Horsehair fabrics are sought for their lustre, durability and care properties and mainly used for upholstery and interiors.
Painting is one of the areas where horsehair is still widely used today.
The horsehair is processed, cut to size and fitted to paint brushes that are used for anything from painting walls to painting pictures to be hung in galleries.
Horsehair can be very stiff or very fine and flexible; mane hair is generally softer and shorter than tail hair.
The texture of horsehair can be influenced by the breed and management of the horse, including natural conditions such as diet or climate. Horsehair is a protein fiber that absorbs water slowly, but can be dyed or colored effectively using traditional dyes suitable for protein fibers. Horsehair fabrics are woven with wefts of tail hair from live horses and cotton or silk warps.
It was used in the hair to create the "Gibson Girl" look, and in the 18th century it was used in wigs.
Until the 20th century, it was commonly used to make fine arts paintbrushes, along with sable, fox, wolf, goat, and lamb hair.