NICKING. 369 



then, all that is necessary, so far as the healing of the incisions 

 is concerned, is to keep them clean. 



The wounds must remain open, and that can only be accom- 

 plished by forcibly keeping the tail curved back during two or 

 three weeks. For this purpose a cord, one or two feet in length, 

 is affixed to the end of the hair, which terminates in another 

 divided cord, each division going over a pully on either side of 

 the back of the stall. A weight is hung at either extremity suf- 

 ficient to keep the incisions properly open, and regulated by the 

 degree in which this is wished to be accomplished. The animal 

 will thus be retained in an uneasy position, although, after the 

 first two or three days, probably not of acute pain. It is barbar- 

 ous to increase this uneasiness or pain by affixing too great a 

 weight to the cords ; for it should be remembered that the proper 

 elevated curve is given to the tail, not by the weight of keeping 

 it in a certain position for a considerable time, but by the depth 

 of the first incisions, and the degree in which the w^ounds are 

 kept open. 



The dock should, not — for the first three or four days — be 

 brought higher than the back. Dangerous irritation and inflam- 

 mation would probably be produced. It may, after that, be 

 gradually raised to an elevation of forty-five degrees. The horse 

 should be taken out of the pulleys, and gently exercised once or 

 twice every day ; but the pulleys pannot finally be dispensed 

 with until a fortnight after the wounds have healed, because 

 the process of contraction, or the approach of the divided parts, 

 goes on for some time after the skin is perfect over the incisions, 

 and the tail would thus sink below the desired elevation. 



If the tail has not been unnecessarily extended by enormous 

 weights, no bad consequences will usually follow ; but if consid- 

 erable inflammation should ensue, the tail must be taken from 

 the pulley and diligently fomented with simple warm water, and 

 a dose of physic given. Locked-jaw has in some rare instances 

 followed, unaer which the horse generally perishes. The best 

 means of cure in the early state of this disease is to amputate the 

 tail at the joint above the highest incision. In order to prevent 

 the hair from coming ofl^, it sliouid be unplaited and combed out 

 every fourth or fifth day. 



P 



24 



