268 HORSE AND MAN. 



' I am fifty-seven years old, and from boyhood in 

 the hunting-field, on the race-course, and in a cavalry 

 regiment, I have had horses as my friends and 

 servants, and I have no hesitation in deciding the 

 practice of docking to be unnecessary and cruel. 

 Unfortunately it is a common custom, and to be con- 

 sistent, thousands should be summoned, and not, as 

 now, only one occasionally. I think it is shown to be 

 unnecessary for safety in driving, because when a few 

 years ago it was not the fashion to dock horses' tails, 

 carriage accidents were not more frequent than 

 now. 



' That it is cruel I have no doubt. Providence 

 gave the horse a tail for good reasons, as any one 

 who has watched a colt at grass can see. The 

 absence of it when flies are troublesome causes 

 absolute misery. It will also be remarked that those 

 parts over which the tail naturally falls have little 

 or no hair, and therefore need its protection. 



' What does docking mean ? It is taking off 

 several joints of the tail, and then searing the bleeding 

 stumps with a hot iron. Can any man imagine this 

 torture applied to his finger, rendering it for ever 

 less useful than Nature intended, and deliberately 

 approve of its being inflicted on a helpless animal to 

 gratify a passing fashion ? 



' I am informed that at Carmarthen a conviction 



