Photo courtesy of Gypsy Tails.
Need a last-minute gift idea for the fellow horse lovers in your life? Want to add more color to your already rockin’ cross-country getup? Have you ever wished you could turn your horse into a life-sized My Little Pony? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be sure to check out Gypsy Tails! These colorful mane and tail extensions are a fun, nonpermanent way to express your style while supporting an American small business.
Amber Ebers of Whitesboro, Texas, is the creative mastermind behind Gypsy Tails. When she was practicing with hair extensions in cosmetology school, Amber decided that it would be fun to create extensions for horses.
“I tried to make the tails just like human hair extensions,” Amber explained. “Then a friend of mine said, ‘I think it would be really cool if they were red or orange,’ so I turned around and said, ‘I can do that.’ I really didn’t know how I was going to do it then, but after many tries, I finally got the right colors I was looking for.” And thus, Gypsy Tails were born.
Amber Ebers, owner and creator of Gypsy Tails.
Handmade with 100 percent real horse hair, Gypsy Tails are a great way to make a colorful statement. Many customers love using Gypsy Tails to stand out in a crowd and show off their favorite colors, while others might choose pink to support a loved one’s battle with cancer or honor someone serving in the armed forces with red, white and blue.
“I thought this was going to be a child’s fun little product,” Amber said. “But as Gypsy Tails started to get going, there were more adults that bought them. I have guys that use them, kids and women … My favorite part is seeing people as they spot the tails at shows. Their eyes light up, they squeal a little and they end up buying every color there is!“
Photo courtesy of Gypsy Tails
Gypsy Tails come in several styles and in 28 different colors:
- Tails – 28-30 inches long
- Manes – softer texture, about 22-24 inches long
- Bling String – interchangeable ribbons that can be added to Gypsy Tails, including metallic, holographic and neon colors
The website features an interactive storefront that allows you to “try on” Gypsy Tails on various horses; click on different color swatches to see how they’d look against a bay, gray, palomino or chestnut. Does your horse look good in Poppin Pink, or is Turquoise more their style? Click away to find out!
Screenshot from Gypsy Tails’ Store
The Gypsy Tails themselves are easy to install and care for; if you can braid a mane, then putting a Gypsy Tail in your horse’s hair is easy. All you need is a small braid and a regular zip tie to hold the Gypsy Tail in place. The site also offers a helpful How-To page with step-by-step instructions.
Gypsy Tails have become popular among many riders competing in barrel racing and other rodeo events, as well as trick riders and drill teams looking to add extra flash to their costumes. It seems only natural that thrill-seeking, color-loving eventers would want Gypsy Tails for their horses, too!
I even used Gypsy Tails in a photo shoot last year, putting red extensions in my horse’s mane and tail to coordinate with the dashes of red in my own hair! You can be sure that I will have a splash of color in my mare’s tail for a little extra good luck during cross country next year, too.
Me and Onyx in 2013. Photo by Sajous Photography.
For more information or to order Gypsy Tails for your horse, check out their website, and be sure to also “like” their page on Facebook!
Go Gypsy Tails. Go Eventing.
