CHAP. III. J OPERATIONS ON : DOCKING, &C. 167 



published, we perceive that the fashion which 

 accords so much to good taste, has taken a turn 

 again in Hertfordshire, and the more graceful as 

 well as useful long tail prevails, or, at least, the 

 already docked are suffered to become switch 

 tailed. 



Firing is another of those barbarous practices 

 that is oftener resorted to than necessary or proper. 

 In fact, we may observe that this and similar painful 

 operations are adopted in an exact ratio that the 

 operators' education may have been neglected. 

 Who, besides they, would pidl a mane or tail in 

 such a climate as this ? Who else than such men 

 would clip the heels of working horses towards 

 the approach of winter ? 



Of the foot y we have already, in the first chapter, 

 noticed some general faults, arising from consti- 

 tutional defects in the form of the whole limb ; 

 and we shall thence be led to enter into further con- 

 siderations thereof, with more particulars, under 

 the article " Shoeing," as well as when we come to 

 treat of the several disorders incident to this im- 

 portant part of the frame. 



The skin and coat received some attention under 

 the article secretions and elsewhere, as the reader 

 must recollect, or refer to ; but he must never for- 

 get, that the first mentioned may be safely and 

 powerfully stimulated as the outlet for many con- 

 stitutional affections of the system, the proper time 

 for their use being indicated (as we said before) by 

 the appearance of the coat. 



