Start with a clean tail if possible.

If your horse's tail has become very tangled and dirty, then it may be appropriate to wash it. (Will you break off too much hair trying to get the mud and tangles out? If this looks likely, then go ahead and wash.) You may not need shampoo: see if you can soften and rinse away the dried mud with plain water, then use a conditioner (I prefer ones that rinse out to ones that you're supposed to leave in).

Always let the water run downward, and stroke shampooing and conditioning products in downward, with the hair, not against it. Don't try to detangle while you're washing - just don't make the tangles worse by rubbing the hairs backward.

Let the tail dry fairly thoroughly. The hairs are more easily stretched and broken when wet. If the tail drags the ground, try putting a loose knot into it to keep if from getting muddy again.

Start at the ends.

Gently (!!) lift the tail at the end of the dock and see how it falls. There are probably parts of the tail that seem to cluster together, perhaps curling.

Begin by taking a cluster closest to the horse, and carefully loosening it at the very ends of the hairs. Work your way up the hairs, gently separating a few at a time from one another. Work your fingers up the hairs so that they eventually float freely down from the dock, and work with as few hairs at once as you can stand (one hair at a time would be "ideal" but not really practical). Work your way out from the tailhead towards the end of the dock.

If your horse will not allow you to handle his dock, do not attempt this. You're missing a basic building block, and will need to take him back to a much earlier starting point.

Concerning Products...

There are many good products available in catalogs and tack stores. I'm not getting any endorsement fees from any of them, so if I recommend any particular product, it's because I've had good experience with it.



It is best to stick with equine products, because they have been formulated to be compatible with horses' skins. I'll make two exceptions to this:



One - a shampoo called Orvus, which is actually made for cattle, does a wonderful job on horses, too, and is less expensive.



Two - I've used Suave conditioner on my horses' tails and found it to be effective... and cost-effective.



However, I'm going to repeat myself often: try products for yourself. See what you like and what seems to do the best job on your horse. For grays and white stockings or socks, there's a line of products called Exhibitor's Quic-Silver with bluing agents that really bring out the whites. I've used a shampoo called Man O'War that was terrific. See what you like.



There are some links on the Related Links page to some well-known equine products suppliers. Let me know if you have others to recommend.

Listen first, whisper later...