OPERATION OF DOCKING. 77 



And did the poor horse bear this cruelty pa- 

 tiently? 



'' He endured it bravely until the hot iron was 

 applied, and then the dreadful heart-searching scream 

 he gave, I shall never forget to my dying day — and I 

 never saw him afterward without a choking sensa- 

 tion of tears in the remembrance." 



Do horses always survive this cruel operation? 



" By no means. Many die of lock-jaw, in torture 

 so prolonged (in the hope that since they have money 

 value they may recover) that both owners and opera- 

 tors are in dread lest the public may learn of the 

 tortured animal's sufferings. The 'Society for the 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' has aided the en- 

 actment of the strictest of laws against docking and 

 any man permitting or performing the operation is 

 liable to imprisonment and a heavy fine." 



It cannot be painful to bang the tail, -and is infin- 

 itely prettier, is it not? 



" Most decidedly. A woman does not suffer when 

 the ends of her long hair are trimmed, and a banged 

 tail is effective, giving the idea of neat grooming. 

 Then the hairs can be cut quite short, as the stump 

 of the tail is never longer than fifteen to sixteen 

 inches, and seldom more than twelve. No idea of 

 mutilation is suggested by banging." 



I have seen horses whose tails seem to have no 

 natural spring. 



"Yes, but they are presumably of coarse breeds. 

 It is a natural defect which can be remedied, by cut- 

 ting slightly the tendons or ligaments which hold it 

 down, even as you would cut a child's tongue who is 



