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Discussion on Easy tail whitener for gray horses
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Member:
stek
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Posted on Saturday, May 8, 2010 - 7:41 pm:
We have a horse on our farm who is all white (technically grey). Her tail is always white at the top but dingy brownish at the end. I've tried shampooing to no avail, nothing seemed to ever get the stains out.
This morning I was cleaning the front porch to prepare for painting with TSP (trisodium phosphate). I was amazed at how well it cleaned the surface and had the bright idea to mix up a batch for this mare's tail.
I mixed it in a bucket, dunked her tail, swished it around a bit and it came out completely clean! Went from dingy brown to the palest blonde.
I wouldn't recommend using this on a horse's body as I think TSP is a bit toxic, but a quick swish in the tail followed by a thorough rinse worked wonders. I did shampoo a bit after to be sure I had gotten any residue out too. Talk about squeaky clean!
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Saturday, May 8, 2010 - 8:42 pm:
Shannon, have you tried the horse shampoos with bluing in them? My gray gets a disgustingly brown lower tail after the winter but a few shampoos with the blueing works wonders and her tail and mane really become pure white.
I'd worry the TSP is very drying (not sure about toxicity) and would end up really drying and damaging the hair
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Saturday, May 8, 2010 - 8:43 pm:
PS look at the picture in my profile and you will see how white I can get her, body, mane and tail.
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Sunday, May 9, 2010 - 11:47 am:
Hi Shannon,
Wow-- I have TSP in the house. Hmmm. Probably is drying if you use it a lot, but it used to be the ingredient of choice for laundry detergents.
The best horse product, if you can find it, is a mane and tail whitener by Red Rum. I can't seem to find it in the US anymore, but I think it's still available in the UK. Second best is to wash with Quic Silver (the best of the whitening shampoos, IMO) and then maintain with show sheen. The other sprays (Wow, the Shapley's product, Cowboy Magic etc.) seem less effective on manes and tails.
I breed gray horses, and it's a tough maintenance problem if you can't manage to adjust your eyes!
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Sunday, May 9, 2010 - 5:41 pm:
With Arabs I've also always had a lot of grays and I also swear by Quic Silver. But, you do have to leave it set in the tail for awhile. I put it on heavy, wash the rest of the horse (with some Quic Silver added to the regular shampoo, then do the tail last. I also use a good strong conditioner followed by Show Sheen. I have two blacks; there's a lot to be said for bay and black when it comes to looking clean!
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Member:
dsibley
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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 6:38 am:
I have also used Woolite to whiten. It works very well. Just need to let it sit a while.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 6:55 am:
Quik Silver is the brand I was trying to think of but coming up blank when I first responded. I do leave it in the tail while washing the rest of my horse, rinse and then apply again. For really winter stained tails, it takes a few washes to get the hair really white, and then maintainance thereafter.
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Member:
stek
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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 10:42 am:
I've used quick silver and love it for socks or for all over for white horses. I was just completely amazed at how the whole winter's worth of dirt dissolved away in seconds with TSP.
Fran I'm sure you're right in that it is not something to use on any kind of regular basis, it probably is very drying to the hair. I do love the pic in your profile - amazing that Sparkles is as white as the fence behind her 
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 12:21 pm:
Ive heard from a ton of people that a paste of Oxyclean put on a tail really whitens too. Let it sit for awhile and then rinse.
And to keep the yellow dingy's from coming back...keep the tail slathered in Cowboy Magic detangler daily. It will keep the stains from setting
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Member:
cometrdr
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Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 12:07 pm:
ok you got white covered - what about the blacks - what is your collective experience in keeping it Black in the summer - note - I can not keep him in side during the day - so he recieves some sun bleaching . any hints on keeping him darker? he gets the cutest Dapple in the periods where he is not shedding out too.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 11:21 am:
Do NOT use Show Sheen or similar products as combined with the sun, they will bleach out the hair. If your really serious about the black color, turn your horse out at night, or in early a.m. and evenings, or cover with one of the sun-shield sheets. Also, feed paprika in their feed. It helps enrich the black coat. That is the main ingredient in products like Black As Knight. And, rinse the horse off with plain water after every ride. Don't let salt set in the coat. The make some good sun screens but they are pricey imo.
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 12:08 pm:
can you use human grade sunscreen...like a 50 block?
Thanks for the info re- showsheen and black coats...I have been covering my faded black pony with it ...oooops.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 7:27 pm:
Most human grade is too sticky. I haven't tried the sprays, but I don't think they're any cheaper than the horse products. I've had good luck with a Rambo sun sheet I bought several years ago. It's held up really good. It would depend on the type of fencing you have and how rambunctous everyone is. I'm sure they must make pony size ones also.
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