DOCKIXG — NERVIXG. 257 



be taken out a little time every four or fi\e days. Light feed 

 should be given. The best pulley is to be put on a collar. 

 Make a tail-set of light wood, and place it on the rump, with a 

 groove for the tail and a pulley to the collar. 



DOCKINa. 



Docking, or amputation of the tail, should be joerformed in 

 the following manner: The horse is cast ; the place it is desired 

 to take the tail off is selected, a joint is found, and about half 

 an inch below it, by one sweep of the knife, the skin of the 

 tail is cut; the skin is then forcibly drawn back until the joint 

 is in view; the knife is then passed squarely through the joint, 

 a.nd the tail is off. There are two arteries which may have to 

 be tied. The forceps and silk should be on hand for this pur- 

 pose ; or they may be seared with a hot iron, to stoj) the bleed- 

 ing. The skin is then drawn down over the end of the bone, 

 and two or three stitches passed through it to close the wound. 

 Cold-water dressing, or a little tincture of aloes and myrrh, is. 

 all that will be needed. 



NERVING. 



This operation consists in cutting in two the ])lantar nerves,, 

 or nerves of the foot, or first cutting them and then cutting a. 

 piece off of one of the cut ends. The nerve at each side of 

 the pastern is to be operated on. To perform the operation: 

 requires a correct knowledge of the anatomy of the foot and. 

 pastern. The horse is cast, or thrown, and the foot to be- 

 operated on firmly secured; or chloroform may be given the 

 horse, when an assistant can hold the foot. If it is the left 

 foot that is to be operated on, first have the horse thrown- 

 on the right side. Then clip off the hair to the outer side of 

 the pastern-joint, and by careful examination the situation of 

 the artery and its course can be ascertained. Then, starting 

 a little behind the artery, and about an inch below the fetlock- 

 17 



