Stop Tail Yellowing- Your Horse Can Have a Big Tail With Easy Care

Have you tried to whiten a yellow tail? Conventional care can actually inadvertently worsen discoloration. Internet chatter typically offers strategies proven to be problematic. So let's rethink the source of and solution to nasty stains and discoloration…

DETANGLING & SHINE PRODUCTS coat the hair. That means they seal the strands (and pores!) to… lock in stains and promote itching! Add sunshine.. tails and hocks yellow without urine.

WHITENING SHAMPOOS are harsh. They dry out the hair. Did you ever notice they are always dirty? That is because, even if they are clean for a minute, the stripped hair is porous. It attracts dirt which readily penetrates. So, they stain lots. Moreover, grooms that use the most popular blue shampoo for “silver” horses, say it makes their hands ache. That can't be good. Orvis makes skin peel off. Dish soap, especially anti-bacterial, makes horses prone to crud. There has to be a better way.

CONDITIONERS coat hair. If you speak to chemists about conditioners, it is all about getting something to stick to the hair. I want clean, floaty tails. What is the advantage of a heavy tail with a residue? Even if they feel soft, most greys' tails are not bright white. So, why seal in the stains?

VINEGAR may make a clean rinse, but did it get out your old stains? I would suspect not. Plus, if you have a properly pH balanced, gentle and enriching shampoo, the vinegar rinse is a step you can skip.

SPOT REMOVERS, including alcohol, often leave a yellow shadow. Bummer when you walk out of the barn to go to the ring. We want bright, shiny white! Mostly, spot washers dry the hair, especially alcohol-based ones. That means, even if they are cleaned, they get dirty fast.

SPRAY ON COLORS OR POWDER are work, temporary, toxic (yes, talc is toxic) and unnecessary. Wouldn't just getting them white and easy to clean be an easier, more economical and sustainable option?

People work hard to get out stains. They do what they think is right, though yellow tails and tough stains prevail. Sometimes it is clear they are washed lots, but stains seem to just go deeper.

Professionally braiding 12,000+manes and tails, I had plenty of time alone in the dark to think this through. I was sure there must be a better way. When I entered the product end of the industry with my braiding DVD/Tool, I met the guys that made the coat care products. What struck me is they never carried a water bucket! I could tell! Picking brains, I realized I knew more about horses' hair and skin than they did. Turns out, having my hands in horses' hair for 18 hours a day, for decades on end, paid off. As I learned how the other manufacturers think, I realized the most pervasive age-old grooming problems could be avoided.

What if your horse's hair could be so healthy and bright that it is almost iridescent, super easy to keep clean and resists tangles? How about if horses don't itch? Would you want a tail that is so volumized that many can forgo the fake tails? I recommend daily picking, but what if for a week you could just shake out the shavings?

Well, the options did not exist, so I developed them. Proven, “Horse Journal,” the “Consumer Reports” of the equine industry awarded Lucky Braids products TOP PICK FOR GREYS AND WHITES. After testing 350 products, they declared the All-In-One Shampoo: PRODUCT OF THE YEAR.

The Top Turnout Tail Care System by Lucky Braids is THREE-PRONGED. It entails an: All-In-One Shampoo, combing tails when wet and using the enzymatic Whitener/Color Restorer as needed.

If there is a lot of silicone buildup from detanglers and shine products, you may need to use a harsh shampoo to cut that. But, I'd try not to. I don't think you need to.

*COMBING WET TAILS may seem counter-intuitive. But, if you have ever put wet hair in a pony tail, you know it gives you a headache. That is because wet hair stretches. It is more forgiving. As it dries it contracts, hence the headache. Lucky Braids All-In-One Shampoo is conditioning. So, it should be pretty easy to get through the tail. Take your time. If you have not kept up on the tail the first time may be slower. But, the next time will be a breeze. TECHNIQUE: If you twist the length and hold the bottom, you can further protect the roots and strands. Hold the tail about 6 inches from the bottom. Use a big fat comb to start organizing form the bottom and work up to your grip. If you hit a snag, always start from below it and work up to your grip. When organized, more your grip up a few inches. Comb from the bottom us to your grip. Continue until hair is organized to the roots. Then, it will dry big and floaty. Hair will want to separate instead of make ringlets. The movement of the tail pulls natural oils down the strands to enrich and strengthen them. So, no we are in a healthy cycle. Here are images of the simple process.

WHITENER/COLOR RESTORER is a spray that does not strip or coat the hair. The pH is correct for horses. It gently dissolves the bond, taking off the dirt and leaving big shine. The formula can also help repel dirt, so sensitive horses need not be bathed as often. Resist the temptation to scrub. Simply spray on the solution and let it sit. Most stains will bead up instantly. Just wipe with a towel or let hair dry and brush. Tough old stains may initially need a little more attention. Since this is an enzyme, when it dries it dies. So, spray stains and make sure the solution gets in and around all the hair. I like to tie up tails while I am grooming and spritz them periodically. That way, they have less surface area and stay damp for a while, so the enzyme can do its action. Really old stubborn stains may take a couple days of spritzing. But, once you get ahead of the stains, there is very little management required. Hair doesn't get as dirty!

Another use of the spray is when tails get muddy. If hair is sticking together, give a spray and simply wipe it clean with a towel. Then, you can comb it while damp.

This system is cost-effective. You don't need: daily, whitening and medicated shampoos; conditioner; detangler; shine agent; scratches medication; anti-itch treatments, etc. Lucky Braids All-In-One Shampoo is just that: all you need. Since it is highly concentrated, you won't even need much of it. The Whitener/Color Restorer is for spot washing and removing tough stains. But, once you get in the program, you won't need much of that. If you use Lucky Braids Shampoo once a week, you can usually just brush stains off!  They don't stick as readily to the moisturized hair.  So, you can just use the spray to work on old stains, cool mornings and muddy days.  Here's a look at horses that use ONLY Lucky Braids All-In-One Shampoo: white tail and paint horse.

Another way to cut costs is to buy Shampoo and Spray gallons. Basically, you get 4 quarts for the price of 2. A pump can help reduce waste. If you buy the Whitener refill gallon, use the Lucky Braids quart spray bottle. It is opaque, as light could damage the enzyme. We offer them full or product or as an empty spray bottle to refill. That way, you can buy one for the grooming stall and another for the ring or to otherwise distribute them throughout the barn.

The Stain Pack gives you the opportunity to try both products.

This coat care system for top turnout is in a league of its own. That is why we offer a LOVE LOVE MONEY BACK SATISFACTION GUARANTEE. The Lucky Braids for Top Turnout coat care system is the most versatile, cost-effective and easiest solution available on the market today.

Ruthann Smith has spent a lifetime studying sound horsemanship- both as a groom for top international horses and as a renowned braider. Quietly twisting manes atop a ladder, she watched and learned in some of the best stables in the world.

As her passion for great grooming grew, Ruthann became focused on researching, collecting and sharing the best practices of the world’s keenest horsemen. Ultimately, Ruthann used her vast experience to develop exceptional equine grooming products to help raise the bar of horsemanship.

The knowledge she dispenses and the products Ruthann developed solve age-old grooming issues. Making quality horse care easier, they have received the highest honors in the equine industry*. Her Lucky Braids for Top Turnout coat care and braiding products are the best, most versatile, cost-effective and easiest solutions available on the market today.

Now Ruthann offers her LOVE, LOVE Guarantee. If not totally thrilled with a product she developed, Ruthann will refund you in full, regardless of where you purchased it.

It’s her life’s mission to empower horses by educating, motivating and equipping their people to be true horsemen. You can access Ruthann’s tips at: The Grooming Resource on LuckyBraids.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and her Horsemanship Clinics.

*After testing 350 products, Lucky Braids All-In-One Horse Shampoo was named product of the year by Horse Journal, the “Consumer Reports” of the industry. They also named Lucky Braids Shampoo and Top Pick for greys and whites. Lucky Braids specialized braiding yarn also got stellar reviews.