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Hi', Simon. It might have been in common usage at one time for tying 'transparent' bodies on dry flies, but the hair would have to be white. Another use for white horse hair was in the making of tapered casts for fly fishing. The hair from stallions' or gueldings' tails was used, as they pee forwards, so their tresses don't get discoloured with regular urine baths. TerryC
PS I have an old, unused horse hair cast somewhere in among my treasures.

More likely to be a sick individual with some weird fetish!

__________________
It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

Hi Terry, the pony is chestnut with a dark, nearly black tail and mane. So not for transparent bodies anyway. He is an entire horse so no pee stains but I still have trouble believing it was for making casts. Why would you bother in this day and age? Unless someone comes up with something I haven't heard of I think we fishermen are probably in the clear. It's really sad, he's a lovely wee stallion, very fine featured and typical strong stance. He looks so wrong with his tail shaved.
Graham may have it sussed.


Simon.

With the approach of Halloween... I wonder

news.scotsman.com/.../Mystery-as-25-horses-at.3766616.jp

Sorry about that. Link won't work but this is the gist of it.

Animal welfare experts have said there may be a link between sporadic attacks on horses and witchcraft.
Two horses were attacked on Monday night in a paddock near Coupar Angus, north west of Dundee.

Last week, two horses had their tails partially cut near Aberdeen and in an earlier attack one horse suffered spinal injuries.

It is thought such attacks may increase in the run up to Halloween.

The horses' tails were cut

The claims have angered pagan groups who deny involvement.

The National Equine Welfare Council said its research had established a link between attacks on horses and dates in the pagan calendar.

After attacks in Nottinghamshire last year, possible links with witchcraft were investigated.

It is thought the incidents matched dates in the pagan calendar between October and Easter. After Easter the attacks stopped.

Tails hacked

Now there are fears horses are being targeted again.

Almost a fortnight ago two horses had their tails hacked off with a blunt instrument in a field near Laurencekirk, south of Aberdeen.

A few days later two horses owned by Jackie Boyd were targeted in a field on the outskirts of Aberdeen, with significant chunks of hair being removed from their tails.

Ms Boyd said she was "horrified" by suggestions of a link to witchcraft.

"Somebody had said to me last week that it was possibly for rocking horse hair, that was why the tails had been taken," she said.

"That is bad enough, but if somebody was using it for other purposes that to me is just really scary."

Animal welfare groups said the signs to look for are:

•blood being taken
•sticky plaits woven into the horse's mane
•sexual assault
•tails and manes being trimmed
Horse owners and farmers are also being told to watch for small "altars" where horse hair has been burned and symbols such as pentagrams or double headed axes.

Black horsehair was a common material for fly tying at one time.
It was used for Midges and ants. Ties a nice segmented body



Gary

www.nichobamboorods.com

Hi', Simon, like I said, horse hair might have been in common usage by fly tyers etc at one time. I can't see anyone using it in this day and age, unless it was for historic reasons. Looks as though someone might be bearing a grudge, or just plain sick. Such stupidity denies the animal a fly whisk in summer, and it might be necessary to protect the tail against frost until the hair grows again. I have often said the world was a lovely place -- until man kind arrived.
One of my mates used to show his fell pony, even made his own traps and gigs, and I can just imagine what he would do to whoever was responsible for what you have described. I suppose we have to be thankful that the damage was not more serious. TerryC

PS The only other uses for horse hair that I can think of were either stuffing in sofas etc or for binding old-fashioned plaster.

It may have been on one of these forums that I found this link, apologies if so. I found it fascinating. However, it suggests that for casts you need hair from a chestnut. (OK, chestnut horse, don't bother!)

http://eclecticguy.com:80/2009/05/08...hair-fly-line/

Mike

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I have just ordered a horse hair tail and mane for a rocking horse. Mine is from a reputable seller of rocking horse materials, but it is expensive and I can image some individuals might be tempted to harvest it illicitly.