Q. How often should the Extension be shampooed?
A. It is not necessary or recommended you shampoo the Extension after each use. Shampoo the Extension below the Material Spine® when dirt or product has build up to restore moisture and natural oils.

Q. What do I do when my horse’s extension is dull and dry?
A. Use a high quality shampoo. We recommend and sell LUCKY BRAIDS ALL IN ONE SHAMPOO. Wash the hair on the extension with Lucky Braids Shampoo below the Material Spine®. Lucky Braids Shampoo is saturated with Aloe Vera, leaving tail hair nourished and moisturized. All In One Shampoo is also perfect for use on your horse’s natural tail, mane and coat! If you use Lucky Braids All-In-One Shampoo, you won’t need other: medicated, shine, color, anti-fungal, conditioning, clean rinse, dust repellant, nor detangling products. It enriches coats, always rinses easily and reduces tangles. Best of all it leaves tails extra full and easy to maintain and keeps the horse cleaner longer! We love it!

Q. Should I use whitening shampoos containing purple and blue dyes on the Spicy Tail Extension?
A. Avoid using whitening shampoos and sprays on tail extensions. They contain dyes which in short order make the extension dull and grayish- especially apparent on light color extensions. Instead use Lucky Braids Whitener/Dry Wash Spray which readily and completely dissolves stains without drying, stripping or coating hair. This product contains an enzymatic formula that breaks the bond between hair and impurities and enhances luster on ANY COLOR coat or extension without a slippery residue.

Q. Should I comb the Extension while wet or dry?
A. Wet hair stretches and is forgiving. Comb clean extensions/natural tails while wet. To protect the “roots”, twist the length and hold the bottom of the extension or natural tail. Using a fat comb, always start from the bottom as you work your way up the wet extension or natural tail. Organize hair to roots. Tails dry full and fluffy while resisting tangles. When tail dries, just pick with your fingers to fluff.

Q. How do I safely remove knots?
A. To remove knots use your fingers or gently brush, DON’T PULL the extension hair or you risk breaking and damaging the hair. Pick the hair with your fingers organize the hair from the bottom to the top.

Q.Can Spicy Tails come to shows and barns?
A. For appointments in the Sacramento region we charge a $25 per horse fee; plus a travel fee which can range from $65 to $100 plus depending on the distance from Sacramento. If an Extension is purchased, the $25 per horse fee applies toward the purchase price. Please call Spicy Tails at 916 759-2153 or 916 718-6554 to arrange an appointment.

Q. How often and when should the Extension be removed from the horse?
A. For the horse’s comfort and saftey remove the extension after your day of competition is over. Tail bone tissue is very sensitive. Failing to remove the extension could lead to serious or permanent damage to the horse’s natural tail, including significant hair loss and loss of the tail tissue/bone.

TIP: After removal, many exhibitors hang their horse’s extension in the groom’s stall at shows. This enables the hair to dry and makes the extension readily available to the professional braider.

Q. How do I extend the life of the Extension?
A. Avoid submersing the tail extension in water and/or soaking the extension in water. Moisture can become trapped in the Material Spine® of the tail extension where the tail hairs are sewn to the fabric. Since air can’t reach this area readily, moisture can cause the extension hairs to rot, leading to hair loss. In addition, submersing the Material Spine® portion of the extension in water can cause the glue to deteriorate. Even “water proof” glue will erode and weaken under these circumstances.

Q. What are the best practices for storing the tail extension between use.
A. Store the tail extension when it is COMPLETELY DRY. Failing to do this will result in the tail hair rotting and mildewing and breaking away from the extension. The Spicy Storage Stachel is made specifically for the Spicy Tail Extension. Once dry, the Extension can be inserted into the Storage Satchel and either hung or stored flat.

TIP: Between shows remove the Extension from the Storage Satchel air out and comb or pick the extension with your fingers arranging the hair from bottom to top.

Q. Is it important to have a beautiful full tail when I am showing my Hunter horse?
A. The hunter round is awarded a holistic score based on the overall impression, with 100 being the perfect score. A hunter can gain that half a percentage point through an intrinsic factor of “being a quality animal”. Some horses simply have that extra something that makes them stand out and grab the judge’s eye. It comes through in their overall appearance. In a pinch, that might be the deciding factor. A Spicy Tails Custom Hunter Extension can give your overall appearance that final polish giving you the confidence you are showing your best.

Q. How do I make sure I get the right color match for my horse’s tail?
A. The most effective way to match a Spicy Tail extension to your horse’s natural tail is to see the horse in person. This is the primary reason we attend horse shows and work with our Distributors to arrange in person visits to the Trainer’s facility.  Otherwise, mailing a hair sample from your horse’s tail is another effective way to get a good color match. If you want a tail that is all one color, only one sample will be needed. For a tail that has many colors going through it, a sample from the front, middle and back are needed to get a good match. The samples don’t have to be big, but they do need to be big enough that we can see the colors we need to match. Once you have the samples you can secure them with tape or elastics. Please label the samples front, middle, and back. Photos are also a great help to see how the colors flow through the tail. Mail the hair sample to: Spicy Tails 2545 Countryside Drive, Placerville, CA. 95667. For an appointment, please call 916 759-2153.

Q. How do I determine what length extension my horse needs?
A. Spicy Tails Custom Hunter Extensions come in a standard length of 42-44 inches. On average the Spicy Extension is approximately 4-6 inches longer than competitors to accomodate taller horses. The first time you use the Spicy Extension you or your braider may need to trim the extension to a length suitable for your horse. Generally to trim the extension to the correct length, the top of the extension is placed about two-thirds of the way down the tail bone, and measured from this point to where you want the extension to end. Often the extension is trimmed to fall at the fetlock. Or, you can take precise measurements of the distance from the tail bone to the fetlock and avoid trimming the Extension altogether. Additionally, like a natural tail, the Extension can be tapered or banged at the bottom which ever suits your riding discipline or taste.

TIP: Many horse owners are focused on picking the perfect length, weight, and color for a custom extension without fully considering how the horse’s natural tail and the custom extension will blend! Pay attention to the ends of the horse’s tail as well. To make the natural tail and the Extension appear as one, trim or prepare the two “tails” identically. For example, if the horse’s natural tail is tapered and/or light on the ends, make sure the Extension is also tapered in the same fashion and lighter on the ends. We are specialists, a Spicy Tails Extension can be made in any length, any weight, and any color combination from the top of the Extension to the ends. The secret to truly enhancing natural beauty is paying attention to the fine details.

Q. My horse rubs his tail. What solutions can you suggest?
A. There are many reasons a horse may rub his tail. Consider Lucky Braids Handy Salve which is proven treatment for scratches, itching, nicks, bites, scrapes, rubs, etc. The Salve quickly solves problems from every direction by reducing inflammation, soothing, cooling, moisturizing and fortifying roots, skin and hair.

At the end of the show season, you can mail the extension in for cleaning and repair. The fee for normal cleaning and repair is $55. per extension. The fee includes return postage. Mail the extension(s) to: Spicy Tails, 2545 Countryside Drive, Placerville, CA. 95667. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover or you can include a check with the extension.

*Note for Bold Color Extensions. The extensions have been treated with colored dye. Even after several washings and rinsings there can still be residual dye. Avoid contact with your clothing when handling a Color Extension. Hold the Color Extension from the loop at the top of the tail to avoid contact with the dyed hair. If the color treated hair tangles, use a dry-ish detangler such a Cowboy Magic rather than a wet detangler like Show Sheen to detangle.