NICKING — NUMNAH 



very good legs and feet, whilst the Arab type of head is 

 not uncommon amongst them. 



Nicking. — The object of this operation, which is to make a 

 horse which carries his tail down and close to his buttocks, 

 carry it upwards as he should do to look well, is not by 

 any means so common now as it used to be. It consists of 

 cutting a slit on the lower part of the tail about a couple of 

 inches from the body, and dividing the side muscles, so that 

 those which raise the tail shall have no opposition from the 

 muscles which depress it. In severing the latter care must 

 be taken to avoid dividing the artery of the tail, and it is 

 necessary to bandage the wound and keep the tail in an 

 upward position and straight, lest when it heals it may 

 be on one side. The bandage should be loosened the next 

 day in case the swelling which supervenes should produce 

 inflammation. The operation, however, is not one that should 

 be entrusted to anybody but a properly qualified veterinary 

 surgeon. (See Docking.) 



Norfolk Trotter. — See Hackney. 

 Norwegian Horse. — See Swedish Horses. 



Nose. — The position of a horse's nose should be as nearly 

 as possible in a straight line with his forehead. (See Roman 

 Nose.) 



Nose-band. — The part of the bridle which encircles the 

 head above the nose. In the case of hard pullers a second and 

 more tightly-fitting nose-band is attached to it in such a 

 manner that on the reins being pulled hard it presses on the 

 nostrils and checks respiration, thus assisting the driver in 

 stopping the horse. 



Numnah.— See Saddle-cloth. 



225 P 



