Removing Rusty Argentina Tail Ring?

[Rosette]

Taking ponies apart makes me nervous, but I have an unbelievably skudgy Argentina pony that needed some intervention.  Among other problems, the tail ring is very rusty and is a solid metal collar instead of the crimped metal band I'm used to seeing in US ponies so I can't just unwrap it.  How do you remove it?  Metal snips or something?  I'm painfully tool-ignorant but this pony needs help.

Thanks!

[pinkkittywinks]

if it is rusted it should be easier to remove i get a strong pair of pliers and squeeze and squeeze and bend and twist the ring until it breaks have some cable ties at hand to hold the tail together after the washer has been removed.

you can wash, condition and flat iron the hair as normal in my experience argie hair responds well the flat ironing.

love pkw xxx

[Chi]

Pretty much what PKW said. If you squeeze it with pliers in different directions, it should eventually just break off.

[mlp4me]

Good question Songtoisis! I was thinking about the same thing when I pulled out the rusty tail of my Italian Seashell... (I tried to smoosh the ring to break it but it just wouldn't, so cleaned it up as best as I could.)

Is the plastic really thick on your Argie? Seashell's derriere plastic is more than 1/4" thick and it was very difficult to pull her tail back through...

[sosoftbuttons]

in situations like that i borrow my dad's needle-nose pliers, they're really thin and pointy on the end and i can just about get them in between the tail ring and the hair and can often prize the ring apart enough to actually start splitting it then its quite easy to grip with the pliers and break it right open...  ok so i've lost a few hairs to breakages but its a small price to pay for a rust free tail.

and for those thick pony-backsides, use your hairdrier to warm the plastic before you put the tail back through, it works wonders and you only need it on for about 30 seconds, just mind your fingers dont burn in the hot air    

[Rosette]

if it is rusted it should be easier to remove i get a strong pair of pliers and squeeze and squeeze and bend and twist the ring until it breaks have some cable ties at hand to hold the tail together after the washer has been removed.

you can wash, condition and flat iron the hair as normal in my experience argie hair responds well the flat ironing.

love pkw xxx

Thanks for the advice.  I would have been risking a finger trying to cut through the metal--so I'm glad I asked. 

[mlp4me]

Thanks for the tip sosoftbuttons!
I did get Seashell's tail pulled through, but my hands were killing me the next day.
(I use a long piece of 1/4" ribbon to pull tails back through and wrap the excess around my hands to get the best pull...).

[pinkkittywinks]

song ~ oh i have had my fair share if finger ouchies!!!! anything to try and save fingers is a good move!

sosoftbuttons ~ YES! the hair drier is an essential tool. get the tail partly in place, warm the pony's bum up and the plastic should be soft enough for the tail to pull through.

mlp4me ~ i use a ribbon as well to pull tails through

love pkw xxx