56 DOCKING. FTRING. TH^ FOOT. THE SKIN. 



contubuU but infpj-iorly to the system I had in view to illustrate and explain, 

 might have led him to look upon these in a light, too important for the func- 

 tions they perform — as regards my pur[)ose. 



The eyes, the tongue, the ears, the skin and hair, the tail, the genitals, and 

 the hoof, or foot, though each deserving our most sedate attention, for many 

 good reasons, yet, as they do not originate disease, 1 then purposely avoided 

 taking particular nolice of them.* Nevertheless, I do not mean to deny, that 

 they all, according to each its functions, accurately indicate the existence of 

 disease, as they do of health, and the degree of both is marked on them with 

 wonderful ])recision. Hence it was easy to conclude, even though we did not 

 know the fact to a demonstration, that they are subject to some deplorable 

 maladies that are peculiar to each, arising out of constitutional defectiveness, 

 to say nothing of accidents, nor of the fancied improvements man presumes 

 to make upon the works of his Maker. 



Under this last reproach lie all those farriers and others, who give pain un- 

 necessarily to the animal in the indispensable operations. Among these, I 

 class that of docking, notwithstanding the gibes of our continental neighbours 

 (the French) conveyed to us in something like the following couplets, about 

 the period of king James's abdication. 



Proud Englishmen avaunt, barbarians as ye be, 



Who cut your monarchs' heads off"— -oiT horses take the queue! 



We Frenchmen, better bred, who reverence the law, 



Never meddle with our kings' heads, arid let our horse-tails grow. 



Although of no moment in themselves, these verses show the then French 

 .ustoms, and mark the period when docking and nicking came up among us 

 in England, to be in the early part of the seventeenth century. But I put it 

 to the reason of any, the most strenuous advocate for this custom, whether he 

 ever contemplated the proba>bility of a horse being subjectetl to this operation 

 three or four several times ; yet it is no less true, that at a market dinner-table, 

 in the town of Watford, in May, 1820, 1 heard of a horse which had been so 

 served five several times, from no other authority than that of the last owner 

 of the unfortunate creature. 1 took occasion to show, in a precp<ling page, 

 that in all great exertions of the animal powers, the tail and head had a 

 share. 



Firing is another of those barbarous practices that are much oftener re- 

 ported to than is necessary or proper. In fact, we may observe that this and 

 similar painful operations are adopted in an exact ratio that the operator's 

 eilucation may have been neglected. 



Of the foot, I have already, in the first chapter, noticed some general faultsi, 

 arising from constitutional defects in the form of the whole limb; and I shall 

 thence be led to enter into further consideration thereof, with more particulars, 

 under the article " Shoeing," as well as when I come to treat of the several 

 .disorders incident to this important part of the frame. Meantime, I am in- 

 duced thus early to reprobate one other species of that busy intermeddUng in 

 the affairs of nature I took occasion to advert to higher up. This consists in 

 the baneful practice of cutting away, unmercifully, the horny part of the sole, 

 that lines and defends the sensible sole, whereby injuries upon the road be- 

 come more frequent, and lameness from unknown causes is incurred ; but if 

 not so, canker, rottenness, corns, are sure to follow, or the hoof contracts, and 

 fever of the feet and founder succeed each other. 



The skin and coat received some attention under the article Secretioni^ 



* Th« diseases of the foot, I consider ae those of accident or infliction, and with a brief niwr 

 omical **cription, will form a separate chapter. 



