My Yogi has never had a very thick, long tail. I do plan on adding a tail extension for the show season but would like to work on his natural tail too. What can I do over the winter to work on it? Keep it wrapped? Wash and condition?
I condition my tails daily, and once a month use MTG....occasionally I use Listerine. I have a whole system. I am tail crazy!! But saddlebred people want them dragging on the ground!!! I don't like it cause it seems dangerous to me, but we sure can grow em'!!
There are a couple things that I use, but the easiest to find is Infusium leave in conditionre, can get it at the grocery store. I put it in a spray bottle and spray on lightly each day. Great because it doesn't build up on the tail. I also use a Hair brush on my tails, GASP! I actually brush through it all, and brush the tail bone/feathers. provides stimulation for hair to grow!
MTG every couple of days on the base of the tail. I wash the tail about every 2-3 wks when were not showing. Then put more MTG on.
TSC carries the Shapley's line which makes MTG, but you can order at www.horse.com or Valley Vet etc as well.
I wouldn't use MTG more than once every two weeks, it builds up on the taiil and for winter you definately don't want that. You have to wash it too much!! It also attracts dirt etc.
MTG for the base, and Eqyss MegaTek Cell Rebuilder for the rest. This stuff is expensive but WORS AWESOME! Summer or winter, I just gob some up in the tail (wet or dry, don'y matter) than braid the tail in some sort of tail bag. Even after months of not using it, I could still smell it in my mom's horse's tail when I'd wash it, so the stuff really soaks in! It really thickins up the hair shafts and makes them very pliable and unbreakable!
I've used MTG for at least 10yrs and a couple times a week for the horses that needed it. I wash my show horses tails at least once every 2 weeks or close to it when were not showing. I have never had a neg effect of using it that much. I've always had a hot water wash rack so washing isnt a problem. I also ONLY comb my tails AFTER they have been washed, cond. and a detangler put in them. I dont ever brush them, and I dont comb them inbetween washings. I personally like figure eights to keep the tails up.
also remember NOT to use MTG when teh horse is gonna be in direct sunlight... I do my tails at evening feed time so that it is soaked in and dry before they go out in the sun
it is oil based and will burn the hair off of some horses if you read the bottle the warning is right there on it ;D
Teach me to read! LOL! ;D I've used it plenty of times on Gem's tail then tossed her back outside. Never had any sun burnt looking skin or flaking on her tial bone though. Guess we got lucky!
Feed ABC's HOOF. A couple of mine on it have grown and thickened a bunch this year. It's meant for feet, but it helps the hair, and I like that Actually I noticed Cheyenne's mane first-it hasn't reached much more than halfway down her mane in a couple years...and her tail has looked like 3/4 got ripped off and shortened after she went back to live at my FIL's for a while. I asked M "What the heck happened to her tail?!?!?!" And he was like "I dunno". Well, this summer she started on HOOF from ABC's and her mane reaches past the bottom of her neck and her tail has grown significantly, too. Looks like it's getting some body again, too. And that's with ZERO maintenance
What I do is use MTG once a week. At the end of the week, wash, condition and put MTG in again. I got my reiner in March and his mane/tail have grown at least 4-5 inches. I also use Cowboy magic detangler 3 or 4 days a week. The last few months, I have started leaving my show horse's tail down unless I am riding him. I braid it when I ride so he doesn't step on it when backing up. I am having better luck this way. Lots of broken hairs from braiding hair on hair... he uses his tail a lot in the summer, of course, which was causing breakage from hair on hair. I do like sheeting or braid in lycra tail bag tubes to keep the hair from breaking, but it's tedious getting them in right. Jami
In the summer,if I have a tail that doesn't touch the ground, I leave it down. But in the winter they get braided up except for the feathers. Over the winter I may wash it once a month, but I treat the tailbone and feathers everyday. AFterall, that is where the harigrows from. I just kind of forget about the rest of the tail for the winter, by spring there is a ton of growth. Except during show season, I don't wash that much, I think you lose too much hair during washing and it removes their natural oils. After I wash though i pick it out and dry it one strand at a time!!