There are many ways to grow a mane and tail out, but your
end results will be determined by genetics and nutrition. It is impossible to have a thick, beautiful
mane and tail on a horse that does not have the genetic potential to do
so. On the same note, a horse that has
the potential for a great mane and tail will not be able to fulfill that
potential without the proper nutrition.
It is a whole lot like the different hair types in humans, you end up
with what your mother and father gave you, and your level of nutrition directly
affects the quality of hair that you get to make use of. So, before you begin to work to get that
beautifully thick mane and tail, you need to take an honest look at what you
have to begin with. Make sure that all
of your horse’s nutritional needs are being met, because no topical concoction
will do near as much for the hair health and growth as good as nutrition
will. Now that we have the genetics and
nutrition covered, we can move on to a couple of ways to help the hair grow out
and to protect it from breakage.
One of the most popular methods for growing out the mane and
tail is to braid them to help protect them from breakage. The downfall of braiding is that if the
braids are too wide or too tight, the braids will pull out or break the hairs
when the horse lowers it’s head to eat.
That is the opposite of what you are wanting. Another downfall is, if the braids are left
in too long, they can actually become tangles up, and the process of getting
them out can break or pull out the hair.
A reasonable time is two weeks maximum, anything longer and you risk
them tangling up. For the purpose of
growing out a mane, I like to use braids that are about an inch wide at the top
maximum. I braid them loosely where they
can expand some without pulling and breaking the hair. I want the hair clean, conditioned, and
dry. Do not use anything that has
silicone in it, like Show Sheen, on a regular basis. To remove tangles or for a show, it is ok,
but on a daily basis it will dry out and damage the hair. I like coconut oil worked into the mane
sparingly about once a week at most. It
will help moisturize the hair and make it manageable for braiding, but if you
use too much it will make the hair too slick to braid. I use electric tape to tie the braids at the
bottom, it does not degrade in the sun and just fall off like the rubber bands
and does not pull as much hair out either, when you remove them to take the braids
out. Since I am too lazy to remove the
braids weekly for the oil treatment, I will simply work the oil into the mane
bed. When I take the braids out, I will
let the hair rest for a day or two before braiding the hair back up.
As for braiding the tail, I do not personally like doing it,
but some people do. So, I will explain
how to. I want the tail clean, either
wash it completely or do a vinegar wash, conditioned, and dry. Work the coconut oil into it, again
sparingly, too much will make it too slick to braid. The braid needs to start at the end of the
dock, and be braided loosely to the end.
There are many options when braiding tails; just braiding it without a
bag, a braid in bag, a drop in bag, an old tube sock, or wrap the braid up in
vet wrap or Sarhan Wrap If you are doing
this during the summer, you do need to provide something for the horse to use
as a swatter, even if it is running hay string through the braid to kind of
replace their tails while it is braided up.
You will also need to keep the horse sprayed with fly spray, and I also
like providing them with a Rabon block as well.
Anything to help with reducing the fly population, right!?!? The tail braid is easier and less time
consuming to take down and put back up, so if I do braid I will do and re-do it
weekly. I will let the tail rest for a
day or so between taking it down and putting it back up.
The other option is growing out manes and tails is not
braiding them. This is the easier
option. I have heard to never brush the
mane or tail unless it is damp with some kind of conditioner, I have heard that
it should only be brushed dry, I have heard to not brush it at all but to pick it
out with your fingers. I’m going to
explain how I do my horses’ manes, everyday or every other day. If I need to use a leave in conditioner, I will
mix one part cheap human conditioner with one part water in a spray bottle,
shake well and spray on as needed.
**Check the ingredients for silicone or any –cone and try to avoid them
completely if possible. If you can not,
make sure that they are closer to the end of the list then the beginning, the
farther they are down the list, the less is in the mix. When I comb the mane or tail, I start at the
bottom and work my way up gradually. In
general, I use a wide toothed comb, but I keep a rat tailed comb to help pick
out tight knots, or any knots really. I
still do the weekly coconut oil treatments, but have found that after these
treatments the hair does not tangle as much.
I have also noticed that damp hair tends to stretch rather than break, but
healthy hair will not break as easily as dry hair anyway.
Regardless of what method you use to grow out your horse’s
mane and tail, there are factors that will determine your end results. The first factor is genetics. Without the right genetics, no amount of
nutrition and care will give you a thick, long mane and tail. The second factor is nutrition. Even with great genetics, without proper
nutrition the hair will never live up to it’s potential. If you take care of these two factors, you
will find that the mane and tail will grow better, with less care required from
you. Proper nutrition can remedy a
multitude of problems; the key is getting your horse on a balanced diet that
meets your horse’s daily requirements.
Find what works best for you and your horse and stick to it. I know that I have touched on genetics and
nutrition twice in this article, and that is because I want you to keep it in
mind as you read the article, and have it refreshed in your mind at the end of
it.
