—is the name by which the long hair is called hanging from the neck of a horse, and extending from the back of his ears to his withers: a handsome full mane adds much to the natural beauty of a well-formed horse, and is of course preserved, not more in respect to ornament, than its utility in mounting, to the ease and agility in which it affords material assistance.
MANGE in HORSES
.—The disorder so called, and with which only horses of the inferior sort are affected, originates in an impoverished state of the blood, occasioned by a want of proper healthy food, and a constant exposure to the elements in the severity of the winter season. When arrived at a certain degree of virulence, it becomes infectious, particularly as the warmer months of summer advance; and of this contagious property no doubt can be entertained; the LAW having provided a remedy, that no such horse shall be suffered to go at large, upon any lair, common, or parochial pasture, where there is a possibility of communicating the infection. The subjects of it are generally in a state of wretched emaciation, bearing the external appearance of leprosy, or partial excoriation: the leading symptoms are a perpetual itching behind the ears, down the mane on each side the neck, and at the insertion of the tail near the rump. These parts, from incessant rubbing to allay the irritation, are soon divested of the hair, to which a dirty kind of scurf appears, bearing upon its surface a malignant oily sort of moisture, which soon degenerates into variegated-coloured scabs, constituting a confirmed mange; which, the longer it is permitted to continue unrestrained in its progress, the more difficult a cure is to be obtained.
As the MANGE is principally a cutaneous disease, by which the skin only is materially affected, so the cure must chiefly depend upon external applications; prescriptions for which may be amply supplied from either old books, or new Veterinarians; neither of these being now difficult of attainment. If the disease has arisen from an impoverished state of living, and a consequent acrimonious state of the blood, altering its property, by a change of aliment, and more liberal invigoration of the system, will greatly tend to the promoting a speedy obliteration. Should a horse in high HEALTH, FLESH, and CONDITION, have received the disease by infection, BLEEDING, evacuants, or alteratives, should be brought into use in aid of external applications.
MANGE in DOGS
—will be found fully treated on under a continuation of the head Hounds, in page 485 of the first Volume.
MANGER
—is the name by which the trough is called that is fixed in all stables, and from whence a horse eats his corn or mashes; it is usually placed under his rack, from which he receives his hay; and this, in well-managed stables, is not deposited there in large quantities, but in light proportions, and at stated periods. It is an excellent and healthy custom, though, perhaps, not much in practice, to let all MANGERS, in constant use, have a substantial scrubbing with soap, brush, and boiling water, once a month; the absolute necessity for which may be seen by making an occasional observation upon the filthy state of mangers in general, particularly at INNS upon the ROADS, and LIVERY STABLES in the Metropolis.
MARE
—is the well-known feminine of the HORSE, but not held of equal value with the masculine in respect to the gender, which is not only troublesome, but found to be productive of temporary debility at certain seasons of the year. Mares are evidently weaker, and less adequate to severe work, during the time they give proof of a desire to copulate, than at any other; which, perhaps, is the principal reason why GELDINGS are so generally preferred, as far as they can be obtained. Notwithstanding this partiality, MARES are not without their advocates, and have their conveniencies: in cases of LAMENESS, or other occurrences in the long list of casual ills, they, of course, become appropriate to the purpose of PROPAGATION, without much loss being sustained. Those, however, who expect to derive either pleasure, emolument, or a gratification of ambition, from BREEDING, must be a little prudent and circumspect in the shape, make, distinct points, and general symmetry, of the MARE, before they too hastily embark in so critical, and so truly expensive, an undertaking. Although it is a maxim universally admitted, that an equal degree of precaution should be used in respect to the HORSE, it is doubly and trebly necessary with the mare; because strict observation has demonstrated, that nearly, or full two out of every three FOALS, display, in their appearance, more of the DAM than the SIRE: and that there are more FILLIES than COLTS fallen every year, will not admit of a doubt.