364 
THE STABLE. 
THE STABLE.—No. 6. 
Our cut this month illustrates the method of pul¬ 
leying the horse’s tail. This is sometimes done 
without either docking or pricking (nicking, as it is 
always called in England, and sometimes in Ame¬ 
rica), but never with any good result. If the pulley 
is to have any determinate effect, it must follow prick¬ 
ing in almost every case; although it will sometimes, 
with rare good docks, give the required set to the tail 
when it follows docking alone. If the dock be natu¬ 
rally carried pretty well up and be rather limber than 
stiff, it may be advisable to try pulleying after docking 
without pricking; if the tail be made without it, a 
deal of trouble will be saved both to man and beast. 
But this can never be with crooked or low set tails 
and strong docks ; pricking with them is indispensa¬ 
ble, and a good tail will never be made without it. 
The reason is this: the two under cords are as strong 
as the two upper ones; the under depress, and the 
upper raise the tail. In pricking, the under ones are 
cut, and the tail is healed while elevated ; the cords 
never unite ; thus the upper cords are left to exercise 
their raising power unobstructed. With an unpricked 
tail, the tail is brought down by the relaxation of the 
muscles attached to the upper cords, and the contrac¬ 
tion of the muscles attached to the lower cords, added 
to the weight of the tail. In a pricked tail, the tail is 
brought down by the relaxation of the muscles of the 
upper cords and the weight alone. The tail is elevated 
by the relaxation of the muscles of the under cords and 
the contraction of those of the upper. When an ele¬ 
vated tail is desired, the severing of the under cords 
near the body leaves the muscles of elevation to act un¬ 
opposed, and a good tail is secured. In nature, how¬ 
ever, the under cords are quite as strong as the upper, 
and consequently act as strongly to depress the tail 
as do the upper ones to elevate, and the weight of the 
tail is added. Of course, most horses carry low 
tails; and every horse with a steep rump, without an 
exception. All horses are made for use; and yet but 
few are made with good tails. All persons admire 
good tails; and those who most loudly exclaim 
against docking and pricking as barbarous, are not 
less fond of a gaily carried tail than those who see 
and know the use and propriety of making tails. 
Many horses need only pricking to give them good 
tails ; others require to have the tail docked as well 
as pricked. Well bred horses carry good tails natu¬ 
rally much oftener than ill-bred ones; indeed, ill-bred 
ones rarely carry good ones, and well-bred ones 
generally do. The thorough-bred horse is almost 
never seen to carry a bad tail; and it is a remark, 
doubtless true, that the Arabian never carries a bad 
tail. Hence with high-bred horses used for the road, 
it is rare to see a tail artificially set up, nature hav¬ 
ing done it. Ill-bred horses most generally have steep 
rumps and carry low-set tails; and with part-bred 
ones, good and bad, high and low tails will be found, 
even with like breeding. So much for tails in that 
■view. 
The reason why tails should be pricked is, that 
that they are too low, or the quarters are too low. 
To either ease the horse will be improved in appear¬ 
ance. If the tail be too low, the horse will have a 
.plain appearance. Prick and pulley the tail, and 
gaiety and style will take the place of vulgarity. If 
the quarters be too low, the elevation of the tail will 
-elevate them in appearance, and the horse will seem 
to be higher as well as gayer. Many persons sup¬ 
pose that a horse’s tail must always be docked as 
well as pricked to make it a good one. This is 
sometimes the case, but it is rarely so. Pricking 
alone will generally give an up-set and gay tail. ' If 
a horse carry his tail on either side, nothing but 
docking, in addition to pricking, will correct the de¬ 
fect. The reason for docking is other than making 
a good tail. Docking is ordinarily done for safety 
and convenience. But for these, tails should never 
be docked. On the other hand, to secure them, all 
tails, if necessary, should be docked. The tail is a 
protection against flies, and is useful as rendering the 
horse more quiet. Hence coach, stage, and omnibus 
horses should never have their tails docked, as they 
are driven from elevated seats and cannot make their 
tails an inconvenience. But whenever the horse is to 
be driven with the driver on a level with the horse, 
a long tail is a nuisance, and in most cases a danger¬ 
ous one. His tail is flirted over the reins, and all 
power to control him is lost. From this cause fatal 
accidents often occur. They never happen with a 
docked tail; they cannot. Every horse to be driven 
in such a way that his tail may interfere with the 
reins, should be docked. Many persons insist that 
the horse when used for the saddle should be docked, 
as a long tail soils the dress. This is a poor reason 
for a cruel operation on the horse, and insufficient, if 
it be the only one. They who ride on horseback 
should be dressed to be soiled, as riding is a clothes- 
soiling amusement. Safety, or convenience as con¬ 
nected with safety, or the inability to give the horse 
his proper look and style, without docking, is the 
only reason that docking should ever be resorted to. 
When these demand, there should be no hesitation ; 
but regard should be had to a proper and as little cruel 
an operation as possible. No weak, limber, or light¬ 
haired dock should ever be cut. 
In our number for April, pnge 110, we gave a pro 
per method for pricking. To that we now refer. 
There is another method in use, which we describe 
here, in order to warn against it. It is altogether in 
use in England, Ireland, and Scotland ; in America it 
is sometimes adopted. It is barbarous in the extreme, 
and should be discountenanced. A gash is made on 
the under side of the tail, from the hair on one side 
to the hair on the other; and another gash two inches 
from the first, and the cords between the two gashes 
pulled out; two large wounds are made, much fever 
is induced, and not unfrequently so much hair lost 
that the tail is ruined. Where the horse is pricked 
as directed at page 110, there is no wound, for 
nothing but the cord is cut, and that is insensible, and 
cannot properly be wounded. A sore tail arises from 
wounds to the skin and the flesh which surround the 
cords. In the improved method the skin and flesh 
are not cut, save in a trifling manner. 
There are three methods of docking. 1st, A sharp 
pointed knife is inserted at the joint and the tail un¬ 
jointed and cut off at the proper length. 2d. A dock¬ 
ing machine is used; this acts much as the knives of 
cutting boxes; the tail is placed on the under part or 
bed, and the knife, which turns on a joint at the end 
opposite the handle, is pressed down on the tail, cut¬ 
ting it off. 3d. A block is placed under the tail and 
some sharp cutting instrument, as an axe, or hatchet, 
or shaving-knife placed on the tail, and a smart blow 
struck upon it. The hair should be separated at tin 
