668 OPEEATIONS. 



Control, Horse. 



I have discussed the subject of horse control at considerable 

 length in " Illustrated Horses-Breaking." 



Docking Horses. 



This subject is admirably discussed by Dr. Fleming in his 

 " Wanton Mutilation of Animals." 



USES OF A HORSE'S TAIL.— The chief office which the normal 

 equine tail fulfils, is to drive away flies and other irritating objects 

 which happen to alight on the hind legs, flanks, genital organs, 

 and lower part of the abdomen. The normal mane performs 

 similar good service for the neck ; the forelock for the face ; and 

 the mouth, for the breast. The croup is mechanically pr&tected 

 from these causes of irritation by a thick layer of fibro s tissue 

 which lies under the skin of that part. The skin of the shoulders 

 and portions of the trunk, not guarded in any of the way-s just 

 described, are lined with a thin and very broad muscle {panniculus 

 carnosus), which has great power of twitching and consequently 

 driving off flies and other objects that may irritate it. In this 

 work, a horse's means of protection are called into play, far more 

 in the open than in the stable, and particularly in hot weather. 

 At grass in summer time, a long-tailed mare may often be seen 

 whisking insects off the forehand of her foal, who stands along- 

 side her, and intelligently places his bead near her hind quarters, 

 so as to get the benefit of her tail, because his caudal appendage 

 is unprovided with long hairs. All who have lived among horses 

 in the open, and especially in hot climates, know that the tails, 

 manes, and forelocks of unmutilated horses at grass, save them 

 from an immense amount of discomfort, similar to what we should 

 suffer, if placed under the same conditions, and with our hands tied 

 behind our backs. 



In hot countries, the annoyance by flies to horses is so great, 

 that the custom of docking is practically unknown in those parts 

 of the world. The protective layer of flbrous tissue which covers 

 the pelvis of the horse is considerably prolonged both forwards 

 and downwards in the ass, whose tail, by the process of evolution, 

 is consequently provided with long hairs only near its end. 



As the hair at the end of the dock grows much longer than at 

 other parts of the dock, the fact of only three or four inches gf 



