How to help your horse’s tail grow!

 

A horse’s tail length is determined by lots of factors. Genetics, his environment, nutrition, and care. All hair grows according to a TIME schedule – not a length schedule. More on that topic here! In order to get a long tail, you have to have the existing and future tail be healthy and damage-free. Magic lotions CAN protect the hair that he already has from breakage, damage, and if it’s conditioned enough, from getting too tangled and caught on things.

 

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This Friesian sport horse has a naturally long tail. Thanks, genetics!

 

We can’t do a lot about genetics, but we can about the environment, nutrition, and care. It’s up to you to make sure his environment is OK for his tail.

 

• Are the paddock fences smooth, or are there lots of places for tail hairs to get caught and ripped out? Is he turned out with other horses that nip at his rump and tail? Does your horse like to rub his tail? You can check out a previous article on Tail Rubbing for more information on how to prevent and treat this.

 

As far as tail care is concerned, there are a few things you can to do help his short tail grow out a bit.

 

• Think of it as the most fragile thing ever, and therefore should never see a brush. Only use your favorite detangler in moderation and your fingers to pick through.

 

• Another school of thought says that you should brush his tail daily, to prevent huge tangles and help spread his natural oils down the tail shaft.

 

• If your horse’s tail is often dirty and muddy, you may want to consider the first method of leaving it alone for a few days then rinsing and detangling when you get rid of the mud.

 

Time will grow this tail out!

 

• Also, consider a loose braid or tail bag. My experience has been that the hairs may be protected in a braid inside of a tail bag, but your horse will lose some fly protection and may rub his tail more. This will be an experiment for you to figure out.

 

In the nutrition department, in Kentucky Performance Products. Here are some suggestions for tail growth from the inside out!!

 

• “Certain nutrients, such as omega fatty acids; the trace minerals zinc, copper and iodine; the essential amino acids lysine and methionine (found in high-quality proteins) and the B vitamin biotin, must be present in the correct amounts in a horse’s diet or skin, hooves, and hair will suffer. Getting the right balance is key, more is not always better. Take selenium, for instance, this trace mineral must be properly balanced in the diet, too much selenium can cause toxicity which leads to hair loss in the mane and tail, among other symptoms.”

 

 

A long tail makes for a handy fly swatter…

• Pasture grass will help with the nutrition end of things, and if this is not available, please work with your veterinarian and equine nutritionist to address any dietary questions you have.

 

 

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