NICKING. 327 



DOCKING. 



The shortenino- of the tail of the horse is an operation which fashion 

 and the convenience of the rider require to be performed on most of those 

 animals. The leng^th of the dock, or stump, is a matter of mere caprice. 

 To the close-cropped tail of the wag-gon- horse, however, we decidedly object, 

 from its perfect ugliness, and because the animal is deprived of every defence 

 against the flies. The supposition that the blood which should have gone 

 to the nourishment of the tail, causes greater development and strength 

 in the quarters, is too absurd to deserve serious refutation. It is the 

 rump of the animal being wholly uncovered, and not partly hidden by 

 the intervention of the tail, that gives a false appearance of increased 

 bulk. 



The operation is simple. That joint is searched out which is the nearest 

 to the desired length of tail. The hair is then turned up, and tied round 

 with tape for an inch or two above this joint ; and that which lies imme- 

 diately upon the joint is cut off. The horse is then fettered with the 

 side line, and the veterinary surgeon with his docking machine, or the 

 farmer with his carving knife and mallet, cuts through the tail at one 

 stroke. Considerable bleeding now ensues, and frightens the timid or 

 the Ignorant ; but if the blood were suffered to flow on until it ceased of its 

 own accord, the colt, and especially if he were very young, would rarely be 

 seriously injured. As, however, the bleeding would occasionally continue 

 for some hours, and a great quantity of blood would be lost, and the animal 

 would be somev/hat weakened, it is usual to stop the haemorrhage by the 

 application of a red-hot iron to the stump. A large hole is made in the 

 centre of the iron, that the bone may not be seared, which would exfoliate, 

 if it were burned with any severity, or drop off at the joint above, and thus 

 shorten the dock. The iron rests on the muscular parts round the bone, 

 and is brought into contact with the bleeding vessels, and very speedily stops 

 the haemorrhage. Care should be taken that the iron is not too hot, — and 

 that it is not held too long or too forcibly on the part, for many more 

 horses would be destroyed by severe application of the cautery, than by the 

 bleeding being left to its own course. Powdered resin sprinkled on the 

 stump, or indeed any other application, is worse than useless ; it causes 

 unnecessary irritation, and sometimes extensive ulceration; but if the 

 simple iron be moderately applied, the horse may go to work immediately 

 after the operation, and no dressing will be afterwards required. If a 

 slight bleeding should occur after the cautery, it is much better to let it 

 alone, than to run the risk of inflammation or locked-jaw, by re-applying 

 the iron with greater severity. 



Some farmers dock their colts a few days after they are dropped. This 

 is a commendable custom on the score of humanity ; no colt was ever lost 

 by it ; and we do not believe that the growth of the hair or the beauty of 

 the tail is in the least impaired. 



NICKING. 



This barbarous operation has been long sanctioned by fashion, and the 

 breeder and the dealer must have recourse to it, if he would obtain a ready 

 sale for his colts. It is not, however, practised to the extent that it used 

 to be, nor attended by so many circumstances of cruelty. 



We must here introduce a small portion of our anatomy, which we had 

 reserved for this place. We have spoken, p. 165, of the eighteen dorsal 



