The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-04-25
FARM, GARDEN AND
HOUSEHOLD.
How Horses Tails are Docked.

rope Is thrown over the neck OF the
horse the ends brought between his fore
legs and under his hind pasterns, sud
den jerk draws up his legs-he falls help
less to the floor and his legs are tied.
lie is then secured with witches, which
is twitchng small rope around the nose,
which Is very sensitive, so as to divert
his attention from the tail. Behind is
furnace, knives, large pair of shears
and searing-iron.
The operator folds back the hair from
the Joint to be divided: The knife rap
idly sewers the skin, the huge shears are
applied, the horse struggles, and the tail
Is off Then the iron at hot heat Is APP
Piled and the bleeding is arrested. The
cheers of the audience, and the subduing
influences Of the witch drown the cry
Of pain, that is never brought from the
horse except when in great agony; for
this noble animal is one Of the few who
endure ordinary pain without a whimper
The operation has taken hut q few
minutes. The surgeon now addresses the
audience thus-"I am q friend of the
horse. | don't want to be cruel to him
and so l do this business quick, and you
see it does not hurt him. put this hot
iron on to prevent bleeding"
q am pleased to state just here that
there are some respectable veterinary
surgeons In New York, who will, under
no circumstances, perform the opera
tion. am sorry to say that after speak
ing to other surgeons they most all con.
denim the operation, but respond by say
ing, at pays, and very often the often
the after treatment pays even better.')
After the horse has been mangled he
rises to his feet, and Is certainly q differ
ent creature! He stands shivering with
pain. his head droops. his eyelids closed,
and the stump of a tail Is drawn close to
his TANKS. He is 4 perfectly subdued
horse But the surgeon does net think
it necessary 10 explain that the operation
performed Is very similar to the amputa-
ton of leg or arm on the human, and
surely, no one can say that this Is not a
painful operation.
The parts are supplied with skin, mus
Gle nerves, blood vessels, )gaments,
bones,-in fact the same structure as
ones limb-and were 1t desired the same
pathologic condition which would exist
in mans arm or leg would also take
place In horses tail; it is just as sensi-
tive to the touch and to pain, as any 9th
er part of the body. He says that II
takes but short time to do the opera.
ton. Admit 1t; we have on record a
case, where prominent surgeon of Bel
levue has amputated leg in forty-hve
seconds; but would shortness of time
justify the operation, except when oc'
casioned by disease2 No.
Then the horse has not been placed un.
der the influence of chlorolorm or ether
or other anaesthetic, to deaden the pain
but by ropes twitch he Is held while the
knife cuts through his sensitive structure
and when Nature asserts herself, a. she
does by pouring forth blood from the
severed blood vessels, red hot irons are
applied to the parts until they are fairly
burned and cooked to stop the hemorr'
hsee then, the after pain and suffering,
and often the risk Of losing the life OF
the horse by that dreadful and most
painful OF all diseases, lockjaw. which
sometimes follows the operation of dock.
ing.-Ne,o York Euening Post.