Clean, condition, and brush out tail. Then I get 3 strips of cotton fabric about 3" wide each. You can buy a yard and cut lots of strips from selvage to selvage. I just lay them on the tail top leaving 6" out above the braid, and begin braiding the tail with one strip in each of the 3 hunks of hair. Braid all the way down to the tip or as far as the strip goes, then use the ends to tie off.
Back at the top, weave the ends through the braid *holes* and tie these together randomly a few times. Then you apply your tailbag and tie at the top through the braids or to the strip ends.
***I see some hunters with the tail trimmed around the base of the tail.***
Probably because they have rubbed their tails. Trimming neatens it up. I use one of these. Easy, just takes a couple minutes, and you don't need electricity. I got mine at a drugstore, and Wally's has them for under $6.
http://img.walgreens.com/dbimagecache/07410880015_220x220_a.jpg
I used the longest side comb first, then the next down, then the 2 most exposed ones after that. I didn't cut any long hairs, and it tapered the cut of the short hairs. You control how much you cut by the side of the *comb* you choose, the angle (almost flat on the hair or angled sharply), and the pressure you put on it.
*** it looks very comely but won't that reduce your tail volume and won't it grow out kind of weird? Is there any functional reason to do this?***
I don't know that anyone would trim the top of the tail unless it had been rubbed and the hairs broken. The breakage can reduce tail volume, but the hair is already gone, so there's nothing we can do about it except try to make it look better.
I don't use bluing, but you can mix a little in with your shampoo, then label it to use on the white *chrome.* I buy shampoos for white and they have bluing already mixed in. Probably a lot cheaper to do it yourself. I don't know a ratio. You want a little color, but not a lot or the white will turn blue. I scrub it in the mane/tail/legs and let it set till it's no longer blue or purple. Then rinse well. You CAN get a blue tinged tail, so be advised, lol!
Good luck!
Wendy
NC
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