# Products for a thicker, longer tail



## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

I have recently bought a cob and she has really thick mane hair and lots of feathers. Her tail is real thin though, not sure if thats how it is or if its been rubbed or brushed out by previous owners.horses.
Anyway my question is, what products are good for encouraging hair growth?
At the minute I'm using pig oil on it and it seems to be helping a bit. I have heard shapeleys original mtg is good but its hard to get hold of in the UK.
Any suggestions?
Anyone got before and after pics?

Here's a pic of Shoop's tail...the challenge is to get it thicker and longer!

This is the day that we bought her...









And this is after a couple of weeks...


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## bhorselover (Aug 28, 2011)

Mane & Tail shampoo and MTG


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I use this EVERY time I brush it. No silicone to dry it out, and smells good, unlike MTG. Also very cost effective.
Hair Moisturizer - Shine & Condition from SmartPak Equine

Found out about it at a reining barn, and if you know what their manes and tails generally look like.......


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*cobs tail*

has your cobs tail been cliped out.
we cliped ours out and his mane and leting it grow.
when we got him his tail was thin and matted but he has a tail and a half growing now and his mane is starting to lay over.
i use absabine i think i have spelt it right and there shampoo super poo as i have a gray pony as well.
just cut it so its about just below the hock and it should grow through.


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

I use the vet wrap method on both my mares, plus wash/condition each time I redo the wrap (probably every 6-12 weeks). After it's washed and dried I put MTG in, then wrap. Occasionally I'll throw some mane & tail moisturizing stuff in there. My pony started with her tail right at her hip before where her leg actually starts, a whispy little thing. ~6 months later it's THICK and nearly to her fetlocks. 

vet wrap method





you can find MTG online, not sure about shipping charges, but I am sure there's other websites that carry it cheaper
Shapley's Original M-T-G - First Aid Supplies from SmartPak Equine


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## sewsmarty (Jul 17, 2010)

*Farriers formula*

I feed farriers formula just for my horses hair...it makes it noticeably thicker...I use the regular not double strength...it is awesome plus helps their feet a lot....


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Vet wrap is great-IN THE WINTER, and I will not ride mine with it. I have geldings, and they are do not look kindly to a vet wrapped bundle of tail hitting them between the legs with every stride. Plus, they need their tail for flies in summer.


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## ChelseaNoyon (Apr 6, 2013)

I agree with franknbeans, not a big fan of vet wrap myself (my horses really aren't either). And they NEED their tails in the summer. 
I personally swear by my method of braiding every winter, all winter long. I find the time when they wreck their tail most is in the winter (from mud, wet, etc). I also use a detangler every time I brush them. I normally use showsheen since it's pretty cheap when buying in bulk and you need very little of it. I also swear by the Oster mane & tail brush. Buy one if you don't already use one. They are super effective in getting rid of tangles and pull out very little hair, if any. I also don't wash unless absolutely necessary. I find shampoo strips the hairs of their natural oils and makes them more brittle, causing more breakage. I only wash before a show or major event, or if their tails are exceptionally dirty in the winter. All three of my horses have beautiful, thick tails. One of them had a pretty average tail when we got her, quite broken at the ends and thinning. After a while with me her tail is now one of the first things people comment about her and it's only getting thicker. I can hardly wrap my hand around it it's so thick and, after leaving it in a braid for this last winter, I literally had to take 6 inches off and it still touched the ground. I've also never used a growth product, except fresh ground flax seeds which are high in omega-3's and help hair quality. 

These are just some of my opinions. Good luck with your mare, I think time will make all the difference! (And sorry for my long post, I like to talk!)

I also attached some before and after pics since you asked for some (they're the best I could crop up from what I have).


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Mine are braided and vet rapped all winter too, it really does help, and yes-that is the perfect brush, and a MUST for every grooming kit, IMO. Showsheen has silicone, though, so that will tend to dry it out......beautiful tail tho! About the same as my guys-just a different color. I just took it out for spring and had to cut it, which I always have a tough time with, but, better to cut than to step on.


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## ChelseaNoyon (Apr 6, 2013)

franknbeans said:


> Mine are braided and vet rapped all winter too, it really does help, and yes-that is the perfect brush, and a MUST for every grooming kit, IMO. Showsheen has silicone, though, so that will tend to dry it out......beautiful tail tho! About the same as my guys-just a different color. I just took it out for spring and had to cut it, which I always have a tough time with, but, better to cut than to step on.


Yeah, I suppose that is one thing to consider, the showsheen drying out the hair if their tail's already brittle... I hear vetrolin may be a good alternative but I've never tried it. I've never had a problem, I don't brush their tails so often to dry them out but if your're in the heavy show season it just might do that... I had a big problem with cutting her tail off, it was beautiful dragging the ground!


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

Well that's a lot of advice thanks! I'm gonna give it a go and see if I can't get a nice tail. Love the before and after pics, that is a gorgeous tail!


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

Anyone use pigoil?


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

That must be something unique to "over there"? Never heard of the stuff, but sounds yukky.


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## ChelseaNoyon (Apr 6, 2013)

emmasacha said:


> Anyone use pigoil?


There is no need to be negative franknbeans if you've never heard of it... I myself have never used pig oil, however, unless you've used it before and know what you're doing, I don't advise trying it. It's named "pig" oil only because it is used on pigs for mud fever, hair loss, etc. As we all know, pigs have a tuff hide and horses do not. Pig oil has been commonly known to cause many skin conditions in horses if ever in contact, such as burning, splits/cuts, gaping holes in the skin, puss, and sores. I believe it has a high level of sulphur in it, causing these injuries. Someone posted that they tried it on their pony's mane, trying to encourage his hair growth, and burned his withers badly from it causing him a lot of pain and they regretted their choice. I suggest you research it online before testing it out, and if you do decide to try it, it is suggested you test it on a very small portion of skin and see if there's a reaction first before use.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

I just started rubbing Moroccan oil into my horses dock and brushing it through his tail as I found the show sheen to be drying.......yes I'm using MY Moroccan oil......:shock:


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Muppetgirl said:


> I just started rubbing Moroccan oil into my horses dock and brushing it through his tail as I found the show sheen to be drying.......yes I'm using MY Moroccan oil......:shock:


Haha! i am so glad I am not the only one who does this! At least I get his at Walmart-and get the one for "coarse hair". lol


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## Kato (Apr 20, 2011)

franknbeans said:


> Haha! i am so glad I am not the only one who does this! At least I get his at Walmart-and get the one for "coarse hair". lol


I love Moroccan oil!!!!


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## HorseCrazyTeen (Jul 29, 2012)

A brush I swear by is this one: Grooma Rake - Grooming Tools from SmartPak Equine It doesn't tear any hair out, if any, and it takes hardly any time at all to comb out my horse's 2ft. long mane.


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## Cheyennes mom (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm going for a thicker tail too right now with my horse Maverick. He's got the length down...it's touching the ground. now I want some volume to it.

What I'm doing is brushing it, conditioning it (my fancy homemade conditioner made with human conditioner, water and vinegar with a bit of baby oil. You spray it on then leave it in.) adding MTG and then cutting an inch off the bottom (completely straight across) then loosely braiding it. I leave in the braid and take it out about twice a week to brush and condition it again, then add MTG about once a week. After that it immediately gets rebraided and kept in for another 4 days or so. I cut it whenever it starts to get whispy at the bottom. 
Slowly but surely, Maverick's tail is becoming thicker and thicker! It now looks good and is easy to braid for shows!

Good luck!


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

I have already used pig oil on my ardennes mares feathers, its used alot on shires and clydesdales in the uk. it does contain sulphur so I guess its the british version of MTG. i havn't had any adverse reactions from it. I think the idea of it is to protect the hair from breakage rather than promote growth. 
Anyway today I shampooed Shoops tail. She had alot of dry flakey skin down her tail bone. I let it dry and combed it through with my fingers (btw I do already have an oster brush and I agree they are amazing). Once it was dry I applied some Mane and tail thickener that I get from my local tack shop, it's designed to create healthy skin which in theory lets hair grow better. I will take a pic of the bottle later when I go back to the yard. I massaged this into her dock and her skin is now nice and soft and flake free. I also chopped of the scraggy end part and made her tail level just below her hocks. 
I thought her tail would be a hopeless fight but after today I think it has potential. I think I'm going to plait and vetwrap it tonight when I go up to feed.
I will keep posting pics of the progress as I have been searching for before and afters but havn't been able to find many good ones.

Anyhoo I'll take some pics later, she seemed to enjoy the pampering and massages if nothing else lol


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## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

Ok, i have an OTTB, which as we all know are notorious for horribly thin tails. hahaha what works for me and him (over time) is Enfusium volume shampoo/conditioner and Enfusium rejuvenation spray. Both are safe to use repeatedly and i use the rejuvenation spray every single time i brush his tail to reduce breakage. It has worked very well so far! You can buy it at any Walmart in the hair care aisle  ENFUSIUM! It comes in a grey bottle and there are several types, choose as needed


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## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

First image is from 5 months ago. Second image is from Saturday. IT WORKS!!!  And it makes their tails wonderfully shiny and sleek


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

Wow that's a great before and after. His tail literally looks twice as thick. I have just shampooed and massaged builder into her dock for the second time this morning. I swear her tail looks better already but that could be rose tinted glasses lol. Anyway I took a pic of her tail after a couple days TLC and also a pic of the product I'm using. I was going to wrap it but the sun has decided to come out today and there are flies about, might wrap it and at some extra wrap or string to the end so she can still swot bugs.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

I like using Infusium 3, yes the women's hair product, it works wonders.


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

America has so many more products than the UK  I'm gonna see how it goes with this builder if not might have a red hot crack at flowers of sulphur or some infusium, I see you can buy it on Amazon.


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

pig oil is commonly used in feathered horses to prevent/treat scractch's, due impart to the high sulfur content.


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

beverleyy said:


> I use the vet wrap method on both my mares, plus wash/condition each time I redo the wrap (probably every 6-12 weeks). After it's washed and dried I put MTG in, then wrap. Occasionally I'll throw some mane & tail moisturizing stuff in there. My pony started with her tail right at her hip before where her leg actually starts, a whispy little thing. ~6 months later it's THICK and nearly to her fetlocks.
> 
> vet wrap method
> How To Wrap Your Horse's Tail : With Special Guest, EquitationPrincess! - YouTube
> ...


This is late, but I do just want to add that I keep my horse's tails wrapped like this a good chunk of the year (minus some "air out" time), summer included. Mine are 100% fine with being ridden with vet wrap in. In summer when it is mosquito season - we have a LOT here, and a mare who is allergic does not help - I continue to keep her tail wrapped and as I am wrapping I tie in baling twine to act as a tail of sorts for bug swatting. Never had any issues with this.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

don't touch it, don't brush it, don't do anything to it. 

thats the best way to get them to grow a better tail =]


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## HorseCrazyTeen (Jul 29, 2012)

Gypsygirl~ For some horses that will work just fine, but not so with many.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thats all ive ever done with the worst tails and my horses have super thick tails now !


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

My mare rubbed her tail out every spring and what was left was none to pretty. It is due to sweet itch in her case. Thick sticky oils have worked so far (knock on wood). I use castor mixed w vitamin E and really rub it into the roots. I imagine it also helps to keep the hair from breaking if they do rub.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

FNB..how funny yep the name pigoil sounds yucky. for the OP ;
Infusium helps detangle. Use your fingers to seperate knots and rats. dont comb the tail. I brush. hair grows from the root, so vitamins should help with growth . I would be careful with the vet wrap on the tail bone itself, you dont want to cut off the blood supply !  I noticed you have on horse with a docked tail.


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

stevenson said:


> FNB..how funny yep the name pigoil sounds yucky. for the OP ;
> Infusium helps detangle. Use your fingers to seperate knots and rats. dont comb the tail. I brush. hair grows from the root, so vitamins should help with growth . I would be careful with the vet wrap on the tail bone itself, you dont want to cut off the blood supply !  I noticed you have on horse with a docked tail.


I don't know anyone who wraps the tail bone itself :-|


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes our Ardennes Moomin has a docked tail, she is originally imported from Belgium and I think it is just standard practice there. Having said that it was cut alot shorter when we bought her and she's managing to grow an ok tail with just an inch or two of dock. Imagine what sort of tail she would have if she hadn't been docked! It would be amazing! :s 

I haven't brushed Shoop's tail in over a week, just ran my fingers through the knots when I washed it. I have been rubbing in plenty of oil along the roots and spraying pigoil on the length to prevent it breaking.


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## Bagheera (Apr 23, 2013)

I recommend mane and tail shampoo and conditioner. Also, don't brush the tail unless it has just been washed. Brushing a tail too often tends to thin it out in my experience. I also like to leave a bit of conditioner in my horses tail rather than washing it all out. I've never wrapped a horse's tail with vet wrap but it might be a good idea if the horse rubs the tail, steps on it, or let's their turnout buddies chew on it.


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## Bagheera (Apr 23, 2013)

Tried to edit this to add it in but it wouldn't let me...

A thin mane/tail can also be caused by malnutrition. I don't mean a super emancipated/underfed horse. It could be as simple as the horse not getting 100% of a certain vitamin it needs. This is why people often find that hoof supplements really help with hair growth. Hooves and hair require a lot of the same vitamins to be healthy. Most hoof supplements can improve your horse's tail and coat.


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## Swampy (Mar 4, 2013)

we have tie in tail bag that are easy to make most use velcro so they can easily come undone if anything happens.they even put a fringe on the bottom to help with flies we use this all year round.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

stevenson said:


> FNB..how funny yep the name pigoil sounds yucky. for the OP ;
> Infusium helps detangle. Use your fingers to seperate knots and rats. dont comb the tail. I brush. hair grows from the root, so vitamins should help with growth . I would be careful with the vet wrap on the tail bone itself, you dont want to cut off the blood supply !  I noticed you have on horse with a docked tail.


What??!!!?? I don't have a horse with a docked tail.:shock::shock: Both of mine would drag if I didn't bang them.

I am super careful with the vet wrap keeping it away from the bone. No worries there!


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

Thought I'd just add new pics every so often...

Shoop the day she arrived...








The day i cleaned and cut Shoops tail...








Shoops tail today...


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)




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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)




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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

With spring comes the mosquitoes as the days warm. One way to tell if they are out is the bushy hairs at the top of the tail. This is often mistaken for sweet itch or worms. It is usually caused by mosquitoes. As a horse moves he lifts his tail and the mosguitoes converge on the delicate skin on the underside which makes him itchy. He will rub against something trying to get relief. Thus the bushy tail hairs. The mosquitoes may also go after the thinner hairs at the top of the tail. An inexpensive, effective remedy is to slather petroleum jelly on the underside of the tail and around the anus and vagina, even some in the bushy hair. With a mare, also slather it underneath around her teats as itchy teats will get her tail rubbing. The black flies, if you have them, or gnats, feast under there.


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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)




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## emmasacha (Oct 26, 2008)

I have changed Shoop's Mollichop chaff to Healthy Hooves now. She has been on it for about 2 weeks and already her skin is less dry, her coat is silkier and I swear her tail has grown. I think taking care of the hooves, washing her tail and using tail builder and not brushing it is the way forward. I will keep adding pics every week or so as I've found that alot of tail growing threads only really have the before pics.


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