HAIR, in farriery, is generally called the coat; and, with regard to horses, deserves particular consideration.
The hair growing on the fetlock, serves as a defence to the prominent part of it, in travelling in stony ways, or in frosty weather: if the hair of a horse's neck, and the parts most uncovered, be close, smooth and sleek, it is an indication of his being in health and good case. In order to make the hair of an horse soft and sleek, he must be kept warm at heart, for the least inward cold will cause the hair to stare; also sweat him often, for that will loosen and raise the dust and filth that renders his coat foul; and when he is in the heat of a sweat, scrape off all the white foam, sweat, and filth, that is raised up, with an old sword-blade; and also when he is blooded, if you rub him all over with his own blood, repeating it two or three days, and curry and dress him well, it will make his coat shine as if covered with a fine varnish.
Hair falling from the main or tail, is caused either by his having taken some heat, which has engendered a dry mange; or from some surfeit which causes the evil humours to resort to those parts. To cure this, anoint the horse's mane and crest with black soap; make a strong lee of ashes, and wash it all over with it. But if a canker should grow on a horse's tail, which will eat away both flesh and bone; then put some oil of vitriol to it, and it will consume it: and if you find that the vitriol corrodes too much, you need only to
wet it with cold water, and it will put a stop to it.
If you would take away hair from any part of a horse's body, boil half a pound of lime in a quart of water, till a fourth part is consumed, to which add an ounce of orpiment; make this into a plaster, and lay it on.