178 



STABLE VICES 



It is indisputably a fact that, if a cart- foal is 

 docked, a Q-ood deal of the strenc^th which would 

 have gone into nourishing the tail — had it been 

 left on — goes to nourish the hind-quarters instead. 

 A horse — and especially a cob — has a sport- 

 ing appearance if nicely docked. On the other 

 hand, they lose nature's weapon against flies 

 and other teasing insects which cause a lot of 

 torment durino- mid-summer. Bush-horses are 

 rarely docked in consequence. Nor are race- 

 horses as a general rule, and, in the case of 



TAIL-GUARD 



Steeplechasers, it is considered by some good 

 authorities that a long tail acts like a rudder in 

 a certain fashion over an awkward jump — help- 

 ing the horse to steer himself at a critical moment. 

 I will not vouch for the truth of this idea — but 

 many contradict it and others believe in it. 

 Probably there is some truth in it. A long tail 

 gives dignity to a thoroughbred, which cannot be 

 said of a hog-maned polo-pony with a scrubbing- 

 brush tail, who looks very knowing. The ex- 

 tremes are somewhat like dignity and impudence. 

 There is a certain amount of risk when docking, 

 lest lock-jaw should set in, but cases are very 



