# Maintaining the mane and tail?? (REPLY SOON)



## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

You could use a leave-in conditioner either for horses or humans. We use Aussie leave-in conditioner for the horses manes and tails.


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Do a hot oil treatment on it. I put them in, wrap in saran wrap then vet wrap and bag, leave in for a good long while then shampoo and condition. Silk therapy for human hair works wonderfully for fly sways as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cowgirl101 (Oct 12, 2010)

1.Bush mane&tail
2wash them good
3.Bush again
4.Cut her mane&tail to the length you want

You need to wash and bush the mane&Tail. With leave in or some good soap. I had some problem.


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## CharliGirl (Nov 16, 2009)

I would drench it in conditioner--like 2-3 handfuls of the stuff. Let it sit on her wet tail for at least 10 minutes, then rinse it really well. Once the tail is semi-dry, use your fingers to gently comb through it. This works to get my horse's tails silky and tangle-free.


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## WalnutPixie (Oct 15, 2010)

Here are a few simple things I do to take care of my horses mane and tail. It makes her hair long and silky smooth. 

-Every month or so I give her mane and tail a thorough washing with a horse shampoo designed to whiten (because her tail is white.) When I do this, I am careful not to scrub too harshly so that the hair is not damaged.

-Once the shampoo is washed out, I use a hair mask made for people. I discovered it because it works very well on my own hair, making it soft and shiny. It does the same for my horse.
(the brand I use is 'Nutrogena triple moisture; deep recovery hair mask.' It is a bit expensive, but it's consentrated so it lasts for a while. You could try similar off brand products, or even a suave conditioner if you need something cheep) 

-With the hair mask on, I gently brush the hair with my fingers. Many people have advised not to brush hair when it is wet, because it is weaker and more easily broken. However, I find that if I am careful and only use my fingers, there is minimal damage to the hair. 
By brushing it while the hair mask is in, it gives the product more time to work it's magic and it also makes it extremely easy to remove tangles. 
When I finish I rinse it all out.

-Once the hair dries, I work a leave-in horse conditioner into the hair with my fingers. There are lots of products available, but I am partial to cowboy magic. I find that it smells good (unlike some horse hair conditioners) and it stays in the hair for a very long time. It also helps to prevent the hair from becoming tangled again, which I really like. Just don't use too much, because a little bit goes a long way.
This step is what really makes my horses mane and tail shine. It looks beautiful and healthy.

-For maintenance, I would recommend only brushing your horses mane and tail with your fingers. If a comb comes into contact with a small tangle it will break the hairs and leave you horse looking frizzy. But your fingers would feel the tangle so that you can stop and work it out. 
I also reapply more conditioner when I feel the hair is becoming dry. 


Feew! Sorry that took so long, I'm not sure what you already know. I hope this helps!


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## ErikaLynn (Aug 3, 2010)

Spray it with Canter Mane and Tail Detangler

Dover Saddlery | Carr & Day & Martin Canter Mane and Tail .

It works great, I use it all the time. It keeps the mane and tail soft for a long time too.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I don't have that problem with my current horse, her mane is almost too silky, get tangled soo easily, but I refuse to trim it as she's an Arabian. With horses in the past, I use a very concentrated conditioner human works just as good as horse stuff. I wash gently, with soap, then rinse and put conditioner in. I normally do this while I'm washing the legs of the horse, so the conditioner has time to set, but I'm still doing something, cause I get bored easily lol. Once I'm done with the legs, I rinse the tail out, then use something like cowboy magic if it is still a bit tangled, and I brush and braid the tail, and then I put it in a tail bag to help keep a lot of dirt from drying out the tail. I will take it out every couple/few days, and use more cowboy magic, or show sheen (I prefer cowboy magic) brush it, and then after riding or whatever I'll rebraid it and bag it. The night before a show, I make sure that it gets nice and conditioned, and again I'll bag it. I like to get to the barn early before a show to do last minute touch ups, and I'll unbag the tail, rinse it a bit, I personally don't like the frizzy been braided forever look, put a little more conditioner in, and do a light brushing.


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