NICKING. 49 



from catching or sinking behind, than a horse that has 

 been docked. Nicking will never make a bad horse a 

 good one, or a good horse a bad one. 



The opinion unfavourable to nicking, no doubt, has 

 taken its rise from many delicate, weak, long-legged 

 horses being nicked for the purpose of selling them. 

 When the operation succeeds well, the horse assumes 

 a new appearance, being more like a dancing master 

 than a grave digger, after which he will continue to 

 practise his old habits of catching behind, or making a 

 bow, although he appears as if he could glide upon the 

 wind. This elegant tail causes them to forget this is the 

 same tender and weak horse that was in bad habits 

 before he was nicked ; and almost proves, without 

 reflection, that nicking is the cause of his apparent weak- 

 ness. Indeed if such opinions were founded on fact, 

 all horses that had been nicked, would fall and catch 

 behind, whenever they had to descend a small hill. I 

 have never known an instance of a horse catching 

 behind after being nicked, that was not in the habit 

 previous to the operation being performed. 



Before I describe the operation of nicking, it may 

 be necessary to inquire into the effect, or how the 

 elevation of the tail is brought about. In order to do 

 this, and judge of the operation with propriety, we 

 must consider the tail elevated or raised by one set of 

 muscles, ending in large tendons, and depressed or 

 drawn down by another ; the muscles and tendons that 

 elevate the tail, are stronger and more numerous, and 

 nearer to the bone than those that depress it ; they are 

 closely connected to the bones of the tail by fleshy 

 fibres, and terminate in strong tendons at the extre- 

 mity. The tendons that throw down or depress the 

 tail, are two in number, and may be found within a 



