170 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



It is not in place here to speak of the different accidents which may 

 be the consequence of docking ; they are quite numerous, and more or 

 less serious. It is sufficient to say that the operation is not always 

 without danger. 



Many docked horses carried their tails either to the right or to the 

 left side, like certain terrier dogs. This resulted from raising the tail 

 upon the croup after the operation, and maintaining it there by sup- 

 porting it by its superior face upon a pad of straw. The latter often 

 became disarranged during locomotion, was displaced backward and 

 forward upon the croup, and rendered the cicatrization irregular. 



State of the Stump. — The stump has the form of a quadrangular 

 pyramid, whose summit corresponds to the free extremity ; its inferior 

 face is normally always devoid of hairs. 



The tail whose stump is intact is called entire; it is said to be 

 docked when a portion has been amputated from the latter. We should 

 not neglect to note the one or the other of these conditions when a 

 description of the animal is required. 



Some persons attach importance to the development of this part, 

 because it is generally in harmony with the other muscles of the body. 

 It is also customary to raise it at the time of the sale, and to estimate 

 the vigor of the animal according to the degree of resistance which it 

 opposes. As H. Bouley affirms, " the information furnished by this 

 measurement of force seldom leads into error." ^ 



State of the Hairs. — When the tail is entire, its stump, intact, 

 naturally carries all the hairs which it can support. At present the 

 horse is said to have a full mane and tail when they 

 have not been shortened. In such cases, their abun- 

 dance and their length vary much according to the 

 race and the subject. It is known that in Arabian 

 horses the hairs of the tail often touch the ground ; in 

 others, they usually stop more or less below the hock ; 

 they are always disposed in a point inferiorly, like the 

 bristles of a brush. 

 Fig 45. It is rare that they are preserved in this state. They 



are usually shortened in different ways ; they are 

 divided transversely, sometimes on a level with the chestnuts or the 

 point of the hock, sometimes towards the fold of the buttock. In the 

 description, this kind of section should be indicated in the following 

 manner : entire tail, shortened hairs. All race-horses are thus treated 



1 H. Bouley, Maison rustique du XIX« siecle, 1, ii. p. 203. 



