The term “mud knot” describes a variety of techniques designed to keep a horse’s tail clear of sloppy footing, trail debris or even his own legs. Mud knots range from intricate braids secured with yarn to quick loops tied at the end of the tail. The method demonstrated in the download below requires no rubber bands or bandages but, if done properly, will stay in place for most activities. Note, however, that the tail must be a little dirty for this technique to work–freshly cleaned hairs will be too slick to hold together as needed.
(The article is in PDF format. If you have trouble viewing it, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program.)
This article originally appeared in EQUUS 368, May 2008.
