BLOOD-LETTING. 191 



the cutting of the muscles ; it is thus described by Mr. 

 Allen : * 



The tail has four cords, two upper and two lower. 

 The upper ones raise the tail, the lower ones depress it, 

 and these last alone are to be cut. Take a sharp penknife 

 with a long slender blade ; insert the blade between the 

 bone and under cord, two inches from the body ; place the 

 thumb of the hand holding the knife against the under part 

 of the tail, and opposite the blade. Then press the blade 

 toward the thumb against the cord, and cut the cord off, 

 but do not let the knife cut through the skin. The cord 

 is firm, and it will easily be known when it is cut off. The 

 thumb will tell when to desist, that the skin may not be 

 cut. Sever the cord twice on each side in the same man- 

 ner. Let the cuts be two inches apart. The cord is nearly 

 destitute of sensation ; yet when the tail is pricked in the 

 old manner, the wound to the skin and flesh is severe, and 

 much fever is induced, and it takes a long time to heal. 

 But with this method the horse's tail will not bleed, nor 

 will it be sore, under ordinary circumstances, more than 

 three days ; and he will be pulleyed and his tail made in 

 one half of the time required by the old method. 



BLEEDING. 



Bleeding, like physic and many other artificial maasures 

 for assisting nature, is very much over-estimated — as a 

 means of bringing horses into condition ; and its evil effects 

 on horses in health are not sufficiently appreciated. It is 

 a well known fact, that those men who are in the habit 

 of being bled every few months, because of a supposed 

 over-supply of blood, invariably become so much inclined to 

 congestion, that the bleeding has, after a time, to be more 



* Stewart's Stable Book. 



