Horse hair maintenance routine. That’s what this is, start to finish. Volturi doesn’t just turn heads… he whiplashes them. The build, the brains, the brawn… and then *bam*, that mane and tail hit you like Fabio in a wind tunnel. We’re talking *Cousin It at a Vegas strip club* mixed with *Harry and the Hendersons after a Brazilian blowout*. His hair is so thick you could lose your virginity in there and never find it again. Small children, lead ropes, and the occasional barn cat have been known to vanish into the depths. And yes… he sires it, so good luck keeping a tail bag on the next generation.

Science Time

Mane and tail hair isn’t just one “Rapunzel gene.” It’s polygenic, which is science-speak for “a bunch of horny little DNA switches working together.” Certain breeds, and certain bloodlines like Volturi’s, crank the hair game up to *full-on hair porn*. Breed two lush-haired horses together and your odds go up. Breed one with a sparse tail and you’re basically sending that foal into the genetic Hunger Games.

Why Listen to Me? (Because Hair Is Hard to Maintain)

I’ve racked up more than 12 World and National Champion titles across AQHA, APHA, PtHA, and GVHS, so yes… I’ve seen more hair care disasters than a wet T-shirt contest in a windstorm. Coats and hair are my kink. I learned from the best in the business and the rest from the unforgiving school of hard knocks. Hair is hard to maintain — especially if your horses live outside like mine, rolling in every dirt pile, manure heap, and mud puddle like heat-seeking missiles with a grudge. People constantly ask how I keep his hair so long, thick, and silky when he’s basically the equine equivalent of Pig-Pen from *Peanuts*.

Supplies Needed

Our horse hair maintenance routine starts with these great products. I’ve used just about every grooming product known to man. These are my must-haves:

Volturi’s 12-Step Horse Hair Maintenance Routine

Our horse hair maintenance routine starts with shampoo and conditioner, and these easy steps.

1. Wet mane and tail thoroughly. Take a little bit of EquiFuse Concentrate Shampoo and work it into the mane. Be sure to thoroughly get your fingertips into the crest of the mane, all the way down to the base and scrub, scrub, scrub. Scurf and dandruff love to live here, and this is the key to keeping your horse from rubbing his mane out. Rinse the mane. Then shampoo one more time to make sure you get all the dirt, debris, and grime out. Rinse thoroughly, then apply EquiFuse conditioner and leave it while you finish washing the horse. Repeat the exact same process for the tail, ensuring that you scrub the tail bone thoroughly. Rinse, then wash again, rinse, and apply conditioner, ensuring you work the conditioner into the tail bone, especially at the tip of the tail bone where dirt and dandruff love to collect. Leave it in while you wash the rest of the horse. *(Think “spa day,” but with more ass-scrubbing and fewer cucumbers over the eyes.)*
2. Rinse horse’s mane, tail, and body thoroughly. Do not leave any conditioner in the mane and tail. It will weigh the hair down and attract more dirt. *(Like that one friend who swears “dry shampoo counts as a wash” — it doesn’t.)*
3. Gently squeeze excess water out of mane and tail. Sweat scrape excess water off horse. *(Don’t wring it out like a dish rag unless you want short hair.)*
4. Mix 1 oz of EquiRehydrinse Conditioner with water in a spray bottle. Spray mixture on mane and tail and work it into the crest of the neck and the tail bone with your fingers. Let it air dry for a few minutes. *(It’s like leave-in conditioner, but for a 1,200 lb supermodel.)*
5. Saturate mane and tail with Mane ‘n Tail Detangler. Let air dry for a few minutes. *(This is foreplay for your comb.)*
6. Blow dry mane and tail with pet dryer. Do not comb through the hair while wet. Combing through wet hair stretches and weakens the hair shaft and that’s how you end up with breakage. Just dry it thoroughly, ensuring the crest of the neck is dry and the tail bone is dry. *(Wet hair + comb = heartbreak.)*
7. Once dry, comb through hair with a wide-toothed comb. Start at the ends and work your way up. If you have knots, remove them with your fingers — do not pull them through with the comb. The pet dryer works pretty good to keep knots from forming and helps close the hair shaft so it doesn’t stretch. *(Your fingers are gentler than a comb… and if that sounded dirty, good.)*
8. Once the mane and tail are combed through, braid the mane. Start your braid loosely at the crest, and tighten the braid as you go down. I braid halfway down and secure with electrical tape. *(Loose at the top, snug at the bottom — just like a good pair of jeans.)*
9. Braid the tail. Start loosely at the base of the tail bone and tighten the braid as you go along. Secure with electrical tape. *(Yes, we’re still talking about the tail. Get your mind out of the gutter.)*
10. Bag the tail in a lycra tail bag. *(Because you don’t leave expensive jewelry lying around unprotected.)*
11. Place Sazzy Tailz Bag over lycra tail bag. *(Double protection. Like your mama told you.)*
12. Once the horse is dry, spray Suncoat over the body. *(Keeps the shine and blocks the burn — think SPF for your four-legged runway model.)*

One secret of a great horse hair maintenance routine is leaving it alone until you wash it and condition again. Stop brushing it, stop playing with it, stop making your braids so tight the wig shop down the street is thinking about hiring you as a micro-braider. When that mane starts getting itchy massage some Equifuse Rehydrinse into the crest. My horses are out ALL day and in at night. They see all the elements, bugs, sweat, etc. If I can maintain the excessive hair… so can you.

Ready to book your breeding to Volturi for 2026? Download his early booking contract here.