CLIPPING. 471 



ments as hatchet, saw or knife. The centre of the under 

 arm should be placed against the joint, so that the knife 

 falls on the middle of the joint socket. The upper arm 

 should then be brought firmly and rapidly down. Many, if 

 not most, of the cases of lockjaw caused by docking are the 

 result of the tail being cut by an ignorant operator, who 

 cuts, or rather crushes, through the solid bone, which results 

 in inflammation and blood poisoning. When the joint has 

 been cut, the hair which was tied back should be released 

 and retied around the end of the bone ; by this means the 

 blood is caught and soon forms a plug. Searing, i. e., burn- 

 ing the end of the tail with a hot iron, should not be allowed. 

 After the elapse of three or four days, the catgut should 

 be removed, the tail gently washed in tepid water, and when 

 dry the trimming can be commenced. 



CLIPPING. 



The advantages of removing, by clipping, the heavy coat 

 of such horses as are required to perform fast work in win- 

 ter is so well recognized by all horse owners of experience 

 that all theoretical objections should bear little weight in 

 the reader's consideration of the practice. 



The process of clipping formerly was done with a pair 

 of shears and a comb, but the hand (see Figs. 222, 223) and 

 foot power machines (see Fig. 224) have, except in remote 

 districts, superseded this primitive method. The removal of 

 the coat usually includes all parts except the hair on the 

 inside of the ears ; but unless there are a number of ser- 

 vants to care for the horses when they return to the stable, 

 it is advisable to omit removing the hair on the legs from 

 the forearm of the fore le^s and the gaskins of the hind 



