How to Braid a Draft Horse Tail

Decorating a draft horse is a tradition tracing back to the days when the heavy horses were used in battle and ladies gave knights ribbons from their hair to tie into the horses' manes for luck. Later, draft horses were used to move merchandise; the most colorfully decorated horse and wagon impressed buyers. Adding mane rolls and tail buns to the horse's decoration put a polished look to the entire outfit.

Things You'll Need

  • Tail comb
  • Long shoelace or hemp twine
  • Scissors
  • Elastic tail decoration
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Instructions

  1. Draft Horse Tail Bun

    • 1
      Shampoo &towel dry

      Shampoo the horse's tail and rinse thoroughly. Wring out and towel dry the hair, but leave damp to make working with it easier. Separate two sections of hair from each side of the top of the tailbone and comb thoroughly to remove any tangles.

    • 2
      Wooden tail comb

      Comb the hair in the middle upward as high as it will go between the two side sections. The middle section of hair from the bottom of the tail should be bigger than the two side sections. When you start braiding, you can borrow hair from the larger section to add to the smaller sections until all are approximately the same width.

    • 3
      Three-strand braided mane

      Cross the two side sections in front of the middle section that has been combed upward. Bring the middle section down on top of the two crossed side sections to start a three-strand braid. Braid to 2 to 3 inches from the end of the hair. Fold shoelace or twine in half and place the fold behind the last two turns made in the braid. Add one end of the shoelace or twine to the left section of the braid and one end to the right section.

    • 4
      Shoelaces

      Continue braiding, working the shoelace or twine into each turn. Pinch the end of the braid with one hand and use the other hand to separate one piece of shoelace or twine from the tail hair. Loop the shoelace or twine over the top of the braid and pass the loose end behind the braid, pulling it through the loop in the shoelace or twine. Pull the shoelace or twine to create a knot that will resemble a half-hitch knot. Repeat to tie a second knot, which will secure the shoelace or twine and prevent it from slipping off the end of the hair.

    • 5
      Gather loose hairs

      Bend the braid under itself and push the loose end from the bottom, up through the base, between the braid and tailbone. Pull the braid through as far as possible. Hold the braid up with one hand while using the other to grip the sides of the tail and slide it down the tailbone. This will gather all the loose hairs, smoothing them down and in toward the base of the braid.

    • 6
      Scissors

      Keep holding onto the base of the braid with one hand, using the other hand to wrap the end of the braid tightly around the bottom of the braid to form a bun. Continue wrapping until all the hair has been wrapped around the base of the braid. Wrap the ends of the shoelace or twine in opposite directions around the bun several times and tie in a braiding square knot. Cut off the long ends of the shoelace or twine, leaving a small amount on each side to prevent the knot from coming untied.

    • 7
      Add a decorative bow

      Finish the braided tail bun with an elastic tail bow to match the mane roll by securing the elastic around the base of the bun.