NICKING.] 



THE HORSE, AND 



[nicking. 



witli a sharp and strong pair of scissors, the 

 projecting ends thereof nipped off; enough 

 will always protrude to be taken hold of with 

 the forceps. 



The removal of these ends will not only 

 separate the attachments of the muscles fur- 

 ther from each other, which, if reunited, would 

 of course frustrate the operation; but their 

 removal will greatly facilitate the healing of 1 

 the wounds. 



The section being thus completed, the hae- 

 morrhage must be restrained, which is done in 

 various ways. Some do this by means of strips 

 of cotton, tow, hemp, &c., which is twisted, 

 and inserted into each nick, and separately 

 tied on the back of the tail. As good practice 

 as any is to take a piece of lint, or a pledget of 

 tow, and introduce it into each section suffi- 

 cient to fill it up, over which place linen strips, 

 long enough to tie on the back of the tail, 

 which is then tied sufiiciently tight to restrain 

 the bleeding. Should the bleeding, however, 

 continue to be more than was anticipated, 

 place another, rather broader, linen bandage 

 over each section. It becomes necessary now 

 carefully to watch these bandages, that they 

 do not create too much heat and inflammation 

 in the tail. Should this be the case, and the 

 bleeding not be stopped, take a sponge which 

 has been dipped in cold water, and squeeze the 

 water on the top of the tail several times a 

 day. This will cool the parts, and also tend 

 to stop the bleeding. "When perfectly satis- 

 fied on this point, loosen the bandages a little ; 

 and if all things look favourable, let the tail 

 remain until the morning, when snip the 

 bandage, and set the member free. 



Many persons difier in their mode of after- 

 dressing the sections. Some prefer lint only ; 

 others lint with tbe mild digestive ointment, 

 and a bandage over all, in both instances. 

 There is one advantage in dressing with the 

 digestive ointment (see Medicines) ; and that 

 is, it is apt to promote the suppurative pro- 

 cess, while the other is not. By promoting 

 suppuration, there is more chance of avoiding 

 lock-jaw; but in the first dressing, nothing 

 promotes the healing process so much as dry 

 lint. "Watching the wounds, that they be kept 

 from dirt and fungus, leave them to heal of 

 themselves, without any application but the 

 bandages. 

 326 



"Were a nicked tail left to itself, there is no 

 doubt but the divided muscles would again 

 unite, and the tail be carried nearly as it was 

 before. To keep the divided end apart, there- 

 fore, it is necessary that the tail should ba 

 suspended until the parts become cicatrised, 

 and such junction prevented. In former days, 

 a cushion, or pad, was formed, and fixed to 

 the horse's rump, by means of buckles and 

 straps, and the tail fastened back to this 

 pad. 



The Irish nicked horses may always be 

 readily discovered from their having a peculiar 

 curl-up at the end of the tail. This is caused 

 by their having the last joint of the tail 

 broken. 



The modern mode of suspending the tail is 



by double pulleys, which is not only a simple 



mode, but a convenient one, as they are 



capable of being regulated at pleasure. The 



apparatus consists of two pulleys fixed to a 



beam or joist in the stable, as wide apart as 



the stall in which the horse is placed. The 



wheels of these are made sufficiently large to 



admit of a kind of roller — similar to one used 



for window-blinds — and about a foot, or a foot 



and a-half longer than the stall is wide. 



Another pulley, corresponding to the two 



others, runs loose on the roller, with this 



addition — that instead of having an end to 



fasten up anywhere, there is a larger wheel, 



but made only wide enough for the suspension 



cord to run on. This done, the end of the 



line must be made fast to the horse's tail, by 



means of first having introduced a good strong 



skewer through the plait, and double at the 



end of the tail. Then take another pulley, 



one end of which is to be fastened to a beam 



or joist, immediately behind the horse, and as 



far back as possible. The line fastened to the 



pulley on the roller is passed over the one 



just nailed up, and to the end of this line a 



weight is suspended. By this pulley being in 



a right line with the centre of the stable, 



the horse is in no danger of having his tail 



grow asido ; but if he has a tendency to rest 



on one side of the stall more than on the 



other, take a bundle of furze, and nail against 



the side of the stall he may be so inclined 



to bear against, and vice versa. The weight, 



for the first day or two, should not be more 



than will keep the tail straight; then, by 



