Dry Mane and Tail

Hayburner
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Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:49 pm

My mares mane is still in pretty good shape, but her tail is a mess! IT used to be so full and thick! I don't know what happened, as I never brush it, I only use my fingers to groom it. I have a few suspicions, but my goal now is to get it to grow nice and thick again. I was able to wash it last week, which due to it being winter, it hadn't been washed since Oct.

My first line of repair is to ban all products with any form of silicone. Yes, even Cowboy Magic and Pony Locks.
Use only moisturizing type shampoos and conditioners. For detangling, I'll just keep using my fingers and maybe use a leave on conditioner in it to help keep it untangled.

I just bought some of the Shea Moisture (people) products that contain Castor Oil. There are tons of utube videos with people using castor oil on their own hair for growth and conditioning purposes. So, I thought I'd give this line a try.

Has anyone used castor oil or any Shea Moisture products on their horses hair? Did it help?

I have also bought a few of the Ecolicious products which are silicone free, just haven't used them yet.

Any suggestions for growing back her tail? I do keep her udders and under her dock clean and she's not rubbing her tail at all.

Thanks !

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Fatcat
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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Fatcat » Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:00 pm

I use a kids detangler product called Shea Moisture Kids Extra-Moisturizer detangler in my horse and ponies manes and tails. Works well and doesn't dry them out.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:18 pm

Hi fatcat, i have found the best prices on this product line to be at TJ Max or Marshalls. I'm hoping it helps to hydrate her tail.

I
The label states, no animal testing, maybe I should tell them I animal tested! Lol

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby lorilu » Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:36 am

I have used some of the "Cholesterol" products found in the Ethnic Hair Care aisle. Queen Helene is one brand I think. It comes in a jar. Use it like a mask - really seems to work.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby piedmontfields » Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:06 pm

Two things seem helpful with my mare's tail:

1. Keep it fairly clean and heavily conditioned. After washing, I put a generous amount of regular human grade organic hair conditioner on it and *leave it in*. This helps it shed dirt and stay tangle free. I especially like conditioners with a fair bit of coconut oil in them. I find that conditioners work better than straight coconut oil, but some people use that instead.

2. Look at your horse's diet. I have found improved hair and hoof growth when I add a seaweed/kelp supplement (ex. Source, Hilton's Hoof and Health).

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:39 pm

Lorilu - Last summer I did use some of the ethnic products on her and they seemed, just ok. I didn't get her mane/tail washed frequently enough since she was on stall rest all summer.

Piedmontfields - I think some of the damage she has is because she didn't get her mane/tail thoroughly washed. I did use microfiber rags and water to clean it up, and I did try touse straight coconut oil on it. I wasn't impressed with the CO. She's Andalusian and the texture of her hair is very course - oils just want to run off of it - they don't see penetrate at all. That's why I tried some of the ethnic products, I was hoping they would penetrate better. I just started using the Healthy Horse moisturizer, even if it doesn't detangle it it might help with the dryness.

As for her diet, I'm sure her hair suffered from no turnout/grass. I did add the Omega Equine Complete but I had to stop in the winter as the bottle would freeze. I will be adding that back in now that the weather is improving.

I'm hoping the Shea Moisturizer really helps and it can penetrate deeply. The one I got can be used as a leave-in.

I can't wait to get her in the wash stall and give her a really good deep cleaning!

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Chisamba » Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:03 pm

i believe that diet health is the primary benefit to healthy hair, mane and tail included. However I do try to return the horses coat to as close to a neutral ph as possible to maintain hair and pore health.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby StraightForward » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:07 pm

I will have to look for one of these Shea products. With Maya's scrubby little appy tail, I settled on washing and conditioning, then using coconut oil once it was dried, and sealing the whole thing with Cowboy Magic. That protocol has been working well for Obie and Pickle, but doesn't seem to be the best for Annabelle, who has this sort of frizzy mane hair and stick-straight tail hair that doesn't like to absorb moisture, but does seem to love dirt. Her tail has grown a lot since I bought her, but I'd like it to look nicer and feel silkier.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:35 pm

I have friends that swear by Cowboy Magic - I've used it on my other horse but was afraid to use it on my mare because of the silicone.

I have also heard that as long as you moisturizer the hair first, then use the Cowboy Magic it actually seals the moisture in.

Wish I knew if there was actual proof and truth in this....

Chisamba - Her diet except for not grazing didn't change, it probably has improved from when I bought her. She was in a herd, with round bales and no grain.

I just think many factors affected her tail hair breakage/thinness. Her mane which I have really neglected is fine. A bit cruddy from winter and on the dry side too, but it's still super thick!

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby StraightForward » Sat Mar 03, 2018 3:53 pm

Hayburner wrote:I have friends that swear by Cowboy Magic - I've used it on my other horse but was afraid to use it on my mare because of the silicone.

I have also heard that as long as you moisturizer the hair first, then use the Cowboy Magic it actually seals the moisture in.


Of course I don't know, but it's my theory. Even if the CM dries the tail a little, I think keeping the hair smooth and slippery helps prevent breakage from simple things like catching against a fence when swishing flies and things like that.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Kyra's Mom » Sun Mar 04, 2018 1:43 am

Diet wise, since she was on stall rest and not much pasture...maybe she needs a boost of Vitamin E?

My mare's tail is very thick and long. In the winter I always put it up in a tail bag. Dirt, mud and muck can be very drying and the tail bag seems to save the majority of her tail from seeping in whatever muck is around. I washed tail her before I braided it and bagged it in November. It has been too cold to wash (at least when I had time to wash it) and I just respray with some detangler (Canter Mane and Tail is my preference if it is thawed out) or just brush it out, rebraid and apply the tail bag. I have already whacked off about 3 inches this winter. It grows fast if the ends don't get dry and break off.

Once the mud mostly dries out, I take it off for the summer so she has all it's gloriousness to swat flies. It usually gets a little ragged but not bad and then in the winter we go back to the bag. I typically take it out, rebraid and bag about every 2-3 weeks.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:24 pm

Kryramom, after she had her foal (almost 2 years ago) I had her Vit E & selenium levels checked. She was very low, tho her Selenium level was good. I got the NanoE and gave her high doses for many, many months. Had her re-checked in the fall (right after she allowed turnout again) and her level of Vit E was in normal range. I changed her over Elevate dosing 3k per day.
I plan on keeping her at this level forever!

A friend suggested I put her tail in a bag as you do, but I was worried about maintaining it and maybe inadvertently causing more damage. Maybe next fall, I should bag it!

Yesterday, I cleaned it with wet towels and put in some of the shea moisture leave in conditioner, hopefully it will keep the ends from drying out. I am also keeping it a little short so she doesn't step on it.

Thanks for your suggestions! I'll be checking iTunes on how to use a tail bag.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Fatcat » Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:17 pm

Kyra's Mom wrote:Diet wise, since she was on stall rest and not much pasture...maybe she needs a boost of Vitamin E?

My mare's tail is very thick and long. In the winter I always put it up in a tail bag. Dirt, mud and muck can be very drying and the tail bag seems to save the majority of her tail from seeping in whatever muck is around. I washed tail her before I braided it and bagged it in November. It has been too cold to wash (at least when I had time to wash it) and I just respray with some detangler (Canter Mane and Tail is my preference if it is thawed out) or just brush it out, rebraid and apply the tail bag. I have already whacked off about 3 inches this winter. It grows fast if the ends don't get dry and break off.

Once the mud mostly dries out, I take it off for the summer so she has all it's gloriousness to swat flies. It usually gets a little ragged but not bad and then in the winter we go back to the bag. I typically take it out, rebraid and bag about every 2-3 weeks.

Susan


My mare pees on her tail and makes a terrible mess out of it. Would a tail bag help? What brand/style do you use?

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Tue Mar 06, 2018 2:27 pm

Fatcat - My mare also seems to get some pee on hers too! It seems worse in the winter with her blankets/tail flap.

I do wonder if the pee contributes to some of the breakage?

MARES !!!!!

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Fatcat » Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:20 pm

Hayburner wrote:Fatcat - My mare also seems to get some pee on hers too! It seems worse in the winter with her blankets/tail flap.

I do wonder if the pee contributes to some of the breakage?

MARES !!!!!


It doesn't seem to matter whether it's winter or summer (w/o clothes), she has a long heavy tail (Morgan), and just doesn't lift it out of the way. It's really icky. I'd have to wash it weekly to keep it halfway clean. I do trim it every time I wash it, and that seems to help. Next time I wash it I'm really going to bang it much shorter, halfway between her hocks and fetlocks. That should keep it cleaner I hope. Maybe I'll do that today, we're supposed to have a 60* day.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Kyra's Mom » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:35 pm

Yes, the tail bag definitely helps. Kyra's tail is gross and peed on if I don't braid and bag it in the winter...especially if she is wearing a blanket with a tail flap :P .

I use this type. https://www.sstack.com/horse-care-tail- ... %20Desktop
Very easy to maintain. Braid the tail, put it in the bag, thread the ties of the bag through the braid and tie.

I even do a modified braid in the summer due to the pee issue. The upper 'skirt' of her tail is long enough that she pees on that year round. So, I braid only the skirt in a single braid (not as fancy as a hunter tail braid but in the same place) to get it out of the way. I don't like to braid the whole tail in the summer due to the tail activity for fly swishing. I feel it breaks too much hair. The little braid down the top doesn't seem to get too much stress when she swishes.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:48 pm

I think you have convinced me to bag it next winter. I know what the mud does to dry out my hands so I'm sure it is contributing to the dryness of her tail.

As for the modified braid in the upper skirt - do you have to unbraid it fairly frequently? I had left braids in her mane last summer for a few weeks and when I took them out, I took out a lot of hair too....YIKES.....Luckily, her mane is soooo thick it didn't matter. I like her mane long, so I do have to either braid in single braids or do a running braid every couple of days. I'm going to polish up my skills for the running braid, the top near her poll always falls out, it's not really long in that area. I also don't like to make it too tight so that probably contributes to it getting loose and not staying in the braid.

Once the weather breaks and I can really wash and condition it, ill keep you guys posted on how the Shea Moisture products work for softness and growth.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Kyra's Mom » Thu Mar 08, 2018 5:39 am

I re-do the modified summer braid every 2-3 weeks just like the big braid for the bag. It doesn't take long. I haven't every removed much hair...any more than usual. I am not one of those that never takes a brush or comb to mane and tail. I for sure don't do them every day but I do give it a good brush with some kind of slippery product (Canter Mane and Tail is my fave) every couple weeks.

She is 1/2 Andalusian so apparently only the back half got the Andy hair gene. Her mane is pretty pathetic and always has been. About 1/3 down her neck she has a nice thick and longer section of mane and the rest leaves a lot to be desired (thin and the top and bottom 1/3 aren't very long) so I don't brush her mane very often. It did get longer this winter and I barely touched it (poor thing, I feel like I barely touched any of her :P ).

I will try to get a picture of her center fire braid-lette.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Hayburner » Thu Mar 08, 2018 3:52 pm

Krya's Mom - My goal is to lose NO HAIR !

I do think the Andalusian's have very coarse hair. I watch my friends with their warmbloods use brushes and combs rather roughly and they don't lose much hair. Their tails stay long, thick and soft. I don't think I've ever had her tail feeling "soft".
Even though I hand pick the knots out, in one day they are back again, mostly at the bottom.
I can't wait to give her a nice long bath where I can really scrub her mane and tail and leave conditioner in it for a few extra minutes.

Yes, a picture of how you do the center braid would be helpful.

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Re: Dry Mane and Tail

Postby Tuddy » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:23 pm

Ecolicious products are great. I used them on myself too. But, as stated, before, quality hair growth comes from the inside, and you seem to know what you need to put in your horse's diet to help her mane and tail. Good Luck! :)


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