HOW TO PULL A MANE. 221 



horses will not stand their manes being pulled ever 

 so gently. The remembrance of the mane-drag 

 has probably not faded from their minds. Of course, 

 to cut a mane is but a tom-fool's work (I do not 

 refer to what is called hogging a mane). If a mane 

 is cut, as may be supposed, the hairs, when growing 

 again, stand up through the longer hairs like a sort 

 of chevaux-de-frise, and are hardry ornamental, 

 if peculiar. Only dealers' grooms seem to thoroughly 

 understand the art of pulling a mane properly. 

 True that they do it in a rough, cruel fashion, as I 

 have remarked, but that is rather because they 

 have to smarten up a horse all at once for sale, and 

 are pressed for time. A mane should not be pulled 

 from the underneath side ; and most certainly not 

 from the upj^er. Therefore it must be pulled from 

 the middle. In order to do this properly, the mane 

 should be parted evenly, and the longer hairs, not 

 more than two or three at a time, being held 

 in the finders of one hand, the remaining hairs 

 should be run back clear of them, and a sharp, 

 quick twitch being given, they are removed. It 

 is impossible without cruelty to remove very 

 much at a time ; a little each day will soon 

 thin a mane properly, and if thus carried out the 

 hair will fall in light, thin locks, and give an 

 appearance of style and breeding, which a thick, 



