Smart Tails Professional Mane & Tail Thinner

...A pulled tail looks smart but is high maintenance as when the hairs grow they can resemble a loo brush and it is difficult to remove them when they are too short. The smart tails mane and tail thinner makes a smart tail without much effort or discomfort for the horse.


What is it?
* * * * * * * *

The smart tails mane and tail thinner is a sturdy wooden handled tool with a metal head to it which are the ...
.../>
Using the Smart Tails mane and tail thinner really couldn`t be any simpler.

I will only briefly describe how to use on the mane seeing the tail is the focus of this review. For the mane, brush it to the wrong side and then take the smart mane and tail thinner and use it as you would an ordinary comb. Comb the mane over to the correct side to check the thickness. It removes the hair really quickly so don`t be tempted to ... more

I have horses and they don`t like their manes and tails being pulled (hairs removed to thin and tidy). I usually leave the tails full but I came accross this ingenious tool the other day designed to thin the mane and tail. The one that I am reviewing is the tail thinner but I have also used it on the mane and it only takes minutes to thin the whole mane.

I have a 3 year old gelding with a thick tail. I bought him when he was 2 and a half and he was 15.2hh. He is now 3 and a quarter and 16.1hh so I think he is going to be big. I have had success showing him in hand (you are not allowed to ride them at shows until they are 4) and up until now I have plaited the tail. I even received a rosette the other day for the best plaited tail. After coming accross the mane and tail trimmer, I decided to tidy up his tail.

Plait or Pull?
* * * * * * * * * *

When you see the photos at the end of the review there is one of a plaited tail (not mine because I didn`t think to take a photo before I tidied it). There is one of my geldings tail before I tidied it and half way through and then afterwards. You can see which you prefer.

When showing (except native or arab classes) the horse is required to be plaited. If the tail is pulled then the tail does not have to be plaited, it is not possible as it is too short if pulled. When getting ready for a show in the morning, it takes quite a long time. The horse needs to be immaculate, the tack clean and the horse plaited if required. Obviously plaiting the mane and tail takes longer than plaiting just the mane. Also it makes your fingers ache after a little while because it is quite fiddly. I use something called I think Braid Easy to spray on the hair to make it easier to hold on to making it easier to plait. It is still much easier if you don`t have to bother plaiting the tail though.

A plaited tail looks lovely. A full tail looks nice. A pulled tail looks smart but is high maintenance as when the hairs grow they can resemble a loo brush and it is difficult to remove them when they are too short. The smart tails mane and tail thinner makes a smart tail without much effort or discomfort for the horse.

What is it?
* * * * * * * *

The smart tails mane and tail thinner is a sturdy wooden handled tool with a metal head to it which are the blades. It is made from Scandanavian Steel and manufactured in Germany. The blades are replacable by releasing two screws in the handle. There is also a plastic handled fixed head version available but I am only reviewing the wooden handled changeable head version.

The blade head is available in different sizes dependant on the type of tail and the finish required. I have the medium size.

The coarse blade has 8 teeth for a thick mane and tail.
The medium blade has 12 teeth for an average mane and tail.
The fine blade has 20 teeth for a fine mane and tail.
It doesn`t actually say how many teeth the superfine blade has but it is for finishing touches.

It is difficult to describe but it helps to look at the photo. The blade head has metal teeth which point downwards, almost like a comb. It is not sharp to the touch at all. I can`t really say much more than that other than........

How to Use it.
* * * * * * * * * * *

Using the Smart Tails mane and tail thinner really couldn`t be any simpler.

I will only briefly describe how to use on the mane seeing the tail is the focus of this review. For the mane, brush it to the wrong side and then take the smart mane and tail thinner and use it as you would an ordinary comb. Comb the mane over to the correct side to check the thickness. It removes the hair really quickly so don`t be tempted to do it too much in one go. It thins the hair from underneath then, not interfering with the top hair. The mane trimmer is wider than the tail trimmer allowing a wider area to be trimmed at once. I have found using the tail trimmer on the mane is really quick so it is not really necessary to buy both.

When using it on a tail it is apparently easier to use on a greasy tail. I wouldn`t know about this as mine are always immaculate (I wish).

Do two or three strokes down the side of the tail then go to the other side and do two or three. Your then keep swapping sides until it is even and you have achieved the required look. When pulling a tail you go down about 3/4 of the dock so you need to do about the same when using the smart mane and tail thinner. You can do as much or as little as you like, it is so quick. It does advise on a really thick tail to do some each day though. It also advises as with normal tail pulling, to damp the tail down and bandage afterwards to help it to lie flat.

It advises after using to apply clipper oil to prevent rusting.

What is the result?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The result is a smart tail resembling a tail that has been pulled with a comb. The tool appears to break the hair very close to the root, not actually pulling it out. The tail looks smart at the end but their may be a few short hairs remaining which they advise to pull out with a comb if you horse doesn`t mind. I have found that the tail looks smart enough to not warrant this. There are a few short hairs left but for my requirements, it is smart enough. If getting ready for the show ring though (I think I am finished for this season) then I may consider buying the superfine version as it promises to cut shorter. I haven`t tried this one yet though.

Where to buy.
* * * * * * * * * *

The smart mane and tail trimmers are available from www.clippersharp.com. There is also a phone number 01823 681076. Replacement blades are available also.

The smart mane and tail trimmers are not cheap but it cuts the time dramatically needed to tidy a tail so I consider it to be well worth the money. I have even had to buy one for someone else they were so impressed with it, but they will have to wait until Christmas (at least it has solved what to buy them).

The prices are as follows:-

Coarse £20
Medium £23
Fine £28
Superfine £28

Not cheap, but if you use one I am sure you will agree with me how good they are.

My Verdict.
* * * * * * * *

I really am so pleased that I have found this wonderful little device. For tails it is absolutely perfect, making a tail look really smart in a short space of time. It takes so much hair out (breaks at the surface) at once it is amazing. I would highly recommend this for tails. It is good for thinning manes but won`t shorten it but it is stil good as manes need to be thinned when plaiting otherwise you have plaits like golf balls.

When looking at my pictures I hope you will agree that the end result looks smart and isn`t my boy cute? It just means that I can`t plait the tail any more but I can keep the tail looking smart all of the time without much effort at all. Anyone who has a horse who really dislikes having their mane or tail pulled will definitely benefit from this. 

...less