496 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
ill the annals of the U. S. V. M. Association such a resolution 
declaring' the docking of horses as an nnnecessary operation. 
It was passed a few years ago at the Philadelphia meeting, and 
while the discussion on the subject was rather forcibly shortened, 
there was evidence of some very positive opinions, which should 
have had a more liberal hearing. Docking has not been stopped 
by this resolution, nor will it ever be stopped by any law or 
other' proceeding than the honest refusal of veterinarians to 
further perform this operation. ^ _ 
It IS generally believed that docking of horses is an Dnglish 
fashion. "^It is certain that, with the exception of France, where 
at times it was also practised quite extensively, it is practically 
unknown on the continent of Europe. In the large cities of 
Germany, Austria, Russia, countries which each produce excel¬ 
lent breeds of carriage and saddle-horses, one never sees a 
docked horse except in steeple-chases, where the imported En¬ 
glish or Irish hunter figures prominently beside the domestic 
jumper who invariably wears a banged tail. In America the 
fashion was slow to get a foothold, but once introduced w as 
likely to be overdone. Even in England only ceitain classes of 
horses are docked, hunters, park-hacks and coachers, many of 
them remaining the caressed property of their wealthy owners 
until death by old age. But in America many thousands of 
horses are now annnally docked, of whom only comparatively 
few are fit for the above purposes. Yet they are “ fixed up for 
the trade ” by being docked, and having their bushy manes and 
fetlocks thinned and trimmed. By chance or from ignorance of 
biivers many of these horses sell for carriage horses or as English 
walk-trot-canter ” saddlers. After a period of trial they prove 
their unfitness, and, partly or totally mined, are sold in disgust 
by their duped owners. Then we recognize these horses again 
on delivery wagons, depot-hacks, peddlers’ wagons, or at other 
employments which do not allow that care which a docked 
horse should receive. . 
For us as veterinarians it would be unseemly to fall into 
sentimental clamors as is done by professional humanitarians, 
but as the operation of docking is mostly performed^ by veteri¬ 
nary practitioners it is one of onr duties to calmly investigate 
the question from the scientific and ethic standpoints. 
“ Doctors disagree,” and veterinarians do not always agree. 
Of course, we want different opinions, for through them we 
approach truth the nearest. A prominent veterinarian ot 
Chicago bluntlv confesses that “believes the operahon of 
