Show The Docking of ot Horses Agitation is promised to urge the passage passage passage pas pas- sage of laws against docking horses and owners of horses are arc being petitioned peti to join in the crusade Dealers never dock horses except at the request request request re re- re- re quest of a buyer To offer a horse for sale with a bob tail is to create the thc suspicion suspicion suspicion sus sus- that it is second hand one that has seen service before in in the city instead instead instead in in- stead of being fresh from froni green past past- ures Yet the dealers rarely sign such petitions They declare that the operation operation opera opera- tion of docking is not excessively painful pain pain- ful fui and is is atoned for by the easy life it leads to To have the tail shortened is is the initiation the rough horse pays to gain the comfort and light duties of ofa a private stable Fashion is is not the only reason to actuate actuate actuate act act- the buyers in having their horses docked but it is s the principal one A few say that the shortening of the tail makes for cleanliness as the tail does docs not become draggled with mud and dust r 5 r of im f-im ri I ATS ORN 7 4 j S when docked and another set maintains maintains maintains main main- that it is really a comfort to a horse to remove the heavy useless mass massof massof massof of hair City horses do not graze in pasture so the argument that the switching of the long tail keeps away mosquitoes and flies flies' has no value in inthis inthis inthis this argument but a n decided objection may be voiced against the nuisance switching tails would be to a horse or pair in heavy harness All style anc and grace in front action a pair with hanging hanging hanging hang hang- ing tails would look as untidy otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise is as a woman in bedraggled skirts So said a coaching amateur and he had plenty to add to the plea for docking Essentially docking is not a painful operation continued this driving man We do not feed the horse on the morning of the operation and when it itis itis itis is brought into the operating stall stan the horse at once begins to munch eagerly on the oats in the manger A canvas hammock is flung under its belly and the horse is hoisted to its tiptoes by pulleys when a gate is stuck across the stall close to its heels and the tail pulled pulled pulled pull pull- ed over the flat top rail making an operating table A stout twine is tied tight about about- the tail at the point to be severed The hair is turned back and bound exposing t the he bare ar skin A few s short jabs with wItha a surgeons surgeon's knife and the tail is severed Meanwhile Meanwhile Meanwhile Mean Mean- while a cauterizing iron has been brought to a a white heat in a charcoal hand fire and the next act is to sear the cut with the iron The horse winces but it does does- not take the tenth part of a second to seal up the wound As soon as the iron is taken off the horse will resume its munching of oats and except while the cauterizing is applied it feeds without a check throughout through through- out the entire operation No one knows what the horses think about it That docking is cruel may be granted but the gains to the horse seem to counterbalance the hurts All of which sounds a go good d deal like an I argument made ade by an interested party as an excuse for a continuance of a I practice almost universally condemned |