My understanding is that horsehair pottery was first made as the result of an accident by an Acoma Pueblo potter as she bent over to remove a hot piece of pottery from the kiln.  Her hair fell against it and burned, leaving a carbon trail on the clay surface.

The resulting pattern was intriguing enough to lead to further experimentation with other materials such as feathers, pine needles, and horsehair.  The much coarser horsetail hair was found to leave a more striking impression than human hair.  Variations on this technique have been taught to and used by Native and non-Native Americans alike.

I currently use the following process in making horsehair pottery:

• pieces are thrown on the potter's wheel and allowed to dry;
• the dried pieces are fired to approximately 1900 degrees to harden the clay;
• the pieces are then brushed with a clay slip and burnished to create a smooth surface;
• they are then fired in the kiln again to approximately 1025 degrees and removed immediately;
• within the first minute of removing the hot piece from the kiln, before it has time to cool; sugar, horsehair  and feathers are applied in random patterns and the piece is sprayed with an iron solution to give it its "rust red" color;
• after washing each piece, it is handburnished with wax to a satin sheen.

This process holds a great deal of fascination for me because the results are immediate, unpredictable, and endlessly variable.  If the pot cools before I have a chance to develop a pattern that suits me, it is re-fired and the process is repeated.  Although I can never repeat a pattern that I like (every pot is unique in that way) I am constantly surprised by the beauty that can come out of this randomness.

Horsehair pots complement any decor and are especially suited to southwestern color and design.  Because of the porous clay used (to withstand the thermal shock of being removed hot from the kiln), they should be used with dry arrangements only.  Like other art work, horsehair pieces should not be kept in direct sunlight and are best cleaned by gentle brushing.