For centuries, horsehair from tails and manes has been used in paintbrushes, plaster, upholstery and for the bows of musical instruments. Rarely has it been used to make actual ponytails.
An artisan North Wales designer is hoping to change this. Using clips from the annual gathering of Carneddau ponies from Eryri’s mountains, she is incorporating horsehair “pompoms”, shaped as ponytails, into hand-knitted Welsh wool hats.
Already she has two sales for her quirky £45 garments. As well as promoting the idea of local sustainability, 10% of sale proceeds will go towards the continued conservation of the magical mountain ponies that provide the source material. The rest will go towards feeding animals on her smallholding.
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“No one has done anything like this before,” said Zina, who being half-Russian asked to withhold her surname. “A lot of people come to North Wales to watch the annual pony gatherings and some might want souvenirs. As hair from pony tails is very coarse, it reflects light and looks beautiful and shiny.
“People buy synthetic hats for from China but they are not biodegradable. They are flown across the world, they don’t support local communities and they don’t last as long.”
Horsehair was once the go-to material for all manner of items, not least in the textile and fashion sector. It was used as a hair stiffener for ladies and, as “haircloth”, to help construct suits for men – some Saville Row tailors still use this material.
Horsehair mattresses continue to command a premium, being favoured by the Royals. And this summer a horsehair dress went on display at the National Museum of Scotland. It was made by incorporating nettles with horsehair sourced directly from King Charles’ Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire.
![The 'ponytail' is a form of pompom. It's made of tail clippings from Carneddau ponies gathered off the mountains for the annual check-ups](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article28107055.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_AFRDPW141123PonyTailHats_04.jpg)
As for hats, horsehair bands are not uncommon. But adding a horsehair ponytail to a hat, to mimic the real thing, is a step few have made before.
Zina, whose smallholding is at Llechwedd, Conwy, said horsehair was in demand amongst artists, crafters and jewellery makers. Also keen on the material are horse owners wanting to make false plaits for show animals.
Gareth Wyn Jones, secretary of the Carneddau Mountain Pony Society, is inviting requests for short lengths of horsehair clipped from ponies that have been gathered off the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) this autumn. He can be messaged via his Facebook page.
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Zina said: “These lengths are clipped from tails that are too long. This helps to identify that ponies have been brought down for their annual check-up. It also prevents the build-up of dirt and snow. Parts of matted manes are cut too.
“If there’s a pony with very long tail, it’s probably a very clever pony. It means it wasn’t gathered the previous year because it knows all the escape routes! The ponies re-grow their tails over winter – they need them to protect themselves from flies in the summer.”
Zina was given clippings from four pony tails. Each is a different colour – black, white and two shades of brown. From these, she hopes to make 25 ponytail hats.
She spins wool from her own sheep and will be hand-knitting each hat. It’s an exhausting process: each hat will take five hours to make from the raw materials. “But it’s not tiring for me,” said Zina. “I enjoy doing it. I can make two hats each day!”
![Carneddau mountain ponies on the hills above Llanfairfechan, Conwy. Small in stature with flowing manes and wild looks, these ponies are truly unique - there’s only 220 breeding mares left in the world](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article28107093.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_AFRDPW230123CarneddauPonies.jpg)
Already she had two commissions. One was from a Manchester man who joined the first of this year’s pony gathering, and who writes about sustainability issues. The other was from a South Wales horse owner who read about Zina’s plans on social media.
If she sells all 25 hats, around £112 will go towards the Carneddau Pony Society. “Each time a farmer or family goes up the mountain to gather ponies, it costs £15 in fuel for their quad bikes,” said Zina. “They must also pay vet bills and microchipping. Some ponies are rehomed by charities and so there is a transport cost too.”
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As well as selling ponytail hats as souvenirs, Zina will also take commissions from owners of older animals due to be euthanised, using their own hair as mementos. To express an interest, contact her via her Facebook page. Welsh Cottage by Zina showcases the sustainable lifestyle she tries to lead.
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