'HANDS' AND OTHER MATTERS 133 



long tail gets in the way of the stick. But the 

 obvious answer to this difficulty is to plait the tail 

 up while playing. Not only that, but I believe 

 that the tail is necessary for a polo pony in helping 

 it to turn quickly. 



There are, therefore, no reasons for docking, but 

 there are many against it. 



A horse that is docked, when worried by flies soon 

 wears his feet out with his ineffectual stamping, 

 and a docked horse seldom benefits by the rest 

 he should have when turned out to grass. He is 

 frequently difficult to groom, resenting any one 

 approaching or touching his mutilated tail, and 

 it is frequently the cause of a horse bolting when 

 in harness. 



I have heard it said that docking strengthens 

 a horse's back. But such a statement is, I think, 

 hardly worth considering. It is, in my opinion, 

 so fallacious, it needs but little consideration to 

 dismiss it as absurd. 



As all true horse -lovers are unanimously against 

 this monstrous and useless practice, the matter 

 rests with us. If we will all agree, hunting and 

 driving people, polo players, owners, trainers, 

 show-ring judges, and carthorse owners, never to 

 have a docked horse in our stables, or award one 

 a prize in the show-ring, then the practice would 

 cease instantly. It is " up to us," so let us 

 start here and now. 



I can hear some one saying, " Oh, yes, that is 

 all very well, but some horses have nasty curly 

 tails, and what are you going to do with them? 



