380 
manual of modern farriery. 
is to have horses with long switch tails, possessing much oi 
that beauty which nature wisely intended by the formation 
of that organ; as also, like that of other quadrupeds, to 
assist him in turning when going at a rapid speed, as well 
as to defend him from the attacks of numerous insects with 
which he is constantly annoyed when in the field. 
We wish we could pass over the subject of this barbarous 
operation without noticing how it is performed, but as there 
are still persons so devoid of taste and feeling as to approve 
of it, the work would be necessarily imperfect without a 
description of the operation. 
We have given a figure of the -skeleton of the horse, 
plate ii, and referred to it at page 189. It will be seen by 
a reference to these that the horse has eighteen dorsal 
vertebrae, or bones of the back or spine, extending from 
figs. 14 to 14 ; besides five lumbar in some subjects, and in 
others six, fig. 15, there is a continuation of these called 
the sacrum, which consist of five bones, which are separate 
in the colt, but which become consolidated in the adult 
animal. To the sacrum the bones of the upper and side 
portion of the haunch, or pelvis, are strongly articulated, so 
much so that they resemble a solid mass rather than a 
joint. From the lower or outer extremity of the sacrum, 
the bones of the tail emanate ; these are fifteen in number, 
extending from figs. 16 to 16, and gradually diminishing 
in size towards the point. The spinal-marrow extends to 
the extreme tip, as well as the continuation of the arteries 
of the sacrum. The setting on of the tail and its particular 
character and curvature from the loins is much looked to 
by those who are judges of horses, as from this they dis¬ 
cover the purity or impurity of the breed. The line 
from the setting on of the tail ought to be almost 
straight, or with a slight inclination downwards, as there 
