Monday, October 17, 2016

Where has his tail gone ...

Since moving to our own place, Henry's tail has gone from decent and well cared for to thin and well cared for (well the best I can do).



So today I come to you asking for help...

He is constantly swatting flies (despite me having him covered head to toe with fly stuff) and his tail is SO dry.

I have been on the hunt for something that is SUPER moisturizing ...

I have tried:
Infusium 23 (had the most luck)
Equus (no luck)
Cowboy Magic (no luck)
Equifuse (no luck)

"Leave ins"
Laser Sheen (eh)
Equifuse Serum (had the most luck)
Show Sheen (eh)
Vetrolyn Shine (some luck)



Also tried tail bags and that was a big no no... his tail turns into three dread locks bc it gets so dry. I FREAKED out when I found that!

He is on Biotin and Biomane in his feed.. a friend suggested adding fish oil to his feed too, going to try that.

But NOTHING leaves his tail happy and soft for more then 10 min.

Any suggestions?! I need your help and tips! I have never had this problem ever with a horse- I am like a crazy clean freak!

37 comments:

  1. Maybe try Healthy Hair by The Herbal Horse? I don't have any personal experience with it, but I've heard good things.

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  2. I'm interested in hearing every else's tips. I was shocked by Mane & Tail's Detangler -- worked the best of ANY spray detangler I've ever used.

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    1. Yes! Canter mane & tail is my fave but I wouldn't call it hydrating....hot oil treatments??

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    2. I should make him an appointment with my hair lady lol 😂😜

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  3. I use human oil on Fiction's tail - I find it really really makes it soft and keeps it tangle free for DAYS. I've used Biolage Exquisite Oil most recently.

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  4. I use people hair-oil on Dino's tail, which tends to get frizzy at the top. Works great and cheaper than horse stuff!

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  5. Are you maybe doing TOO much since he came home, since you now have the opportunity to mess with his tail more often? I have curly hair, and I often find that less is more when it comes to washing and product.

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    1. Tried the leave it alone for almost 3 months- it didn't work and made it worse :( he has dreds at one point bc it was so dry

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  6. I use Canter Mane&Tail and I adore it. But I also leave tails alone as mush as possible.

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    1. Yeah I tired leaving it alone, made it 1000 times worse :( thanks girl!! I'll look into Canter!

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  7. What about adding ground flax to his diet? I would take awhile to affect his tail I guess but I love flax for the condition it gives their coat.

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  8. I have a great answer for this! This stuff is AMAZING - https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/b/13918. I use it on Emi's tail and it makes such a huge difference, I don't even need to use a detangler after it has been washed and I've used this on it.

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  9. I've been rubbing coconut oil into Murray's tail once every other month or so, usually after I rinse it clean. I got a big jar at TJ Maxx and have been keeping it at the barn for stuff like this. I love the way his tail looks a few days after a coconut oil treatment and it's good for my hair -- why wouldn't it be good for his? I've not been using it long enough for there to really have been an effect (just through the summer), but I FEEL like his tail is more full than it used to be. Possibly placebo effect, so take it as you will.

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    1. Oh I'll try this!! I've been adding it to our dogs food bc she's sooooooo dry and itchy and it seems to help :)

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    2. Coconut oil is drying...use with caution. It's a good moisturizer for people with oily skin....

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    3. I second coconut oil. I use it on my own hair and it's fantastic, and I've also seen great results on horses. My trainer swears by putting some in everyone's food (people, dogs, horses, you name it. Lol.) but I just put it on the tail for about 30-45 minutes and then rinse out every so often, and it helps a lot.

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  10. I use a pink horse conditioner, but I can't remember the name. Honestly my best advice for tails is neglect. Don't brush them. Don't spray them much. Leave them alone. :)

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    1. Tried the leaving it alone- that's what got us into the hole we are in lol... I don't ever brush it but it needs conditioner bad 👍🏼

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  11. I've had great luck with the Calm Coat products. The detangler/leave-in conditioner has worked wonders on Val's tail.

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  12. So my eventer-friend swears by this process: Wash the tail and wring out. Then add NO LESS than one bottle of conditioner to it - she uses V05 because it's cheap. After getting the conditioner all in it, and while it's still damp, she braids it up to just below the tail bone, rubber bands it at the bottom, and then puts it in a tail bag. The tail only comes out of the bag for shows and clinics. And this tail is amazing. It's a typical Thoroughbred tail so nothing fancy but this process keeps it super moisturized and healthy.

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    1. I'm down to try!! How does she keep the part out of the bag (top) conditioned since its out in the elements?

      Maybe since its getting cooler and less flies this will work!!

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    2. Hmm, I can't say I've ever noticed an issue with the top part - it gets conditioned at the same time as everything else but she doesn't do anything additional with it.

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    3. Ok cool- I'm going to try it

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  13. I would guess maybe you're over-brushing it? I pretty much only brush the tails on mine if I absolutely have to (like before a show or if they pooped themselves). And 2 of mine grow such long tails they step on them if not trimmed. The mule's won't grow that long, but it is pretty long for a mule. Neglect and Equifuse when I am forced to wash and brush works pretty well for me.

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    1. I don't brush it ever ;) it's much much drier here so it's breaking and brittle from the weather - I feel a big difference in my hair and skin too

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  14. I've had the most luck with using the super-intense conditioner that comes in human hair-dyeing kits. I leave it in for about 5-10 minutes and then rinse. Works better than literally any horse product I have ever tried. You could also use the deep conditioners for ethnic hair, those work well too. Definitely stay away from things with silicone (like show sheen)... it is SUPER drying to the hair.

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    1. I was wondering about ethnic hair conditioners - def will look into them!

      Thank!!

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  15. I've used Equifuse but Ries has the saddest tail ever and I have been struggling for 7 years lol I swear I've tried it all and it is hopeless. I feel the pain

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    1. Bahahahahaha!!! Thanks for no hope 😜 Henrys tail was nice!! Who knew 25 min away could be such different whether lol

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