"While cutting the tail hair doesn't physically hurt the horse, it takes years for the tails to grow back.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners condemns the alteration of the tail of the horse for cosmetic or competitive purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, docking, nicking (i.e., cutting) and blocking.
The truth about horses' tails is that they can grow tail hair back if it's cut off, but if the bone in the horse's tail is cut off or injured, this will not grow back because bones cannot regenerate themselves. Tail hair, even though it grows back, takes a long time and may never look like the original tail again!
Trimming the top of a horse's tail creates a polished look, and also enhances the shape of their hind end. It's a standard grooming practice in most dressage and eventing barns, and can be done with scissors, clippers (for the well practiced tail trimmer) and even by pulling, as you would pull a mane.
Docking. Docking traditionally has been performed to prevent the tail of the horse from interfering with harness and carriage equipment. Specifically, if a rein passes under the horse's tail the horse may clamp its tail down and cause the driver to lose control of the horse.
Some horses actually enjoy the experience of tail pulling, but if yours is a fidget, a haynet will help to distract him and keep him busy as you work. Before pulling, make sure you have combed through the tail so that there are no knots which would make it painful for the horse.
Foals love to chew anything in their path. But older horses might be chowing down on tails, too, and that could mean a few different things, including nutrition problems or plain old boredom. Nutrition Imbalances: A lack of forage is the most common reason cited for tail-chewing.
You want the cut to be parallel to the ground while the horse is moving. If you just chop it off while the horse is standing, when the horse is moving the tail will look uneven. The banged tail should end about 4”/10 cm to 5”/12cm below the hocks. Any shorter may detract from the look of the tail.
If you wrap and braid your beloved mare's tail too tightly, you risk cutting off her circulation. Results of poor blood circulation can include a multitude of health risks, including a decrease in body temperature and a weaker ability to fight infection.
“Untrimmed or poorly trimmed feet are prone to flaring, chipping, and hoof defects,” Maki said. “These all reduce the effectiveness of the hoof in bearing the weight of the horse.” Farriers also work to provide horses with shoes for protection, traction, comfort, or other special needs.
The truth about horses' tails is that they can grow tail hair back if it's cut off, but if the bone in the horse's tail is cut off or injured, this will not grow back because bones cannot regenerate themselves. Tail hair, even though it grows back, takes a long time and may never look like the original tail again!
MYTH: “Pulling a horse's mane doesn't hurt! They don't have nerves in their hair follicles like we do.” FACT: Horses have sensory nerves in their hair follicles. Mane pulling can cause horses discomfort or pain.
Short-docked tails have been associated with increased incidence of rectal prolapse in some studies. Though there is pain associated with tail docking, fly strike can lead to discomfort, pain and eventually death of the lamb.
Removing the tail impairs a dog's ability to communicate properly, leaving them highly vulnerable to being misunderstood by other dogs and humans and placing them at a distinct social disadvantage. Therefore tails must not be removed for any reason other than for therapeutic purposes.
The AKC position is that ear cropping and tail docking are "acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health," even though the practice is currently opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Excessive tail swishing or swatting is classically a sign of fly irritation, but can result from irritation around the hindquarters, anal area, flank or tail itself, sheath in males or udder in mares. Mares that are not in heat may swish their tail near a stallion.
A raised tail is often a sign of high excitement or just feeling great. Young horses, or horses with excess energy, galloping freely in a field often hoist their tails high to show their exuberance.
Docking is also done for cosmetic purposes, and to keep the horse's rear end cleaner and more presentable and all this makes such a horse easier to harness. The lower section of the tailbone is removed with a scalpel or a tight band that cuts off the blood flow, causing the tail to die off.
Banging your horse's tail—making a horizontal blunt cut to the bottom of it—is one of the simplest things you can do to make it look fuller and neater. Although you're most likely to see this sharp look (forgive the pun) in the event world, it's also fairly common in the dressage and jumper rings.
To stimulate healthy tail growth, brush the dock of your horse's tail daily with a dandy brush. This will loosen and remove dirt and dander, which can make your horse itchy. Brushing the dock and upper part of the tail bone also increases blood flow, which stimulates growth and promotes healthy horse tails.
Also relevant is that horses, unlike humans, do not appear to hold a grudge.
Horses Swish Their Tails When They Are Happy
You may also see them swishing their tail back and forth as they are being turned out after a ride. The horse will be anticipating the time that they will get to spend relaxing and grazing and might swish their tail to express their gratitude.
Horses in the herd, either domesticated or feral, can be possessive of some horses and jealous of other horses. Sometimes domesticated horses may become possessive over their humans and are jealous or combative if another horse approaches or gets attention from its human.