Avery's own farrier. 163 



bone. You can easily tell when the cord is cut off by 

 holding your thumb on the under side during the opera- 

 tion, and the giving away of the tail. A horse that is 

 intended to be pricked should not be docked until you 

 have done pulleying him, for the hair you pulley by is apt 

 to come out unless you prevent the fever created by the 

 wounds and pulleying. Continue the pulleying until the 

 tail is well, observing time for rest, and then dock the 

 desired length. When you begin to pulley, rub the 

 wounds with the liniment given for castration, and after 

 with copperas water; wash the tail twice a week with 

 alum water; let his diet be light and of easy digestion; 

 give him a good bed, sufficient rubbing, and time to rest 

 himself while in the pulleys. 



There is more in taking care of the horse's tail and 

 pulleying, in getting a good tail, than there is in perform- 

 ing the operation of merely cutting the cords off; and 

 when this is well attended to, he will thrive in a remarka- 

 ble degree and grow fat, together with a good tail, while 

 you have attained the highest degree of elegance that 

 art can give in this respect. 



JYicking consists in cutting the cords off in several 

 places, about two inches apart, and hooking the ends up 

 with a crooked needle, so as to lay hold of them with a 

 pair of pinchers, and then skin the cord out. 



For myself, I prefer pricking to nicking, for various 

 reasons, viz: You nick a horse and fail to get a good 

 tail, and he is ruined forever; but on the other hand if 

 you should happen to have bad luck in pricking, you 

 have a chance to try your luck again, and when you get 



