# Keeping My Mare's Tail Clean (a little icky)



## JenniMay (Aug 17, 2011)

This is kind of gross, but I can't be the only one out there with this problem.

I don't know if my Belgian doesn't lift her tail high enough (it looks like she does) when she poo's, but her flaxen tail is often caked with it. She has a short, stubby Belgian tail that has been growing, but is still in the in between stage (not super short, but not long either---it barely touches her hocks).

Since it's been so cold, instead of washing it, I've just been sprayingHealthy Hair Moisturizer on it & gently & lighting combing (with a wide toothed comb) it out. It works well, but I can't be there every time she poops! And the color of her tail makes it really show up :-(

Her poo seems normal (not overly soft)...

Anything I might be able to put on her tail to help repel? Any tricks?


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## Iain (Jan 3, 2012)

JenniMay said:


> This is kind of gross, but I can't be the only one out there with this problem.


You aren't  I can assure you of that.



> It works well, but I can't be there every time she poops! And the color of her tail makes it really show up :-(


You don't need to be there every time she poops. If you're worried about the appearance, don't be. It's in a horses nature to get dirty . If it bothered her, then she'd hold her tail higher when she pooped. Just do your best to clean it when you groom her.



> Anything I might be able to put on her tail to help repel? Any tricks?


Not that I know of, just keep using moisturizer.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

When I first got my palomino, Biscuit, he constantly had diarrhea :shock: either because he was now getting solid good food or because he was nervous. He has flaxen mane and tail, of course, and is a lighter colored pally. 

Poor guy always had green YUK running down the back of his legs and in his tail. I bought containers of Baby Wipes to clean poop off of the back of his legs and butt - it was EVERYWHERE :shock: . My cousin's husband, Randy, would just howl when I would clean Biscuit up. He will still have nasty diarrhea if he gets nervous and so I keep wipes around to clean his legs and tails. 

Wipes will clean his tail and perhaps you could get the Clorox wipes if it is staining it. It will at least keep it somewhat clean!!!

Brush and then clean with wipes and your problem will be somewhat under control!


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## JenniMay (Aug 17, 2011)

Thank you, Iain & QOS!


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

I would agree that leaving her be is just fine. It can be inconvienient and icky but just clean it when you are grooming her like usual.


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## Derry girl (Nov 20, 2011)

Having 2horses with white tails I feel your pain!

If your horse is healthy and happy I wouldnt worry to much about it, but if you do want to keep it clean maybe before heading out for a ride/competition you could just plait it to the bottom, would keep the majority of it clean. Not much else you can do.. well maybe just compare your horses droppings to anothers, just to see if there to soft. Maybe your horse needs a stronger worming dose to get its system working right again or something hes eating is not agreeing with him.. not to sure, good luck either way


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## kritter keeper (Feb 26, 2009)

my 28 year old mare now has a poopy tail during blanketing season. cowboy magic 'vinyl' tail conditioner with warm water eases the hardened poo so you can pull it out of the hair strands...icky job, i know how you feel!


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

if her tail has been docked then she doesnt have enough bone to hold it out far enough.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

you could maybe put a tail bag on her?? It would keep her tail clean although you would have to wash them often so Im not sure how much it would help haha. Im sorry we only have one horse with that issue but he broke his tail bone at some point somewhere in his previous life without us so he cant lift his much if really at all and we leave him be unless it gets really bad or we re having some sort of big function or taking him somewhere.


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## adiposestem (Dec 19, 2011)

Keep it up mate!


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## JenniMay (Aug 17, 2011)

Thanks, guys & gals! We're doing a little better with this...part of my issue is that I don't want to rip any hair out of her already sparse little tail! I read a lot that people just leave tails alone as to not rip hair out.

It's growing for sure, but it's still pretty thin for the most part. Copious amounts of moisturizer/detangler helps us with this...& I use an extra wide toothed comb to get the hardened stuff out. The last few days, it hasn't been as pronouned. Maybe she just went through a little period of softer-than-normal stool & we're through it now...??? But it seems to be a little better. I'll keep up the grooming!

Also, something I did think of: someone mentioned the possibility of her tail being docked. How can I tell if her tail's been docked? About how long should a normal tail bone be? The thought did cross my mind that that might have something to do with it...:-(


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

JenniMay, I had to whip out the Baby Wipes yesterday before I rode Biscuit. He had poop on his legs and tail. The tail I was able to brush out (it is a little stained though) and I scrubbed the poop off his legs from butt to fetlocks. It really just took one wipee - it wasn't really bad but it really shows up on a palomino. After I was through, my boy looked terrific!


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I like to use a bucket of warm water and dip the tail in and then shampoo and rinse, then put in Healthy Hair Care plus some Cowboy Magic to help keep it clean. Once a week or 2 works pretty well to keep things cleaned up.


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