[flyracing]

How do I take this tail - http://traceybajt.exposuremanager.co...ge8/bcm7-38437 - (click the box below to not leave your email) and make it into an appropriate hunter tail for next season?

[TheJenners]

Just leave it alone.

[WorthTheWait95]

It looks great. Banged tails are just fine in the hunters. I prefer the look personally (although I am a jumper rider).

[3rdrock]

Ditto, tail is great. Leave it alone.

[Gwendolyn]

Hold the end of the tail so the ends are pointed up in the air. Point your scissors straight down into the ends and snip away. Be careful you don't cut a huge chunk at once, it will leave an ugly spot, just clip a few hairs at a a time. It will shorten the tail, but it will look more natural.

[Sugarbrook]

I love banged tails. Almost all the pony hunters at Pony Finals had their tails banged.

[flyracing]

Really? I thought that gave me away as a crossoverer! Next year we hope to be doing only hunters so I thought we needed the "never cut the tail look", although if I actually left if alone he would just be draggging a banged tail on the ground and stepping on it... he's done it before and it comes out in chunks if not cut in time which is not really the look I'm going for.

Thanks for the help!

[Horseshowaddict]

Just leave it. You are seeing more and more banged tails in the hunters. I think due to the fact that in Europe they do it to all of them, so the imports doing the hunters sport the banged tail look. Also, I think the WB tails for the most part are just HUGE and its a much easier way for tail upkeep

[sixpoundfarm]

Also, I think the WB tails for the most part are just HUGE and its a much easier way for tail upkeep

For sure! I have one mare that I need a saw to get through her tail, its SO thick!

[Sebastian]

Ride well, and no one will care what your tail looks like.
Seb

[Go Fish]

Hold the end of the tail so the ends are pointed up in the air. Point your scissors straight down into the ends and snip away. Be careful you don't cut a huge chunk at once, it will leave an ugly spot, just clip a few hairs at a a time. It will shorten the tail, but it will look more natural.

Gwendolyn is correct.

I'm on the West Coast and banged tails are definately NOT the norm on hunters. You may see one or two horses with a banged tail, but that's all. If you plan on showing in the near future, I'd shape it a bit. If you are taking the winter off, it should look natural by the time show season rolls around.

My gelding grows a lot of tail. I need to take scissors to it every couple of months. I run my hand down a clean tail, just to where I want the tail to end, turn it upside down and snip into the tips of the hair. Comes out very natural looking and I'm not allowed to run with scissors.

[Tha Ridge]

I'm on the West Coast and banged tails are definately NOT the norm on hunters. You may see one or two horses with a banged tail, but that's all. If you plan on showing in the near future, I'd shape it a bit. If you are taking the winter off, it should look natural by the time show season rolls around.

That's funny - I was on the west coast this summer and saw plenty of banged tails. They're especially common on recently imported horses, which a lot of Hunters are.

[WillRideForFood]

You could always tie a fake into it.. it will add body and even it out a little

[shawneeAcres]

I personally love a long banged tail, but do not like the "european" look of banging just below the hock. See plenty of them at shows and never heard anyone comment against them.

[alteringwego]

I've always used thinning shears and pointed them straight down then sort of tapered the tail. Hard to explain.... hmmm... will look for pictures online.

[chunky munky]

Many of the banged tails at Pony Finals are because they are fakes. Some horses/ponies look fine with it, some do not. The more substantial types look fine, the slighter types, not so much. JMO

[Gry2Yng]

Give it four weeks and it it will be hard to tell it was banged.

[LovesHorses]

I was going to say...most of those "banged tails" on the West Coast are bad fake tails, er, broomsticks.

[Eventer13]

Fan out the bottom, then instead of cutting straight across like you would to bang it, cut it in a U-shape. It will keep the fullness, yet still give it the non-banged look.

[angrychinchillas]

I wouldn't suggest tying a fake tail into a banged tail. The cut of the real tail will still be plenty obvious, but you'll also have a little "natural" fake tail hanging down below it. I've tried it (I'm a braider, and the owner of a recently imported horse asked me to do so), and it looked ridiculous.

If you want to give a more natural look to the tail, the feathering method mentioned above is your best bet. Just don't be in a hurry about it - you can always cut more hair off, but you can't replace it once it's gone, so go slowly, and cut a little bit at a time, until you have something you're happy with.