254 THE CRUELTY OF DOCKING HORSES 



the Designer of vertebrate mammals thought suitable, 

 entails an act of two-fold cruelty present and pro- 

 spective. Present by the senseless and violent mutila- 

 tion of an exceedingly sensitive and nervous animal; 

 prospective by the removal of the natural fly-flap. 

 What thoughtful person has not been distressed by 

 the spectacle of a horse or brood mare turned out to 

 grass in summer, unable to protect its flanks from 

 pestering swarms, and ceaselessly wandering up and 

 down in vain endeavour to escape the torment ? The 

 pernicious practice of docking is a revival of eighteenth- 

 century practice by the present generation. In the 

 'fifties and 'sixties it was considered the correct thing 

 for hunters to carry not only the full length of the 

 dock, but a lot of hair beyond it. Later, the dock 

 itself was left its natural length, with the hair cut 

 square at its extremity, forming what was termed a 

 ' bang tail.' But now the smart thing is to amputate 

 the greater part of the dock, which, of course, is but a 

 continuation of the spinal vertebrae, and even to nick 

 the sinew on the upper surface so as to form a ' cock- 

 tail.' This is a reversion to barbarous practice, and in 

 hunters and polo-ponies, is more or less injurious to 

 their efficiency, inasmuch as the tail acts as a rudder, 

 and is distinctly helpful in turning. The only practical 

 advantage ever derived from docking was in the 

 Peninsular War, when, as Wellington afterwards said, 

 he was able to distinguish the British light cavalry 

 from the French by their bob tails. The present army 

 authorities, to their credit, will not sanction the pur- 

 chase of remounts that have been docked. 



