How to Get Knots Out of a Horse's Tail

Letting your horse's tail grow long and flowing is tempting, but it also means running the risk of dealing with some serious knots and matting. Grass, dirt and small twigs can also become entangled, making your horse's tail a mess. But neigh, all is not lost. There are ways to get those knots out and keep them from coming back.

Things You'll Need

  • Bucket
  • Warm water
  • Halter
  • Leadrope
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Show Sheen or another leave-in horse conditioner
  • Wide-toothed metal comb
  • Narrow-toothed metal comb
  • A Rubber Band
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Instructions

  1. Clean the Tail

    • 1

      Fill a bucket with warm water.

    • 2

      Put a halter on your horse and tie him outside, preferably on wash rack (bathing area) if you have one.

    • 3

      Carry the bucket of water to your horse's tail by walking from his head toward his rump, touching him the whole time as you approach his rear.

    • 4

      Lift the bucket and submerge your horse's tail in the water.

    • 5

      Squirt a line of shampoo from the top to the end of your horse's tail and work into a lather.

    • 6

      Soak your horse's tail in the bucket again and rinse out the shampoo.

    • 7

      Squirt a line of conditioner from the top of his tail to the bottom and massage the conditioner throughout, especially focusing on the knots.

    • 8

      Take the wide-toothed comb and, with the conditioner still in his hair, begin combing through the tail starting at the ends to loosen the biggest of the knots.

    • 9

      Rinse out the conditioner by soaking your horse's hair in the bucket of water.

    Working on the Small Knots

    • 10

      Spray the Show Sheen or another leave-in horse conditioner on your horse's tail from root to tip.

    • 11

      Massage the conditioner into the knotted areas.

    • 12

      Pull apart as many of the knots as you can by hand, adding more show sheen as needed to make the hair slick and easy to manage.

    • 13

      Use the narrow-toothed comb to brush out the tail, starting at the ends and working your way up.

    • 14

      Braid your horse's tail by dividing it into three even-sized sections. Pass the right section over the middle section, then pass the left section over what is now the middle section. Repeat until you reach the end of the tail and tie it off with a rubber band.

    • 15

      Cover your horse's tail with the tail bag by putting his tail in the bag, then passing the clip through the top of the braid from back to front and clipping it closed.