42 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 
forest offences, and the general administration of 
the royal forests. 
At the time a Regard was made particular in- 
quiry was held into the number of dogs kept, and 
as to whether the owners of mastiffs had complied 
with the law as to ‘expeditation’ or mutilation 
of the forefeet to prevent them chasing the deer ; 
and they had to see this barbarous operation 
performed, when necessary. Every farmer and 
freeholder dwelling in a forest was allowed to keep 
a mastiff, but it had to be expeditated or lamed 
by maiming. This ‘/aming of dogs’ was more 
anciently called hambling, hoxing, or hock-sinewing, 
when the back sinew was cut so as to lame them 
in the hind-quarters; but King Henry II. intro- 
duced the system of ‘ expeditating’ their forefeet. 
The law declared that three claws of a forefoot 
were to be cut off by the skin; and this was 
done by making the poor dog set one of his 
fore-feet upon a block of wood a foot square and 
eight inches thick, setting a chisel of two inches 
broad upon the three claws of the foot, and 
striking them off at a blow. None but expedi- 
tated mastiffs and little dogs might be kept 
within the forest; unmaimed mastiffs, grey- 
