# wd40 for manes and tails



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Lots of people do use it with no issues but I am not a fan of it. IMHO, there are too many chemicals in there to be healthy for the hair. I much prefer to just keep a bottle of baby oil laying around the tack room. Works as well as anything and it's a whopping 97 cents at Wal-Mart.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

As a detangler? Mane and Tail has detangler that I love using that also isn't very expensive if you can get the little bottle.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I use mane and tail for my horses and even myself sometimes, haha. It's good stuff, and like Poseidon said, is cheap in the little bottles. Also, the conditioner is leave-in, so I usually buy the big container and put it in a spray bottle, then mix it with water, so that I can just spray their manes and tails and brush it out without using too much or needing water when it's impractical to use, etc. 

Although I'd like to try the baby oil.


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## Pyrrhic (Dec 11, 2011)

Make sure no one smokes around you then :lol:


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Also (I agree with all the other posters), just a tip, if you're wanting to grow your horses's mane/tail out, I'd advise against using a silicone based product, like ShowSheen. In the long run, it'll make the hair more brittle and prone to breakage.

My favorite product for tails is Cowboy Magic detangler, along with literally soaking the tail in human conditioner on a monthly basis. 
I don't like it so much for forelocks (too oily, weighs down the hair and attracts dirt in that area, that I've found) and it's alright on manes. My favorite for manes and forelocks is pretty much any kind of child's spray in detangler. I love how most of them don't leave a residue and they keep the hair light instead of weighing it down with a bunch of yuck.

Really though, I'm kind of a snob about Lacey's mane, tail, and forelock and there's a 99.9% likelihood that your horse will be just fine with whatever product you choose to use. :lol:


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Laser Sheen makes my horse really soft on his body and his mane and tail very silky smooth and full of volume instead of being stringy. I definitely recommend it.


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## ladybugsgirl (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks. I usually use show sheen but I have heard cowboy magic is good too
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

Believe it or not my Uncle showed many Grand Champion Percherons for more than 40 years and he never used a thing on his blacks but rags with coal oil on them. They were gorgeous! He said it was because it was a brightner and a bug spray all in one!


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## Katze (Feb 21, 2011)

Annnie31 said:


> Believe it or not my Uncle showed many Grand Champion Percherons for more than 40 years and he never used a thing on his blacks but rags with coal oil on them. They were gorgeous! He said it was because it was a brightner and a bug spray all in one!


Does it have a smell to it? and is it flammable..lol?


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## Samstead (Dec 13, 2011)

Poseidon said:


> As a detangler? Mane and Tail has detangler that I love using that also isn't very expensive if you can get the little bottle.


Haha I used to use mane and tail for my hair....worked pretty good too


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

Coal Oil does have a smell, but I never found it to be a bad smell, of course the rags were damped with coal oil and all excess oil squeezed out. They never needed to have any coal oil added to them once they were damped as they stayed damp for a very long time when kept in a bag. I think it would still be flammable although it would loose much of its ability to be flammable from being exposed to the air. 
Back in the 30s they used coal oil to treat lice on animals and people. My Grandfather talked about that.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Samstead said:


> Haha I used to use mane and tail for my hair....worked pretty good too


I have too. I already have rather soft hair, but I've never had it so soft as when I used mane and tail detangler on it.


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## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

I just can't see that being healthy for any amount of regular use. Maybe every once in a great while, on complete worst case scenario..

For detangling, Cowboy Magic does a great job for on the spot tangles. I've never used baby oil on manes and tails, but I'd imagine it does a similar job.

Once you get the tangles out, it's all maintenance after that. 
My go to for everyday maintenance, is coconut oil and a wide tooth comb.


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## AppaloosaLover88 (Dec 19, 2011)

I once had a mini whose tail would drag the ground several inches and whose mane was super long too and he managed to find some stickers by the creek one winter on a friend's property (he spent the year there before being gelded so he wouldn't be around any mares). His mane and tail were COMPLETELY matted in a matter of days. It was horrible. I was sure I was going to have to shave it or something!! I just happened to read something about using baby oil and I figured I would give it a try. It worked like a charm. Now when I have a horse with tangles or even just a stiff dry mane and tail, I use the baby oil. It is cheap and if you soak the mane and tail, let it sit for a while, then wash and rinse it out, you're left with a clean, detangled, soft and shiny mane and tail! I would image that regular ( maybe weekly ) use would keep the hair from dying and causing excessive breakage from the dryness. I am by no means an expert, but IMO its worth a try.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I use laser sheen, buy a bottle of concentrate that makes up 4 16oz bottles for the price of one regular bottle. 

As for WD40, it's a great penetrate but has a bad habit of attracting dust. Not something you want for your horses mane and tail.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

fuel, on a natural fiber rag, in a confined area, equals spontaneous combustion and fire. Look it up.


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

My grandma said that when she was growing up all they used was either deisel fuel or kereosene (sp) 
I also had a pony once who got her mane and tail FULL of burrs. I used an old bottle of vegetable oil. 

Otherwise, now I use Cowboy Majic, pretty amazing stuff IMO. Also, MTG, which is somewhat expensive ($15 per bottle) works real good as a detangler, but is great for growing out any kind of hair on the horses


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

I have never heard of a rag with coal oil on it having spontaneous combustion LOL.The boiling temperature for coal oil is 325 deg (not the flash point but the boiling point) It would be considered a combustable liquid such as kerosene but not a flammmable like gasoline or diesel. The reason for this is because the vapours mix differently in the air than gasoline vapours. Fires dont light themselves. 
As with anything including over the counter fly sprays (Konk etc.), aerosols etc used all the time on horses anything flammable should not be stored near fire or heat.
And yes coal oil was used in the 30s and 40s to treat lice on humans and animals alike. My father in law (borni in 1919) talks about getting lice as a boy and going home from school, his mom combing in the coal oil, and when she was done, his dad giving him the strap for getting the lice. Those were the days I guess!!
In the 60s we lived on a dairy farm (rented the house)and the farmer treated all lice on his pigs with coal oil. He used to just drizzle it on the center of their backs from their ears to their tails.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The question was regarding WD 40. Yes you can use it. Dampen the mane first. Horses don't always like the hissy sound the can makes so turn your back and spray your hands and quickly work into small sections of mane. The damp hair allows yout to spread it a little better. If your horse will allow your to spray it be sure to cover the horses eye with your hand to block him from turning his head. The wet your hands and work the spray thro the mane. Finger comb so you don't break any hair.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

We use the WD40 in the Fall when the Cockleburrs get real bad. You can have them look like they hadn't been brushed in months when in fact you brushed them out yesterday! The WD40 gets them out faster. But just for regular detangling I use Infusium 23 you buy at Walmart and dilute it a little so it lasts longer. Or Mane and Tail Detangler. But I think a lot of the horse products have silicone in them which drys the hair out and causes breakage. So I am also a fan of Shapleys MTG because it is oil based.


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## Tnavas (Nov 29, 2011)

WD40 definately not as it contains various chemicals that are not good for the hair.

Silicon spray is different though and seems to be fine. I prefer to wash and condition and only brush out the tail when going to shows or lessons.


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Love pink for shine. Buy it in the ethnic hair section at Walmart.


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

If you get a heavy wet snow that balls up in their feet wd40 works well.

I wouldn't use it any place a horse would/could lick and it probably shouldn't be in prolonged contact with skin. Just isn't made for it.

For pine sap and cockle burrs cheap oily peanut butter works great. Smear it on and the horses do all the removing later.

for detangling I just use old fashioned elbow grease. Cheap dollar store hair conditioners and spray on detanglers also work nice.


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## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

heaps of people here use silicon spray - which Im guessing is similar - its much cheaper than showsheen....


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