In general the mane lies to the Tight side, but in some horses it is shaded equally to each. On some carriage horses it is made to lie to the right side on the one, and to the left on the other, the bare side of the neck being exposed. From some, especially ponies, it is the custom to have the mane shorn off near to the roots, only a few stumps being left to stand perpendicularly. This is termed the hog-mane. It is almost entirely out of fashion. To make a mane lie, the groom combs and wets it several times a day; he keeps it almost constantly wet; when thick, short, and bushy, he pulls away some of the hair from the under side, that is, from the side to which the mane inclines, or is wanted to incline. When that is not sufficient, he plaits it into ten or fifteen cords, weaving into each a piece of matting, and loading the extremity with a little lead. After remaining in this state for several days, the plaiting is undone, and the mane lies as it is wanted. When it becomes too long or too bushy, a few of the hairs are pulled out. This is often done too harshly, and some horses have a great aversion to it. The man takes hold of a few hairs, often too many; he clears them by pushing up the others, wraps them round his finger, and with a sudden jerk tears them out.

Mr. Blane contrived a kind of fork with three prongs made of iron, which is said to thin the mane more equally and less painfully than the finger. In harness-horses, that part of the mane which lies directly behind the ears is usually cut away, that the head of the bridle may sit fast.

Heavy draught-horses should seldom have either the mane or the tail thinned, and, to hang gracefully, it should be long in proportion to its thickness. These horses have a naked, stiff, and clumsy appearance when deprived of too much hair. Indeed, their mane and tail require nothing but daily combing and brushing to keep them clean and even. A thinner mane and tail are more in keeping with the general appearance of fine-boned, well-bred horses.

In stage-coach and similar stables, the horses are often robbed of both mane and tail by drunken strappers. For the sake of a dram, which they gain by selling the hair, they pull out more than enough. This should be forbidden.