PROFESSIONAL RIVALRY. 267 



belonging to the carriages which they meet. Mr. 

 Brown's coachman sees that Lord Kennaquh air's 

 horses have had their tails cut short, so nothing 

 will serve him but to cut his own horses' tails still 

 shorter. 



If this rivalry in tail-cutting extended only to the 

 hair it would do no very great harm. It would 

 spoil the appearance of the horse, but would not 

 inflict pain or affect health, and the hair, if allowed 

 to grow without hindrance, would, in process of 

 time, resume its natural appearance. 



But this tail-cutting mania goes farther, and not 

 only the hair, but the tail on which it grew is cut off, 

 several of the last vertebras being amputated. The 

 pain caused by this operation is very great, but, as 

 we shall see, the torture is not all. How painful the 

 operation is, is shown in the following letter : — 



'is docking horses' tails cruel in a legal sense? 



1 To the Editor of the " Daily Neivs" 



' Sir, — I am a country magistrate, who is anxious 

 to obtain an opinion founded on the judgment of my 

 brother magistrates throughout the country generally 

 on the subject of this letter. My personal dislike of 

 anything should not make me give a decision which 

 could not be maintained if appealed against. 



