NICKING. 359 



gether fall. It Is liable, however, to considerable objection, on 

 account of the long time necessary to keep the horse in the 

 stable, and also from the great blemish it produces. To obviate 

 these objections, and at the same time to derive the benefit of 

 deep firing, I have been in the habit of penetrating the skin 

 with a small pointed iron in numerous places, either on the fired 

 lines or without them, according to the nature of the case. This 

 2:)lan I have found to create little or no blemish, and is yet 

 attended with considerable advantage. A horse may or may not 

 be blistered after firins", accordins; to the desfree of irritation 

 we wish to produce. There is much difterence of opinion as to 

 the best direction for drawing the lines in firing, some pre- 

 ferring a vertical, otliers a horizontal, and some an oblique 

 direction. The first plan is the best adapted for forming a 

 bandage, the second for leaving little blemish ; but for my own 

 part, for ordinary purposes, I prefer the third or feathered form, 

 conceiving that it unites the advantages of both allowing the 

 hair to cover the mark, as in horizontal, and forming a bandage 

 as in vertical, firing. It is a bad plan to cross tlie line, as this 

 isolates the skin, and is thus likely to increase the blemish. I 

 have found the use of a double iron very useful in facilitating 

 this operation, by using which two lines can be made at the 

 same time, and equidistant from each other. — Ed.] 



Nickiufj. 



This operation is now seldom performed : it consists In weak- 

 ening or destroying the power of the flexor muscles of the tail. 

 This is done by making two or three transverse Incisions on the 

 under part of the tail, through the skin and muscles. The 

 horse should be thrown down for the purpose, or put Into what 

 Is termed a break. The first Incision should be about two or 

 three Inches from the origin or basis of the tail, continuino- it 

 from one of the sides where the hairy part terminates, to the 

 other, and quite down to the bone, except in the centre, where 

 the skin only should be divided. There are some, however, 

 who go deeper than this, by which there is more bleeding. The 

 second Incision should be made In a similar manner, and three 

 Inches distant from the first, and so with the third. On making 

 the second Incision, the ends of the muscles will protrude 

 through the first, and must be drawn out with forceps, and cut 

 off ; the same with the second. This being done. It is usual to 

 place bandages round the Incisions, and then put the tail In 

 what is termed a pulley, which may be seen in the stables of 

 horse-dealers, and need not be described. The weight first 

 applied to keep the tail up should be moderate, not exceeding 

 three pounds ; and It Is necessary the following morning to 



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