DOCKING. 59 



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. 



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 

 iaid 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 



