120 MODERN FARRIER.' 



harass them in the summer months. When our 

 cavalry are sent abroad, the loss of the horses' tails- 

 proves a very serious obstacle to the success of the' 

 troops. More than one instance of this has occurred. 

 At the battle of Dettingen, in 1743, great part of 

 the British cavalry were absolutely dismounted, 

 from the death of the horses, occasioned in a great 

 measure by the torment which they experienced' 

 from the bite of gad-flies and other insects ; and at 

 the battle of Minden, in the seven years war, the j 

 cavalry of the allies were thrown into so much dis- 

 order by these petty enemies, that they had nearly 

 lost the battle. Lord Pembroke declares, that he 

 has seen the cavalry horses belonging to our army 

 sweating, rushing against each other, refusing their 

 food, and absolutely devoured by flies, for want of : 

 their tails to brush them off; while those of the | 

 horses of the foreign cavalry that had not been de- ' 

 prived of this necessar}^ defence, were cool, tranquil, ; 

 fed well, and were in good condition. \ 



It is argued, 1st, That a long tail is extremely in- i 

 convenient when travelling; 2d, That a short tail 

 strengthens the back, by requiring less nutriment ! 

 from the body ; and, 3d, that a fine, arched, cocked •; 

 tail is a beautiful object. Now thealledged inconve- ^ 

 niences of a natural formed tail are extremely trifling,. i 

 and are not to be compared with the advantages it ^ 

 possesses. The opinion that docking strengthens 'i 

 the back is, to say the best of it, extremely pro- \ 

 blematical; and we think few unprejudiced men '] 

 will deny, that a horse with a long tail is a much i 

 finer object than one that is prepetually perking and i 

 wriggling his tail in the air, and exposing his bare 

 breech to the broad stare of open day. 



The manner of performing this operation is as | 

 follows : — Secure the animal by putting a twitch in j 

 his nose, and tying up one of his fore-legs. Then 

 feel with your finger and thumb for the third joint | 

 from the setting on of the horse's tail ; raise up the i 



