. The horse in the stable and the field: his management in health and disease ... with an essay on the American trotting horse, and suggestions on the breeding and training of trotters. Horses. DOCKING AND NICKING. 443 Docking is very rapidly performed by the aid of the docking- knife, which is made on the principle of the guillotine. As the tail is removed at one sudden and forcible chop, the horse need not be confined in any way beyond fixing up his foru leg, unless he. Fig. 25—DOCKING-KNIFE. is a very violent animal, when he must be placed in the break (see page 435). The exact length of th
. The horse in the stable and the field: his management in health and disease ... with an essay on the American trotting horse, and suggestions on the breeding and training of trotters. Horses. DOCKING AND NICKING. 443 Docking is very rapidly performed by the aid of the docking- knife, which is made on the principle of the guillotine. As the tail is removed at one sudden and forcible chop, the horse need not be confined in any way beyond fixing up his foru leg, unless he. Fig. 25—DOCKING-KNIFE. is a very violent animal, when he must be placed in the break (see page 435). The exact length of the dock to be left being fixed upon, the hair is cut off close below, and the remainder tied back to the root of the tail. The situation of the joint, which may be ascertained from its greater prominence, is then marked, by care- fully removing the hair with the scissors, and then laying it,in the rounded groove of the wooden frame in which the knife plays, so that the edge of the latter shall exactly correspond with the part to be cut, the handles are suddenly and forcibly brought together, and the end is removed at one blow. A pointed iron should have been previously heated, and then raising the tail to a level with the back, the arteries are first seared, which a very slight touch will effect, and then the point is pushed into the sheath of the tendons lying at the top of the stump, so as to cause them to adhere in that position, and effect a handsome carriage of the tail. Lastly, a little resin is melted over the end of the stump with the iron now pretty nearly cooled, and the operation is concluded by untying the hair. Nicking was formerly carried to such an extent that the poor horse could not lower his tail, but was always obliged to carry it over his back. Several deep cross-cuts were made in the under- side after being docked, and then a cord was fastened to the hair, and being carried over a pulley attached to the ceiling, the tail was kept drawn up over the back by
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjecthorses, bookyear1882
