WIth the snarls and knots, use the Cowboy Magic Detangler that comes in a tube. About $10.

Rub some on the palms of your hands, then massage into the mane. Work through with your fingers at first - start at the bottom and work your way up.

I like MTG - but it's not anywhere near as good as CM Detangler for dread locks and tangles.

we use a product on our horses called Infusium leave in conditioner. it is the BEST to keep hair from breaking! Our show horses have great healthy manes and tails using this product once a week.

For tangles, show sheen is good. But I have been buying all mu stuff at Wal-Mart. The VO-5 detangler is great. Also there is some stuff my daughter bought in the "ethnic" hair care section that I LOVE! I will try to find the name, but it's in her grooming tote over at the other barn. I would avoid MTG at all costs, EXCEPT to grow hair in extreme cases (like a chewed off tail) OR to clear up rain-rot. It works really well for fungal stuff. It is the nastiest smelliest greasiest stuff ever...

Oh yeah...Cowboy Magic is the bomb!!!!!  I use it liberally for bad tangles and wind swirls.  Matted cuckle burrs will comb right out.  After a shampooing, a light coat of CM will help keep the hair from tangling and make it soooo soft.

For light grooming, try a product called Pink.  It is an aerosol sheen found in the ethnic hair department at WalMart.  Much cheaper than Show Sheen.

yes WD40 works good, but will dry out the mane and tail hair. When I have to use this stuff for really bad knots, I will condition the tail, just condition really, really good. I don't really use shampoo on manes and tails, just condition them once a week.

Here are before and after pics a year apart using my regime. I use either Infussium or Tresseme' for dry britttle hair. I never braid, or put tail in bags. Josie is left out and about in the elements and out on a 750 acre cattle ranch......

Before.....

after a year later......

Here tail as of today touches the ground by 1 inch. I always mix a spray bottle of whatever conditioner I am using at the time (one of the two mentioned above) with water and spray in tail and mane and comb out gently. I never have had a breakage problem by doing this.

Growing her tail out was a challenge for me as I always would just rip through mane and tail and when I saw a pic of how ratty it looked, I was set out on a mission, I take much pride in all the mares manes and tails on our ranch now. Not only are they great trail, mountain and ranch horses, they look good too!

Hey Cowpony thanks for the tip.  I did not know the WD40 dried out the mane and tail hair.  After seeing the pictures of Josie I am headed to the store for some Infusium and a spray bottle. Do you mix the water and conditioner 50/50? Thanks!

I just fill up the bottle with water and then squirt in 2 capfuls of the conditioner into it and mix every time you use really good. The WD40 sure does leave a nice shine on them, but unfortunately I saw the manes and tails get really dry. It's okay for those really hard to get out knots, but I do manes and tails every other day, so they really don't get knotted.....

When I wash manes and tails once a week, I don't use shampoo, just rinse and add conditioner, let it sit for 5 min. then rinse. When I comb out every other day I use my spray in mix that I was talking about, it's basically like leaving a leave in conditioner in your hair. As you can see from the before and after pics, I haven't had a problem, with being over conditioned or breaking from too much conditioning. But like I said, our mares are in the outside elements from sun, wind, rain to snow all the time. They are ranch horses, so their manes and tails take a beating, maybe the hair just eats up, soaks in, the leave in mix I spray in......

Every horse will be different, from genetics down to what they eat and vitamins. This is the regime I use and works for me.......

Hey CM,

I went to Walmart yesterday looking for the Infusium conditioner and the one I found is actually made to be left in the hair.  There were several to choose from, I hope I got the right one.  Cowpony if you read this...is it the Infusium leave in conditioner that you use mixed with the water?

JacciB

No. The way I mix it it is the actual conditioner and mix with water. I don't use the leave in conditioner as it didn't seem to really work and got used up pretty fast. A big bottle of conditioner mixed with water last a long time.  It is different from the actual conditioner. The mix I make is pretty heavy to constantly give moisture or condition the tail.

I also as I type previous go between two different brands Infussium and Tresseme". Both seem to work well and are fairly cheap at Wally World.

Thanks for clearing that up!  I'm headed back to Wally World.

Happy Trails to all!

Once I wash the mane and finger comb it, I braid it in a couple braids to keep it from snarling, curly cues, etc  My SSH's mane is thick, luxurious, and falls way below his neck and just keeps growing.  His forelock is also at least 5 inches below his eyes.

His mane is mostly white and he started itching it last summer.  I started using the Target brand of dandruff shampoo and it cleared up the dandruff.  It has a side affect of whitening it better than any prodcut I've used before.

Ahhh, thank you! It takes alot of care to get it that nice out on the ranch. I love those "broom tail" appys! Is that what you have? They seem to look alot better with their tail that way, just fits them.....

Wrangler's (momma) tail is very thin and is only one fist below the end of the tail bone, very short skimpy mane.  Her filly, Squirt (baby#1) had a beautiful long mane and her tail was almost to the ground when they were chewed off by Doc (baby#2).  It's been a year and it hasn't grown back yet.  Doc has a long mane and tail, but very thin.

If you could see the picture in my avatar Wrangler and Squirt are left and center.  I have a matching pair.  Almost twins, except for Squirts thick mane and tail.