Collecting Horsehair

Step 1)	Start with a tail that has been recently washed and combed. It makes your job a little easier. If this is not possible that's ok because you will be washing the hair later.
Step 2)	Hold the tail up so that you can see the underside of the tail. You should be able to clearly see the tail shaft. It is about 12 to 18 inches long. The hair grows off of the tail shaft. This is the area that you will be cutting hair from. Cut from the lower part of the shaft, this is where the hair is the longest. Do not cut hair from the topside of the tail. This would be very visible.
Step 3)	Separate a small amount of hair about the width of your finger. Hold this hair with one hand. With your other hand cut the hair close to the tail shaft. (see the picture below)
		You always cut hair from the underside of the tail. This way you can't visibly tell that any hair was cut.
Step 4)	Lay this clump of hair down on a clean surface, like a piece of newspaper.
Step 5)	You should be able to cut 2 or 3 clumps from the same tail without being able to notice that you cut any hair. Cut randomly from both sides of the tail shaft. (see picture below)
		This shows a single clump of cut hair. A single clump is approximately the width of your thumb. One clump of hair is sufficient for a small project like a bracelet, key chain or stampede strings. Two or three clumps would be needed for a larger project like a hat band, belt or headstall.
Step 6)	Combine the clumps so that the cut ends are together. Tie them with a rubber band or hair tie. If you are sending the hair to me for a project this is as far as you need to go. I recommend that you loosely roll the hair and place it in a ziploc baggie for shipping.
Step 7)	Bring the hair to a location for combing and cleaning.
Step 8)	Only the longest hairs are used for braiding and hitching so you will need to remove some of the shorter hairs. You do this by combing the hair backwards. I recommend using a wide tooth comb. Lay down newspaper to catch the hair because this can get messy. Remove the tie and grasp the hair about a third of the way to the cut end. Comb from your hand to the cut end that had the tie. Comb small amounts at a time. The shorter hairs will come out in clumps. Slowly work your hand away from the cut end continuing to comb out the shorter hair strands until you’ve combed about two thirds of the way through the bundle. If you are planning to make horsehair rope save this short hair in a bag. If not, throw it away.

Step 9)	When you have gotten rid of the excess short hair tightly grasp the hair at the cut end where the tie was and comb through the entire hair bundle in the other direction.
Step 10)	Then tie the top of the bundle with a noose knot as shown below. Cut a piece of cotton string approximately 12” long. The same kind that is used to wrap newspaper for recycling or the kind you find in the grocery store used for cooking. Start your wrap about 2” from the cut end. Wrap the string approximately 8 to 10 wraps. Lay each of the wraps next to each other and close together. This type of knot is used so that it can be tightened as you work with the hair bundle later. All you have to do is pull on the ends and it will tighten.

	Start 2” from the cut end
		It should look something like this when your done. This example shows 15 wraps around, but 8 to 10 is plenty.
Step 11)	Hold the horsehair bundle at the tied end and gently wash the hair with shampoo. Then rinse thoroughly with water. Do not use a conditioner; this will make the horsehair too slick.

Step 12)	Lay the horsehair bundle on a towel to air dry.

Step 13)	When the hair is dry, grasp the bundle by the tied end and gently comb through the hair.
Step 14)	Your horsehair is now ready to be made into pulls.

Collecting Horsehair

Tips for Collecting Tail Hair

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