So, your horse has a long show tail or you would like to grow out your horse’s tail, but you would want to put your horse out to pasture. Follow these simple steps for a horse who can enjoy the pasture while still growing a beautiful, thick show tail.
If your horse already has a long show tail it will be easy to put it up for pasture. However, if your horse’s tail is not already long enough to reach the middle of his cannons, I would suggest waiting for it to grow naturally before you wrap it up.
Supplies:
- Braiding bands of any color
- One roll of Vet-Wrap, or equivalent material
- 15 strands of bailing twine, or equivalent material
- Scissors
*You must also know how to braid
Step 1)
Make sure your horses tail has been freshly washed and conditioned so you do not wrap dirt in with the tail. Also, it is crucial that your horse’s tail iscompletely drybefore wrapping. If it is not dry the tail could mold and fall out.
Step 2)
Separate all of the protective feathers from the tail. These feathers are located at the top and middle of the tail bone. These feathers never grow quite as long as the longest part of the tail, but they may even be long enough to reach the middle of the cannon. These feathers are a tool to keep bugs and flies away from the body and must be separated from the main tail.
Step 3)
Braid the rest of the tail. Although this may seem simple, this is the trickiest step. Your braid will start 2-3 inches from the tail bone. If the braid starts too far away from the tail bone, the wrap will act like a pendulum and rip out all the hair. If the braid starts too close and is too tight on the tail bone, blood flow will be lost and the hair will FALL OUT! That is why it is very important to make sure that the beginning of your braid is loose, while the rest of the braid is tight. These are the reasons that this step is so crucial. If done incorrectly the tail will either rip out or completely fall out. You must find the perfect balance between looseness and tightness so you neither loose circulation in the tail bone, nor have all the hair rip out while it is in use. This could require practice.
The tail bone is found at the top side of the thumb demonstrating that the braid starts a few inches lower. Notice how loose the beginning of the braid is, then it becomes tighter.
Step 3)
At the top of your braid separate the first two braid strands. Take the braid and wrap it through the top of the braid to create a loop as shown in the photo below.
Step 4)
Cut about a foot and a half of vet-wrap from your roll and carefully wrap the loop created in the last step; pictured in the photo below. This step assures that the bailing twine you will use does not rub against the hairs of the tail and wear them off.
Step 5)
Carefully tie the bailing twine onto the vet-wrapped loop. Make sure that the middle of the bundle of twine is tied on the loop so that it is even on both sides. Tighten the knot as much as possible so it does not loosen later on.
Step 6)
Unravel the beginning of your vet-wrap about a foot and slip it through the top of the loop where you slipped the braid through. This will create a makeshift seal for the rest of your wrap and prevent dirt from getting in. After you have sealed the top simply wrap your vet-wrap up and down the braid loop. Make sure you wrap every part; from the very bottom of the twine not, to the top of the braid loop. Do NOT wrap onto the tailbone! All of your vet-wrap will be used.
Step 7)
Cut off any access twine that is touching the ground. Measure this out by pulling the tail straight to the floor and cutting the twine even with the horse’s fetlocks. Lastly, take down your horse’s feathers and gently comb them out with your fingers.
Your show horse is now ready for pasture!
