Fake Tails

Who would have imagined that fake tails would become the new “norm” in the hunter ring? Not me! As funny as I thought it was in the beginning, I have quickly come to love the new look of full, beautiful tails. Fake tails are NOT required!! Don’t have one for your horse or pony? No big deal – that is totally fine! If you don’t want to purchase, some braiders have tail rentals! Here are some helpful hints and tricks when it comes to all things “Tail”.

Purchasing Your Fake Tail:

Many factors need to be considered when buying a fake tail for your horse/pony.

- Is it the correct length? Measure your horse or ponies REAL tail, starting a few inches ABOVE the bottom of the dock of the tail, measuring down to the bottom of their dry, groomed, and combed out tail. Tails can always be trimmed, but hair can never be added (unless sent off to a professional). 

- Is it the correct weight? Weighted tails have become more and more popular. This helps your mount keep his tail in a more “natural” state, rather than holding it off to the side while jumping around a course of jumps. Weighted tails CAN be too heavy! We have to be very conscious of protecting the real tail from any potential damage caused by being braided too often with a fake tail that is too heavy for the build of the horses natural tail. 

- Is the tail real horse hair or plastic? Sometimes, it is very difficult to tell what is real horse hair and what is artificial. Real horse hair is going to be lighter, bouncy, fluffy, and of course, more “natural”. A plastic tail is going to be a little stringy, less flowy, and depending on the color of the tail, sometimes a little “dainty” (only because each plastic strand is going to be thicker, heavier, and more dense than the real hair). The plastic tails are perfectly fine, but the real horse hair flows naturally with the real tail, encouraging the illusion that there is, in fact, no fake tail at all!

- How is the tail made at the top? There is no “wrong” tail – some are just easier to accomplish the more “natural” look that we strive for! We all always do our very best to completely hide and blend the fake tail with the real tail, but there are some makes that make that more of a possibility!

 Knob – Less ideal. The large knob on the top of the tail can sometimes be very difficult to hide. Depending on the horse/ponies natural tail, the knob can stick out, produce a “hump” in the bottom of the braid, and sometimes make the braided tail look less appealing than not using a fake at all. There is almost always a way to make this kind of tail work, but to ensure a more natural look while in the showring, I would suggest sending these to a professional to get re-sewn into a more natural looking loop.

Natural Loop – Ideal. This is a much easier tail finish to hide! It allows the braid to properly surround it without a drastic and noticeable change in the actual braid. Depending on how high the fake needs to be placed into the French braid, there can be little to no change in the French braid at all, leaving a more natural and “fakeless tail” look. 

 Tapered – Most ideal. This is the best kind of finish to have on your fake tail. It is the most natural looking when inserted into the French braid and can be inserted in the French braid easier and more efficiently than the other two tail finishes. 

Inserting/Using a fake tail:

Every braider is going to have their own way of doing things. We all have a tweek here and there that may be slightly different than the next. There is NO WRONG WAY of doing something. If it works, and it stays, it is correct! But, like everything else, there are pros and cons to each way a tail is hung. 

- Braiding the fake to the dock of the tail before starting the French braid. Less ideal. This is the way I personally began hanging fake tails. It was fine, until it was not! I thought this was the easiest way so that I didn’t have to keep up with a fake tail while I was braiding the actual tail. It was already in there and ready to go – nice, right? Right. Until the horse takes a really hard jump, steps on the fake, or gets it caught on something and rips it right out – hair and all!! This is not only painful and embarrassing, but it leaves a bald spot in the middle of the dock. It took ONE TIME for one of my tails to get ripped out before I realized I needed to learn another way of hanging a fake tail!

- Pulling up fake through the French braid when braid is complete. Ideal. This is a preferred way by many braiders. The real tail is braided all the way down to the bottom of the dock of the tail and completed with either a wrap-around or a pinwheel. Then, a long “pull through” tool is used to pull the fake tail up inside the finished French braid. The tail is then secured by double knotting the wool/yarn onto the actual French braid. With the fake being tied to the French braid, it is more secure, and the weight is distributed on a larger surface area – making the weight of the fake more comfortable for the horse/pony. Personally, I do NOT like this method. The French braid is already tight, and depending on the thickness and make of the fake tail, pulling up through the finished braid CAN make the French braid too tight, causing hair to get ripped out, encouraging the horse/pony to rub, and even sometimes cutting off circulation. This method is very difficult to do when the fake tail has a “Knob” finish.

- Hanging the fake tail DURING the French braid. Most ideal. This is MY preferred way of hanging fake tails. I eyeball about where I need the fake tail to hang (see explanation below). This is where I will pause in my braiding process to insert the fake tail to my French braid with wool/yarn that has already been double knotted. This is very secure, as the weight of the tail is being held by the braid itself. When the fake tail is hung, I continue my French braid and finish the braid by braiding around the top of the fake tail and using either a pinwheel or wrap-around to complete the look of my braid. My braid is now tight, it includes the fake tail, and it is not too tight and uncomfortable for the horse/pony – best of all worlds, right? 

Knowing where to insert the fake tail:

The point of a fake tail is adding thickness and volume to your mounts flowing tail without making it look altered in any way. This is where purchasing the correct length of tail comes into play (it is very important). When deciding where to insert the fake tail, you want to focus on the actual DOCK of the tail – not the bottom of the tail! You want the top of the fake tail to be braided between 1-6 inches INSIDE the French braid – in other words, you want a good bit of the fake tail to be CONNECTED to the actual dock of the tail. This ensures that the fake tail will move naturally with the rest of the flowing tail beneath your French braid. If the fake tail hangs BELOW the dock of the tail (in attempt to match the bottom of the fake with the bottom of the real tail) and out of the French braid, the fake will move in opposite directions from the actual tail – this makes for a huge distraction and is quite unpleasant. Matching the fake with the dock is more important than matching with the length of the real tail. The real tail grows every day and may change length from show to show. As crazy a it may sound, it IS okay to trim the real tail!!!!

Fake Tail Care:

Fake tails need to be treated just as you would treat your horse/ponies real tail. It can be washed and conditioned (and should be regularly). Product does not need to be over used – a little bit of showsheen goes a long way. NO SKIN SO SOFT, OR SLICK PRODUCTS!!!!!! Fake tails cannot produce their own oils. Using a gentle shampoo with oils can be helpful in keeping your fake healthy. Lucky Braids all purpose shampoo is a great option.

Let your fake tail air out any time you can! It does not need to stay in the tail bag its entire life. This encourages the hair to stay light and flowy. Constant bagging causes breakage and damage to your fake. Keeping it properly groomed and hung makes for a beautifully kept fake. Please do not wrap fake tails in ACE bandages. This makes the tail dainty, breaks hairs, and is a huge pain for your braider. Let those tails be free!

Always ALWAYS keep a completed tail wrapped up while your horse/pony is in their stall. Wrap the dock of the tail to keep the braid neat and clean, and either braid the rest of the tail down or wrap the rest of the tail into the ACE bandage to keep it from getting stepping on if your horse/pony decides to lay down. 

Most fake tails can be found in your local Tack Store, but if you would like a custom tail made, I know a wonderful braider that makes beautiful tails! Happy Braiding everyone!

Don't EVER hesitate to reach out with any questions!