DOCKING. 69 



legs held up ; and with a sharp knife cut off the ears, 

 carefully following the line which was previously made 

 with the brush ; the skin will immediately slip down 

 and leave the gristly part a little naked, which must 

 be washed in salt and water once a day for about a 

 week, after which they should be greased with a little 

 sweet oil, fresh butter, or hog's lard, and they will get 

 entirely well in two or three weeks. A horse with a 

 small, thin, delicate head, will always be much im- 

 proved by being foxed. But a horse with a fleshy, 

 heavy, thick, or long head, will show with less advan- 

 tage after his ears are cut off, even if he carried them 

 extremely bad previous to the operation. 



^H*9@9* 



DOCKING. 



Docking a horse is an operation so simple, as to re 

 quire but little skill or judgment in its performance, 

 A twitch is to be placed upon the upper lip of the 

 horse, but not so high as to prevent his breathing, (as 

 in the engraving for nicking, figure 3,) — one of his 

 fore legs must be held up to prevent his kicking or 

 doing other injury, and a waxed string must be tied 

 very tight twice round the tail, just above the place 

 where it is to be cut off; a large block of wood is to 

 be placed upon his rump, and the tail turned up and 

 laid smoothly on the block ; then, with a sharp instru- 

 ment, you may cut the tail the length you prefer, 

 (though horses docked short generally carry the best 

 tails,) or after the waxed string is securely tied, take 



