50 NICKINO. 



quarter of an inch of the outer sides of the tail, next tO 

 the hair. There are three arteries ; two large, on the 

 outer side and immediately under the tendons, and one 

 in the centre between the two nearer the bone, all 

 nmnmg into a longitudinal direction, and decreasing 

 in size to the extreme end. 



To perform the operation of nicking, it is first neces- 

 sary the horse should be well secured, to prevent his 

 kicking or doing other injury ; a twitch is to be put on 

 his upper lip, but not so high as to prevent his breath- 

 ing; a cord is to be made fast to the fetlock of one of 

 his hind legs, thence carried forward and made fast to 

 *his fore leg above the knee, which will effectually 

 prevent his doing injury during the operation. — [See 

 Plaf.e.] 



I eing now confined, you are ready to commence 

 the operation, which chiefly consists in a transveise 

 division of those depressing tendons of the tail, and 

 s\.Y)h a position afterwards as will keep their extremi- 

 Uf's again from coming into contact ; so that an inter- 

 v«^ning callous fills up the vacuity, and elevates, erects, 

 and props the tail. There are three different modes 

 of nicking, all of which I will proceed to explain, 

 riving an opportunity to any person, about to perform 

 i\\e operation, to make their selection. 



To make a horse cany an elegant tail, is attended 

 ' with some uncertainty, as much depends upon the 

 spirit, disposition, form, size of the bone of the tail, 

 ifec. &c. &c. A horse of good spirit, tolerable 'shape, 

 and a small bone in the tail, can be made to carry an 

 elogant tail with the greatest ease ; particularly if he 

 carried a tolerably natural tail. But a dull, leather 

 •leaded, flop-eared horse, with a remarkable large bone 

 n his tail, will set you a task, although yoj may break 



