Manes and Tails
October 17, 2011
Keeping them clean goes a long way.
Keeping your horse's mane and tail clean will keep him from rubbing it out. Journal photo
From The American Quarter Horse Journal
It is so frustrating when you walk out to the barn and find your horse with a chunk of his mane or tail gone.
Though there is no miracle cure for the problem, there are ways to prevent your horse from rubbing out his mane and tail in the future.
The biggest thing in keeping a horse from rubbing out his hair is to keep it clean.
Fungus and insects are the main reason horses rub their manes, so keeping them free of these bugs will make them less likely to rub and tear out the hair.
When you first get a horse in your barn, wash out his mane and tail with an antibacterial shampoo. If the horse already has a portion of his mane rubbed out, you need to identify why he rubs it. It could just be dirt from the pasture, but if it is a fungus, you need to clear that up right away. If it is mites or lice, you will have to use something to kill the insects.
After you have washed the mane and tail, rinse out all of the shampoo. Use some kind of light oil to soothe dryness. Some horses are allergic to the fragrance in baby oil, so mineral oil is a good option.
Although EVA is rarely lethal to horses, it can play havoc with your breeding program, as its greatest danger lies in mares aborting their pregnancies. Learn how to manage and prevent it with AQHA’s EVA: A Manageable Problem FREE report.
When it comes to training a horse’s mane to lie down or waiting for parts to grow out, you have to be careful with braiding the mane. If you braid it too tight, it could irritate the skin, and the horse will itch and have a tendency to rub out the braids after a week or so. To avoid this, use heavy petroleum jelly rather than braiding to train manes. Also, after you have banded a mane, it is important to take out the bands when you are done, so the horse doesn’t try to rub out the bands.
If you use hoods, make sure they are lined with satin to keep the hood from rubbing the mane. Avoid sharing hoods between horses because this can pass fungus and insects from horse to horse. It’s also a good idea to have separate combs and brushes for each horse to keep from spreading skin problems and to wash the combs and brushes regularly.
It may take a month or so to grow back a rubbed-out section of mane, and there is really no miracle to grow it back faster.
How do you find out if your horse is EVA positive? The FREE EVA: A Manageable Problem report discusses the tests and scenarios of positive and elevated readings. You’ll learn how to determine whether a horse is contagious.
If you have a horse who rubs his tail at the top, he probably has pinworms, which are common in babies. A strong parasite control program will remedy this problem.
Babies will chew on other’s tails, but there are some commercial products that keep them from it. You can spray tabasco sauce or Coppertox on the tail to make the chewers dislike the taste. There are a lot of remedies out there for tail chewing. Make sure not to spray the product on the bone, though, because it will irritate the skin, causing the horse to rub. You need to wash out these products and reapply them often.
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30 Comments on “Manes and Tails”
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October 17th, 2011 at 5:39 am
How do you untangle a knotted tail on a pasture kept outside horse?
October 17th, 2011 at 7:08 am
cowboy magic detangler and your hands; dispense a generous amount of cowboy magic into the palm of your hands and on tail hairs, then begin at top of tail and sort hair out of tangle, a few hairs at a time. a clean tail kept in a tail sock/bag is always easier to comb thru.
October 17th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Just a suggestion/correction to the above comment: Start at the BOTTOM of the tail and gently use your fingers to pull tangles apart using plenty of detangler as you go and work your way to the tail bone. Also a common product we use at our competition barn for horses who itch there tails is mouthwash, after washing, conditioning and detangling we just pour a small capful onto the top of the tail bone where they commonly itch. You don’t have to use the strong menthol stuff either, just the regular will do. It kills the itch therefore they stop rubbing. We have never had a horse react to it either, and it stops chronic tail rubbers.
October 17th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Is there a special kind of shampoo i should use if my horse is scratching the top of her tail because of dandrift?
October 17th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
My horse’s tail is very short and it doesnt seem to be growing at all and the top looks rubbed a bit. He is outside all year and i don’t see any bugs. Is there a product that is good for most types of fungus and/or skin conditions?
October 17th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I like EQYSS for fungus. It comes in a black bottle with neon pink and blue writing. They have a shampoo and a gel that both work wonders. We used to use the gel and a tooth brush for face fungus. You can use the shampoo for body or tail fungus.
October 17th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
So…how do you keep them from rubbing mane off from sticking it through the fence? Unfortunately hotwire isn’t an option
October 17th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Ashton, you need to make sure that the dandruff isn’t actually skin flaking due to disease. This summer we had very humid weather and I had my horses pastured. One of them ended up losing half her tail, because she had rain rot, which makes the skin flake off, looking a lot like dandruff. There are also mites and fungi that cause the skin to flake like dandruff would.
October 17th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
I agree with Lauren. Cowboy Magic works wonders! Makes easy work of removing burrs as well. & I too find it much easier & faster to start at the bottom & work my way up.
October 17th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
So how do you keep them from sticking their head through the fence and rubbing it off that way? Hotwire unfortunately is not an option
October 17th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
For knots due to burs, etc from out in the pasture I would soak the burs at the knot with mineral oil and let them set while I cleaned feet or others parts. After a few minutes they would comb right out. I also start at the bottom of the tail when detangling knots, just like I do with my own long hair
October 17th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I’ve found that corn starch works well in loosening tough knots in tails. I sprinkle it on the knot, massage it in and loosen with my fingers until I can brush through…
October 17th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Gypsie, I have this problem with my mare. I got her a hood and a mane tamer. I switch them out when one or the other has to be washed. Other than that, I put fencing between the bars so she can’t stick her head through. Once I finish my fencing I won’t need the hood anymore. Haven’t found a way to keep her from sticking her head through other than that.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:41 am
For a horse who itches their head etc on fences I’d put up a reinforced poles with a itching pad on it. I’ve heard of carpet being used for it but I think that would habour problems, you do get rubber itching pads which don’t do as much damage to the tails etc. I also found this summer my leg with a really heavy mane and tail rubbed simply because he was too hot.
October 18th, 2011 at 3:49 am
I’ve got carpet attached to trees and post where i have seen them scratch and rub. It works great for them.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:52 am
I use Head and Shoulders for sensitive scalp on my gelding who has a dry tail and mane. It works great and makes the hair soft. He’s a show horse so doesn’t turn out a whole lot but wash both every two weeks at a min. To avoid rubbing the tail, keep teets and sheath really clean. When it gets dirty it itches and the only thing they can do is rub the tail. I’ve grown out a couple of tails this way and they look awesome!
October 18th, 2011 at 7:01 am
WHEN YOU CAN NOT WASH OUT THE MANE AND TAIL ,I LIVE IN SYRACUSE N.Y. AND IT IS TOO COLD TO WASH OUT A MANE OR TAIL, HOW WOULD YO KEEP THEM CLEAN ?? I HAVE TWO THAT LIKE TO RUB THERE MANES..HOPE YOU CAN HELP ..THANK YOU
October 18th, 2011 at 7:35 am
I have discovered that a detangler and your fingers work wonders and it dosent pull on his as much as brushing it out!!
October 18th, 2011 at 8:51 am
I have used spray “PAM” to remove knots and burrs from manes and tails. A good rinse with fabric softener helps and smells good too.
October 19th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
For those in the cold climates and cannot wash mane or tail…I have found that for tangles take a spray bottle- mix regular people conditioner and water (approx a 50-50 mix) and spray. You can detangle from the bottom up just like we do with our hair. Best thing- you can use all sorts of conditioner, coconut, strawberry etc. Helps condition their hair, nontoxic, lessens breakage from tail switching or brushing and you dont have to wash it out. I would not use on their body due to leaving oils in- too oily on rest of hair. Hope this helps for the Notherners!
October 26th, 2011 at 10:49 am
When I first got my gelding he had the worst mane that would break off if you even looked at it. I took my conditioner and mixed it with 3/4 of a bottle of water. I sprayed it on his mane once a week and then rinsed it out after 5 min. it did wonders
October 26th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Cowboy Magic and even WD40 (in extreme circumstances) can work miracles on a badly knotted tail!
October 26th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
An easy and inexpensive way to remove burrs and untangle hair is to use a SILICON SPRAY can! It works wonder and is much less expensive than Cowboy Magic.
October 26th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
For tail tangles, I’ve used baby detangler & VO5 conditioner. I don’t believe that either product tests on animals & for fungus spots at the top of the tail, I’ve used a sweet smelling powder that we had for rescue pups when they contracted ringworm. It is potent, but resolves the issue & relieves the itch. I just pat it on & rub it in. Sorry, its out at the barn but if anyone is interested, let me know so I can write down the name. It comes in grams & works!
October 27th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
My horse only rubs the top of her tail in the summer. I keep her tail clean and conditioned and I have her on rotational wormer. I use TMG to try and stop the itching but it doesnt seem to work. Any suggestions?
October 29th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Nancy, my guys get sweaty at the tail during the summer & rub them. The product I referred to in an earlier comment is Griseofulvin Micronized, 1 gram powder. Someone let a pregnant Boston Terr. go on a country lane where coyotes are. We took her in & she had 7 surviving pups who acquired ring worm weeks later from exposure? outside of our home. This product was wonderful & the left over is what I dab on my horses when they display itching & discomfort at their tail. It works & yes, my guys are rotationally wormed religiously, so I know this is a heat fungus of sorts or something that this med (at your vet offc) remedies. Hope this is helpful. The other comments had very good techniques for manes & tails, as well. Good luck.
October 30th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I use “SHAPLEY’S ORIGINAL M-T-G” to keep my horses from rubbing their manes and tales – IT IS FANTASTIC! – it works even if you can’t wash their manes and tails because of the cold weather. I apply it directly to the base of their manes and tails and rub it in with my fingers and then comb it through the manes and tails. After the itch/rubbing has cleared up, I use it regularly about once a week to condition the manes and tails. Great stuff!
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Shirley,
In the winter I use a spray called Healthy Haircare. Its pink and you dilute it in water. It works great for green spots and stuff as well. Also if I get a chance I was twice a month and just put a cooler on after while they dry. The healthy haircare works great on the body as well. After I work them I usually spray that on them and brush them down and put a cooler on them and it makes their coat look great. Hope this helps
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Another good conditioner to remove knots is Mane and Tail Detangler spray,I spray it in and let it set for like 10 mins and then I start to detangle with my fingers and a wide tooth comb. Also if you have Cowboy Magic put a generous amount on the knot and work it in and leave it for a few hours and then start to work then knot. I now this work because I had broodmare in the pasture that came in with dread locks in their mane and tail.
December 19th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Hello…I have draft horses that grow pretty heavy manes and they scratch all year long..In Fact one had about 1/2 of his mane left.I started hanging carpet everywhere there was concrete of wood and that helped but…I started using apple cider vinegar(straight)in a misting spray bottle all over their bodies to help with the itch from the little noseomes (a small annoying bug)turns out that not only did it heal their skin completely from the bites, it also kept them away. They stopped scratching and their coats were sooooo shiny, I couldnt believe it.. I pour it straight down through the mane and tail and rub it in right up next to the skin deep, about once a month, daily i spray it all over to keep bugs away, it takes about 15 minutes but you will see the bugs disappear. I use a cloth and wipe it around their eyes and ears inside and out, they dont like the smell at first but they do get used to it, they actually come for it now..(but took all summer)of doing it every day but man..it works well and they just shine, plus it is a natural product(pure 100% apple cider vinegar that comes in a large jug for about 6 bucks up here in canada)..It also works for bacterial infections, small wounds or gashes (doesn’t sting them. I researched it well before using it and it is safe for almost anything.. kills any kind of bacteria or fungus…So it would be worth it to try if it works..
Good luck Horse owners from the northern folk