Coarse Mane & Tail No More

Confession: I have fine, curly hair and it tends to get tangled, but my pony basically forms nests.

Some horses and ponies have long and glossy manes. Stunning horses galloping in the wind, shiny and silky smooth.

That is so not my guy. After letting Ferrous grow out his mane I can relate to the desire of the Hunter world to keep the hair trimmed and pulled.

It looks pretty tamed but it’s an illusion. You can see it is a bit coarse and wavy on top. Underneath is a whole other story. Watch the video below.

Don’t get me wrong, I love his longer mane. His red roan coloring means the highlights and lowlights are salon-quality stunning. A short mane showcases his thick neck and frankly, I like that I can do a running braid.

The Dilemma

The down side is because his hair is extremely coarse he always has knots. It’s not just the texture though. I cannot leave a braid in because he dislikes them and rubs them out making a huge mess. Nothing I do seems to help with maybe the exception of fractionated coconut oil.

Actual footage of me trying to comb Ferrous’s mane.

Coarse hair is NOT fun to groom. I think I spend the most amount of time on his mane and tail. Here is actual footage of me grooming him:

Seriously?

I could spend my time pulling or even roaching his mane to prevent this, but honestly I like that his mane is a bit long and frames his neck. I like that it helps protect him against flies. I also like that my daughters and I can braid it.

The Solution

So what, then is the solution? Luckily I stumbled across two products from Equi-Spa, notably the FAIRY TAILS! Spray and the FAIRY TAILS! Orchid Oil Gloss. I absolutely love natural products, you won’t find chemicals in my tack box.

All the Equi-Spa products are made with natural ingredients, botanical and essential oils and they are based in the United States!

Equi-Spa products use natural ingredients including essential oils, orchid extract and other botanicals in their grooming products.

I started with the FAIRY TAILS! Spray, which to me, would be the go to detangler for most tack boxes. It’s gentle yet effective when it comes to every day mane and tail grooming maintenance. Of course, as you saw in the above video, Ferrous needed something a little more intensive. I like to think of these two products as a conditioner and deep conditioner. The FAIRY TAILS! Orchid Oil Gloss is the deep conditioner in the mix and I love how hydrating it is. I have a deep love of coconut oil, which is the base for this blend.

The Result

Wow, I honestly giggled the entire time I combed Ferrous’s mane, I found it was so satisfying to finally remove the knots. I needed to borrow a strong metal comb (I was worried mine would break) and sprayed the Orchid Oil Gloss on each section before combing it. It really made a huge difference. I started with a dry mane but didn’t realize that I could have wet it to help the gloss work even better, but I was happy with the results.

Detangler Review on The Timid Rider — I beat the knot. Anyone know of a bird that needs nesting materials?

The results do speak for themselves. It didn’t take me long with the right product to remove all the dead and knotted hair. I would certainly use the FAIRY TAILS! Spray in my grooming routine and bring out the big gun, the FAIRY TAILS! Orchid Oil Gloss, for when I am braiding or need to remove a more serious knot. Hopefully I won’t see as many with my new products.

I just love his highlights and lowlights. Now I can appreciate them!

I’m super happy with how well these products work on his mane that I wanted to try another product, their Cool Muscle Wash. This product is important to me because Ferrous has anhidrosis or “no sweat”. His body doesn’t secrete sweat like a typical horse, and as a result can overheat easily. Humid, summer weather means we ride in the morning or evening and only lightly. I’m always looking for products that will help keep him cool and comfortable. While this product is targeting as a muscle relief after strenuous workouts, I know that the mint and witch hazel will also have a cooling effect on the body and supplement the lack of sweat production.

Cool Muscle Wash Review Horse — Cool Muscle Wash by Equi-Spa is intended to soothe and cool the muscles after exertion.

A proprietary blend of therapeutic grade essential oils in a base of soothing witch-hazel. The essential oils work together to create a synergy of therapeutic benefits to sooth and relax tight muscles, relieve aching and swollen joints, and cool-off inflamed tissues specifically in the legs, hocks, and back.
Equi-Spa

I like to spray this on his body, especially his chest and back, after I hose him down. A side benefit is that mint has naturally insect-repelling properties! This spray shouldn’t replace a fly spray on its own, but does nicely compliment my own natural insect repellent which is also made with essential oils.

Use after a strenuous workout or after bathing on a hot day.

Horses are such sensitive creatures and I find they respond very well to natural products. Chemicals are just overkill most of the time. I love how handsome and shiny he looks now with his new mane and tail detangler. More, I’m worried less about riding him even lightly because I have the cool muscle wash to help relieve the heat.