290 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



with a tail, to cast the flies off, and fan him- 

 self with, man only took off the extremity 

 which he found annoyed him, when the 

 Horse switched it about in hot or dirty 

 weather, and left tiie Horse all that could be 

 allowed, so as not to incommode himself. 



The bushy tail was allowed to preserve all 

 the hair possible ; and holding the tail to that 

 elevation in which the Horse usually carried 

 it, the scissors were employed to cut in a per- 

 pendicular direction, within about half an inch 

 of the end of the dock. Scissors were made 

 purposely for this business ; the first sort were 

 made nine inches long in the blades, to reach 

 to the top, without the hand putting the hair 

 out of place ; but afterwards it was found 

 more convenient to have the haft of the scis- 

 sors bgnt like the gardeners' shears, witli 

 which they square the edges. There is much 

 art and ingenuity in cutting these tails truly 

 gi^juare, leaving both sides of equal length, 

 and leaving no projections or hollows at the 

 end. 



The brush tail was suitable to those Horses, 

 that from being well nicked, carried their tails 

 high, and bent upwards ; these tails were 

 cut, rounding in such a manner, that when 

 they were up, they resembled the hair of a 

 brusn ; and much ingenuity is required to cut 

 them true and even. 



The blood tail has been much in voo^ue for 

 many years, and I think is as becoming as 

 any. This requires the least art or ingenuity 

 ifi cutting. You have only to comb the hair 

 out, and holding it together with your left 

 hand, you cut the ends off square, at a proper 

 length, generally about three inches below the 

 end of the dock ; then combing the tail out, 

 hold it up, and correct any irregularities you 

 may perceive. The hair of the blood Horse's 



tail is generally thin, and of an easy flowing 

 nature ; so that the tail cut in this manner is 

 very becoming. 



The thin tail is a mean representation of the 

 blood tail ; for half, and inferior bred Horses 

 have fuller and more bushy tails than blood 

 Horses. Hence, to bring them to some re- 

 semblance of the blood tail, they pluck the 

 under tiair to thin it, and by that means make 

 it appear like a thin ragged tail. The ends 

 are squared as the blood tail. 



Thin-tailed Horses have been remarked in 

 general to be good ones ; whether the fashion 

 was brought up to convey an idea of good- 

 ness, or to make them resemble blood Horses, 

 I cannot determine ; but the difference is 

 easily discovered, and I think they should be 

 denominated ragged tails. There only re- 

 mains now to pull the mane, and singe. First, 

 comb the mane thoroughly, laying it very 

 smooth and even. Then begin at the top, 

 and taking hold of a few of the lona:est hairs 

 at the points with the right hand, separate 

 them from the other hair, by shoving the 

 comb up. If you have hold of no more than, 

 if bound together, would be about the thick- 

 ness of a straw, twist them round the back of 

 the comb and pluck them out. Then comb- 

 ing the mane down again, take some more 

 and pluck in like manner, till you have re- 

 duced that part to the thinness and length you 

 wish. Then proceed in like manner down 

 the mane, and make all alike, repeatedly 

 combing it out. Should you perceive any 

 irregularities, correct tliem, but not with the 

 scissors. Hairs left longer than the rest, must 

 be plucked, not cut. The fore-top is a great 

 ornament, and should be left long, so that it 

 will tuck under the bridle, and reach three or 

 four inches below ; the extreme ragged pointa 



