DOCKING. 
31 
atecl upon by qualified veterinarians, fully 90 per cent, being 
docked by horse dealers, coachmen, grooms, and the self-styled 
professional dockers. 
Twenty-five years ago the operation performed for fashion’s 
benefit was far more extensive than at the present time, requir¬ 
ing from two to three weeks to complete all the details, for not 
only was a certain amount of the tail amputated, but caudal 
myotomy was also performed. 
The modus operandi was first caudal myotomy, then the tail 
was placed in pulleys for two or three weeks, or until it would 
maintain an angle of 45 0 ; then the final operation of amputa¬ 
tion was performed. This was accomplished by parting the hair 
at the desired point, and then finely braiding it from the body 
down to that point ; a stout cord, drawn sufficiently tight to 
interrupt the circulation, was then applied around the tail above 
the seat of operation ; the tail was then laid upon a solid block 
of wood, and an axe, hatchet or cleaver was laid across the tail 
at the point of operating, and struck a sharp, quick blow with a 
mallet, and the amputation was accomplished ; the haemorrhage 
was then controlled by the actual cautery or a ligature of stout 
cord drawn around the tail close to the end, which was allowed 
to remain forty-eight hours, the stump after that time being 
treated as a simple wound. 
Thus were the famous u fan-tailed ” horses of twenty-five 
years ago made. Since that time surgery has made rapid ad¬ 
vances, and the qualified veterinarian of to-day, when called 
upon to perform the operation, when injury or disease require 
it, operates in a far more scientific, skillful and humane manner ; 
but the men who operate on the 90 per cent, for fashion’s ben¬ 
efit have advanced but very little from the method of our 
fathers. 
The method most popular among the laity to-day is to braid 
the hair from the body down to the desired point; a stout cord 
is then drawn around the tail above the seat of operation to in¬ 
terrupt the circulation ; a heavy docking knife or shears, of 
which there are several styles, is then used in amputation. 
