Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t care for grooming much. But I do appreciate long manes and tails! So when I hear of products that work, I listen up! This is something I picked up and am trying, and it is easy! Coconut oil.
Coconut oil is the best. Coconut oil for hair? It’s been used for centuries! Its unique chemical structure enables coconut oil to harmlessly clean, nourish, protect and beautify hair (your hair and your horses). On horses, it’s hard to apply too much. Leave it on for maximum absorption into the hair follicles. Massage it into the roots to improve hair growth. The mane and tails are silky and softer. It will bring back the shine too.
Since coconut oil is able to bind to the natural protein structure of the hair, this helps the hair retain its natural moisture content and reinforces the hair fiber, making it stronger. Use virgin coconut oil (really semi-solid at room temperature), not a product that just contains coconut oil for best results.
Braiding also works, but for me, it will wait until I have a groom working for me, or young girls visiting that love to do hair. We don’t braid anymore, but have in the past. The results are spectacular with that level of attention!
Braiding is almost always a necessity if you want the length of the hair to really be jaw-dropping. Most people will wash and braid once a week to make sure the elastics stay in and the hair does not get tangled. Once your horse’s hair gets too long, you’ll need to double up the hair so that it doesn’t reach their mouth or drop in the feed and water buckets.
If you are braiding, make sure to do a walk-through and make sure there is nothing in the barn or paddock to catch the braid on. It could be a disasterous result for the hair or worse, an injury to the horse as it tries to break free.
What’s your secret? Please share!