Kristin, if you keep cutting it back, you'll keep horsetail from spreading because it won't have a chance to spread its spores around. To get rid of it completely, you might havre to pull it out. Personally, I'd love to have some for medicinal purposes. Why are you concerned about having it around your kids? I never viewed it as a danger.
Jim

Usually, the common Horsetail, Field Horsetail, grows in poor, moist soils, although it can (and has been known to spread to richer but too moist soils) but the usual means of eliminating it are to make the soil something it does not lke to grow in, a soil well endowed with organic matter that is evenly (but not overly) moist and well drained.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisconsin State on Horsetail

Thanks for the responses. Jim, it was probably not clear in my post but I'm not concerned about the horsetail being a danger, I'm concerned about herbicide use, so I'd prefer not to use herbicides. I can live with a few weeds, I just don't want it to spread like it has for our neighbors...

Kimmsr, thanks - we do have dense clay soil so I'm trying to amend the beds with liberal amounts of compost, and using less thirsty plants - hoping that will decrease its potential for spread.

Kristin

I found richer soil didn't help. A moose stomped all over my raised beds one fall and must have brought it in on his hooves and I fought it in that bed. It was a lost cause.

I would just be vigilant about pulling. I have a very hard time with it here.

Gloria

I use a ordinary weed wacker in the open. Carefully hand remove the ones near shrub roots with ordinary scissor. Grows very well in full sun and not too well in shade and grass. Repeated pinching stalls it.

-L

It will grow in dry sand and swampy organic loam. Best way is to just hoe it weekly/biweekly. You will likely have it forever, just don't let it go wild.
I "heard" sprinkling dolomite lime on it will actually kill it. Haven't tried it but sounds cheap enough to try. I think that info was from here a few years back.

Thanks again. I've been snipping the tops off as soon as they pop up and hopefully this will stall/starve it. I'm afraid to dig b/c I read that damaging the roots only stimulates new growth... My husband weed-whacks the neighbor's berm when he has a chance too. I have a bag of lime and maybe I should just go ahead and try it. Can't hurt, can it? I just do NOT want it to get into my bigger flower bed too...

Lazy gardener, what you describe hardly seems lazy!!! LOL - I have been snipping horsetail every day while my little ones nap!!

Thanks again,
Kristin

My horsetail chores are once in 3 weeks. :)

Lime has no effect in my opinion.

-LG

Has anyone had any experience with mulch in controlling horsetail. Aside from pulling it all out and keeping it back before it spores I haven't heard any other valid methods of controlling it.

Mulch will not control this particular plant. It is not returning from spores, it is returning from underground rhizomes, which can be 6 feet deep.

If you try the lime make sure it is dew covered so it actually sticks.

On the other hand...you might harbor and increase it for your own cottage industry for herbal use. :)

http://www.vitacost.com/science/hn/Herb/Horsetail.htm#Condition-Summary