288 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



be most proper and advantao:eous to his ap- 

 pearance. 



Begin then with the head, first, with the 

 fore-top ; you are to cut only that part on the 

 forehead, which is in the way of the front of 

 the bridle and stall-collar, cutting it away 

 close and smooth ; next clip away that part 

 on the poll, where the head-stall of the bridle, 

 or stall-collar comes, being mindful to clip as 

 little towards the neck as you can avoid ; for, 

 if you clip beyond where the head-stall of the 

 bridle comes, you will disfigure the neck. 

 You next come to as difficult a part as any, 

 which is trimming out the ear; and few 

 Horses will stand quiet, without being pinched 

 with the twitch. 



Good workmen" will make shift with any 

 ^ort of tools, and bad ones blame the tools for 

 their own awkwardness ; nevertheless, handy 

 tools are to be preferred. The scissors, for 

 trimming ears, will be the most handy if nar- 

 row in the blades, the points not too pricked ; 

 but should cut well at the points. Begin with 

 clipping the inner part of the ear, not cutting 

 near the edges, till you have got the long hair 

 on the inside cleared out, and then gradually 

 approach to the edges, drawing the outside 

 skin of the ear back, that you may not clip so 

 near as to leave the edge of the ear bare, 

 which you would do if you did not take that 

 precaution, and which would shamefully dis- 

 figure the ear. The outside skin of the ear is 

 very loose, and as you hold it with the left 

 hand, while you clip with the right, you are 

 apt to draw it so forward, that it deceives 

 you ; for you suppose you are not clipping 

 near the edge, but when you let go your 

 hold, you will perceive the edge bare ; and 

 this must be continued, or the ear will appear 

 in scallops or notches, so that much care must 



be taken to guard against this error. When 

 you are near the edges, you cannot be certain 

 where to cut while you hold the ear, you 

 must frequently let go, to notice if you have 

 cut far enough, carefully avoiding to take too 

 much at a time. Having clipped to the edges 

 of the ear, and no farther, the outside hair 

 will stand projecting beyond the edges of the 

 ear, quite even and regular, if you have been 

 careful to clip it so. 



At the bur and root of the ear, a deal of 

 long flossy hair grows, which must be partly 

 clipped away ; that on the inside you must be 

 careful not to leave in scores and notches, 

 leaving the singeing to accomplish, what the 

 scissors cannot so well effect. You finish with 

 the scissors, by clipping round the edge of the 

 ear the hair that projects, cutting it all round, 

 so that you preserve the exact beauty and 

 shape of the ear; being mindful not to notch, 

 or cut the back hair, so as to shew the roois 

 of the under hair, which will be a disfigure- 

 ment. Much at the root of the ear must be 

 left for singeing, the scissors will only score it. 



You next clip all superfluous hair about his 

 face and beard, which grows like a cats 

 whiskers ; some under his eyes, about hi« 

 nose, lips, and beard, cutting them as close as 

 possible. Rough Hort^es, lately come from 

 grass, and coarse-bred Horses, have a quan- 

 tity of superfluous hair growing very thick 

 under the thropple, and about the throat ; 

 this must be removed by the scissors. In tiie 

 parts least in sight, be mindful to score as 

 little as possible ; for it is a difficult task to 

 clip without scoring, and the hair is of that 

 quality and thickness, that you might broil 

 the Horse, before you could singe the score* 

 out ; therefore the greatest care must be 

 taken to score as little as possible. 



