i88 PETERSBURG IN WINTER 



fact that it deprives the mutilated one of an efficient pro- 

 tection against the attacks of flies, which are very irritating 

 to horses in the open during summer and autumn even- 

 ings. On such occasions it is a pretty sight to see a foal 

 nestling up against its dam, who whisks the flies off her 

 infant with her long tail. Imagine advocates of docking 

 gloating over the misery of a brood mare with a short 

 stumpy tail placed in a similar position ! 



We may frequently see when long-tailed horses are at 

 grass, that a pair of these animals will stand side by side and 

 head and tail together, so that they may mutually drive off the 

 flies that invade their fore quarters. Except to remove a 

 well-marked "kink" in the tail, I look upon docking as a 

 disfigurement in all cases ; but I don't want to support the 

 unassailable argument of cruelty by this mere personal 

 opinion ; because there is no disputing about tastes, as the 

 Latin proverb tells us. The cause for the prevalence of 

 docking is the fact that English owners of horses as a great 

 rule are entirely in the hands of their grooms, as far as stable 

 management is concerned. The longer the hair of the tail, 

 mane and forelock is, the more trouble has the groom to 

 keep it clean. Need I say more? 



I had always much more pleasure in getting into a drojky 

 in St. Petersburg, than into a cab in London ; because the 

 izvozchik (Russian cabby) does not knock about his animal in 

 the cruel manner generally practised by the London hansom 

 driver, who applies his " Thorley," whenever and wherever he 

 can get the chance. As a great rule, he drives another man's 

 horse with his own whip. To those who are not behind the 

 scenes of horse life in London, I may explain that the name 

 of Thorley, who was the "food for cattle" man, is used by 

 our Metropolitan cabbies to designate the strip of gutta- 

 percha which they frequently employ at the end of their 

 flails, instead of the orthodox lash of whipcord. This 



