# Where do you stand when brushing the tail?



## Stubborn1 (Feb 12, 2008)

As you can see I am totally new to horses. I would like to but am a bit scarred to brush his tail in fear of getting kicked. How do you do it??


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

When around the rear of a horse you should either be out of the kick zone or so close as to make it difficult or less painful if they do try to kick. If its a horse I'm unsure of I stand right at the hip close enough that my arm is in contact with the flank. I keep contact with them all the time I'm brushing so the don't forget I'm there. 
If its just Vida I still stand at the flank but don't worry about her kicking. Most horses like having their tail brushed so don't fret too much :lol: 
I Start at the top and brush from the outside to the middle. Then go to the end and brush from the bottom to the top. I usually hold the long tail hairs in one hand and brush against my leg, turning the tail hair as I go. I like to start at the top so she gets a good butt scratching in before I go to the long hairs where all the snarles are usually at.


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

I agree with vida If you are unsure on how the horse is going to react stand off to the side which is probably what you should be doing anyways but me since I know my horse pretty well and im sure she wont kick I kinda stand right behind her but a little be further away but i keep talking to her and peting her rump but heck once i was backing up and didnt relize i was so close to her and ran right into her rump and all she did was jump shes such a good girl i praised her so much for not kicking out! But I recommend you stand off to the side. ^_^ and dont be stupid like me and walk backwards while talking to someone near a horse


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I stand kinda behind her while I brush her tail since I know her very well. I pet her too so she knows I'm there.
But if it's like someone else's horse who you're not very familiar with, I'd get away from the kick-zone.


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

i stand right behind with my mare and my old fella but i stand to the side with my warmblood as he is prone to having a little kick here and there. horses i dont know though always get brushed from the side


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Safety wise, you should stand to the side of your horse to ensure that you won't get kicked quite as easy - don't forget that it's not impossible to get kicked standing at the side either - Horses have amazing aim.

If your horse is good with picking up his hind legs, he shouldn't have much of a problem with you brushing his tail out.

I sometimes forget to practice my saftey rules as I know my horses os well. I like to stratch my horses's butt so when I'm behind them and they get touched, they think it's a scratch, so even my three months old are fine with someone standing behind them and have never had one offer to kick.

Do you have anyone avialable with horse experiance who could help you get the hang of general horse handling?
There really is so much to know, and it's a whole lot easier (and safer) if there's someon knowledgable to give you hand.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I never brush my horse's tail. It takes so many years for a tail to grow nice and long AND full I never touch it. The one occasion that I do brush it, which is probably once every 2-3 months, I will spray the entire tail with showshean then with my hands detangle it. Once I am happy with that I then take a horse comb and VERY carefully and gently take the rest of the knots out. Where do I stand? I work a lot with my horses so that I can stand pretty much anywhere behind them. Never had problems.

That is all I do. I hate having an unbrushed tail but I also hate having a thin one.


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## carriedenaee (Apr 17, 2008)

i stand behind Jet...he usually falls asleep..i swear if you never saw him on the track or in an arena you wouldnt know he is a good barrel horse!...but when i have a new horse or one who doesnt understand and is a little skittixh..i stand to the side well clear of the kicking zone!!


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I stand behind and a little to either the left or the right of my horses. My mare won't kick... but my colt will every now and then, so I try to stay right beside his flank and out of the most painful kicking range.

I also only brush my horses tails about once every month or two months... I used to brush all the time, but I don't often now because I don't want to mess up my horses tails... or take a chance... lol.


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## carriedenaee (Apr 17, 2008)

im a little confused...i brush my horses tails quite often and none of them have thin tails...i dont want to say that it doesnt thin them but i dont want her to think that it will as well....

jet's tail is very full and i have to clip about an inch or so to keep it from dragging the ground....but myabe he just got blessed with a good tail!


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## notorious_ (Apr 25, 2008)

i always stand RIGHT next to my horse, to the right or left of his butt. and i bring his tail to me. that way he is NOT able to kick me, should he spook at something. =]


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## Cheval (Jan 1, 2008)

When you brush the tail...hmm...I will try explain it to make sense and easy. 
Go directly behind the tail, and then scoot about two feet to the side, grab the horses tail and brush it.

That's pretty much what everyone else said, though!


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

well i stand behind my mare but thats because i trust her. other horses that i don't really know i try and stand off to the side.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

A few good things have been brought up. I would also stay away from their hind end if you dont know the horse or just simply dont trust him/her. I will stand directly next to the hind leg to the side. If I can stand further back I will tho I find that the second you stand to their side, no matter where they can do their "outward swing kick" if they want and get you anyways, so if you brush their tail you really have to stay close to them so it hurts less when you get the hit :wink: 

Not to many options available to not get kicked. You stand there, you're at risk no matter the location.


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## ILuv2ride (Apr 29, 2008)

When i brush the horses tail i grab it then stand off to the side so i dont get kicked. Also horses cant feel it when you tug on there maine.But on the tail the feel it. i grab the top of the tail with one hand and brush lower with the other.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Wow, I can't believe how many people stand behind their horses. I guess I just learned to never do that and it's ingrained now. But I can't figure out how you would even brush the tail from behind. There is nothing to brush against that way. I always stand to the side, always touching the horse. I do it much like Vidaloco does -- start at the top, then take up the bottom in my hand and brush out the snarls from the bottom up, until I meet where I left off from the top. 

As for not brushing the tail so it stays full -- an easy fix for brittle hair, aside from hair products, is to use a stiff body brush instead of a tail brush or comb. It will get the worst of the dirt out, and if you brush it regularly, the tangles won't get as bad as if you just leave the tail be. 

All that said, on the weekend I braided my mare's tail because it's too long and I'm really tired of brushing out the mud. Last spring I cut a few inches off, but it really does take an awfully long time for it to grow back. I figure I'll leave the braid in until it dries up around here -- just in time for fly season so she'll have her tail back!


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## horsey*kisses (May 12, 2008)

like somebody else said i can't remember who it was, but if the horse is perfectly fine with you picking up their hind feet, then brushing their tail shouldn't be a problem, unless you don't trust that horse.
I stand behind my horse but not directly because i know he can't see there, but off to the side a little and i wear brightly colored clothes so im pretty easy to see, i also sing when i groom him so he knows im back there, and it relaxes him to hear the calm tones in my voice. Of course my horse when i first got him didn't like his tail brushed let alone his butt touched lol
I just worked with him and he's totally fine with it now.
good luck!


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## HooverH (May 17, 2008)

WSArabians said:


> Safety wise, you should stand to the side of your horse to ensure that you won't get kicked quite as easy - don't forget that it's not impossible to get kicked standing at the side either - Horses have amazing aim.


Heh.Very true. The only time my boy's caught me was a cow kick, one of those side-winders. 

I stand behind Hoover when I brush his tail, fairly close so he can't really haul off and get me...it's more of a shove then. Hoover does tend to warn before he kicks, however, so I usually have time to correct him or avoid it. I hold it about half way down, and work on small sections. I add more hair to the small section until the tail is done, then work the whole tail. I use a pin brush, but generally only brush his tail if he's just had a bath or is very tangly.


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