for it http://www.fairytale-horses.com/free_report.htm. Anyone tried this or have any info on it? I would love to grow my QH one of those manes like the andalusions


I saw that. Seems like a scam. I mean, you don't really need a book to tell you good grooming tips, yah know? :?

The only real way to grow out a mane and tail is to keep them clean, brushed, braided and bagged and then keep your horse in a stall for most of his life. That's usually how show horses are kept. :shock:

I would love to keep TJ's mane and tail braided at least part of the time, but he's pasture boarded and I believe in letting horses be horses. When I had him braided his pasture pals nipped them off! Nooo~o!! 

Anyhoo...this is TJ when I got him. He came from being stall-kept in a posh equestrian center down south.




















Basically now I just try to maintain what he has. M-T-G is my friend in winter and during the summer I keep his mane and tail washed out and conditioned, then try to keep it brushed out and moist. Also during spring/summer I apply M-T-G during wet conditions to prevent scratches and mud build up.


----------



## Trissacar (Apr 19, 2009)

I cut the horses tails if they get too long. I just cut a GP horse's tail cuz he kept on getting poop in it. Thats the secret to my horse's long lush tail.


----------



## MyRamblingT (Apr 22, 2009)

Well, I would not recomend cutting the tail. Wow, if someone came into my barn and cut my horses tail, omg.. I would die.
Anyways, My horse is a TB but she has an unusualy long tail. It drags on the ground if I dont have it braded. In the spring, when its muddy, I just braid it up. I take it out each night when she is in her stall and rebraid it each morning before I let her out to pasture. In the winter I braid it and wrap it to keep the snow and ice out of it. I use vetwrap to wrap it but Im sure there are other ways to go about doing this. As for the mane, I dont have much expierance there. You see, I ride hunter style so my horse has her main pulled all year round, her mane is only about 3 or 4 inches long.
Well, I hope this helps a bit.


----------



## equimed (Jun 2, 2009)

The website selling the book mentioned earlier is offering MY VIDEO as a 'bonus sign up gift.'

It does not have my permission to do this.

The video value is given as '19-95'. I offer it FREE on my website.

I filmed it, I edited it, I hold the copyright, and I pay the video host for every time it is viewed.

Also reproduced is one of my most famous fotos - which is copyrighted.

I have contacted the site and asked that this be rectified. No reaction.


----------



## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

Equimed - would you care to share the video that you are talking about? Just because I'd like to see it.


----------



## equimed (Jun 2, 2009)

Of course - all my vids are free to be enjoyed. It was the sheer un-ethics of this that got to me. 

Intellectual copyright is not just a legal entity /reality, it is a very real - and emotional - thing to the creator.

Enjoy:

Spanish Horse Mane Plait


----------



## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

equimed said:


> Of course - all my vids are free to be enjoyed. It was the sheer un-ethics of this that got to me.
> 
> Intellectual copyright is not just a legal entity /reality, it is a very real - and emotional - thing to the creator.
> 
> ...



I've had copyright problems in the past with some of my photography and artwork, I completely understand that.
It looks like the website that stole your images and video was a 'work from home' scam.


----------

