How to braid and wrap your horse’s tail

How to braid and wrap your horse’s tail is a recurring theme. Sometimes it’s about braiding for shows. Sometimes it’s about wrapping. Over a month ago there was a question on one of the Facebook pages I follow (World Wide Equine Chat) about how to wrap tails up. I mentioned that one of my preferred methods was with bed sheets. I was asked for details and said I would write a blog about it and share.

Of course, it’s taken me weeks. But here it is, finally.

See my later post on How to braid a ribbon into your horse’s tail.

What sheet should I use?

I do not use this anymore, mainly because I am not showing and can’t be bothered to wrap tails. I must have done up my mare’s tail at some point a few years ago, though, because I had a sheet prepared!

Above: The flannel sheet I used to demonstrate in this blog post. It was in one of my tack boxes! You can use any sheet, and the thinner ones are easier.

An old one!

I use whatever old sheet I have on hand. The important thing is to cut it so you have enough sheet in each strip to wrap fully around the segment of tail. Thicker tails require broader strips. Thinner sheets are easier to manage, but break (and wear out) more easily.

But do I want the sheet to break?

An issue that crops up is what if my horse catches the wrapped tail in a tree or fence? You might have heard and seen horror stories on the Internet that demonstrate the dangers of tail-wrapping.

Yes, a wrapped tail, just like an unwrapped tail, can catch on things and probably will. If you wrap the tail up in a sheet or vetrap or baling twine, then it’s going to be stronger and harder to break off in pieces. You might lost the entire tail instead of just a few hairs. Yes, the entire tail could come off. (It can also be chewed off by other horses.) I suppose a horse could also drag around an entire tree or piece of fencing (and panic) if such a thing got caught in a wrapped tail.

I wouldn’t turn a horse out on wooded acreage with its tail wrapped. But then, if your horse is being a regular forest horse, it probably doesn’t need its tail in any particular length or shape.

If your horse spends most of its day in a stall or in groomed paddocks, its tail is probably safe wrapped any which way.

How to start the braid with the sheets

The idea of using bed sheets is simply to wrap each of the three strands of the braid in an individual strip of sheet.

Above: Wrapping each individual braid segment in sheet protects the tail (especially useful if you want to keep it clean for a show).

It’s tempting to be sloppy, as I have in the picture to the right above. If you are going to double the braided tail up, it’s not as important (because the exposed bits will be somewhat protected). But I prefer to get it right.

The beginning is very fiddly, as you will see in the video below. This sheet tended to bunch up, so I had to spread it out and wrap the tail repeatedly.

Above: A slightly sloppy job, where I didn’t get the strands of tail wrapped. Try not to do that!

Once you’ve got the top done properly, the rest is easy:

Above: Braiding down from the top. Once you have wrapped the top of the strands well, it is easy to brain down. It gets easier, just make sure you keep each strand wrapped. Keep braiding the sheet past where the tail stops.

How to tie up the tail

Once you have braided the sheets well past the last of the tail, you can tie it up. I used to do this complicated thing where I would leave sheet at the bottom and then cut it in smaller strips. It served as a sort of fly swatch, similar to the kind you can do with bailing twine. Unless you have a reason to make sure the tail isn’t too low to the ground, it doesn’t really matter. I do generally like to leave something for them to swish flies with in the summer.

The most secure way to tie it up is to pass the ends through the loops of the braid. I didn’t do that here, but if I were to put the knot in the middle of the braid, I would. If I were going to leave the tail braided. I took this off as soon as I finished the video. Shopcat doesn’t need his tail up!

Above: Three different ways to tie up the tail. You can tie the tail up at different heights. Just make sure to braid well past the ends of the hair, and tie a secure knot.

Video demonstration:

(I was going to narrate, but it’s fairly obvious what I am doing…)

FAQ

Is it safe to leave a wrapped tail on overnight?

Yes! That is the point, to protect the tail. Just remember not to braid too tightly. Long, tight wraps can stress hair and skin. Don’t forget to check daily for rubbing, heat, or caught debris.

What sheet fabric works best for wrapping?

Honestly, I use whatever old sheet I am ready to sacrifice. If you have some to choose from, or want to purchase a new sheet, choose a thin, soft cotton or cotton-blend sheet. Thinner sheets are easier to handle and tie; thicker fabrics can bulk up and slip. Cut three long strips wide enough to fully encircle each braid strand.

How wide should the sheet strips be?

Match strip width to tail thickness: about 2-4 inches wide for average tails. Go wider for very thick tails so a single wrap fully covers the strand without bunching.

How do I keep the wrap from slipping while I braid?

Start with a clean, dry tail and avoid slippery products (no showsheen). Wrap the first few inches snugly at the top of each strand, keep even tension as you braid, and re-flatten the fabric if it bunches.

What’s the safest way to secure the finished braid?

Braid well past the end of the hair, then fold the braid up and secure by threading the ends through braid loops. A small elastic can help, but avoid loops or knots that can snag.

Can a wrapped tail get caught on fences or brush?

Yes—like any tail. Do not turn out in heavy brush with a wrapped tail. In stalls or groomed paddocks, risk is lower. Always check the wrap daily and remove if you see fraying or debris.

Should I leave a fly swish at the bottom?

Optional. You can leave a short swish for summer flies by not folding the final few inches, or leaving some sheet at the end… or make a detachable swish to add! Keep it short enough to avoid the horse stepping on it.