The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
IT'S A BRUTAL CUSTOM.
TIE pRA TIcE or DOCKING HORSES
TAILS ca USES GREAT PAIN.
That Portion OF the Animsi's Anatomy Is
Compo ed II Bone, Muscles Nerves anu
Blood YES els. aud L. Very Sensitive

of the horse's tail. The anatomy OF the
tail NAV not be fully understood. nor the
methods OF docking Je generally known
we think 1t necessary, therefore to ae-
quaint the rublic with tho facts about
docking and with the opinions OF many
w,ll.known veterinary surgeons upon the
dangers. the cruelty. AMI the uselessness
Of the operation.
The tail is composed OF bones mus
ola, nerves and blood-vessels. which are
enyeioped in skin. as sensitive on inc
under surface as on any portion OF the
bo6v ire spinal cord. or spinal marrow
Is lodged In the canal OF the BACKBONE
II oxter.ls from the base Of the brain 10
q SHIRT distance behind the loins, ana II
Terminates posteroriy in pOlnteu eN
trenifv. which is continued by the mass
OF nervous truDkS-c1uta equllA. 4"
number the spinal nerves are iofy-1"o.
They are IN pairs, Of which the superior
is the SenSOry nerve, ana the illr' .oi'
the motor nerve. The horse taii mas
fifteen bones and four pairs oil muscies-
These latter are known as tie TWO cree
tor coccygis, and the two depressor COO
cvgis the two curvator cOccygis, and the
two COMPRESSOR coccysis. They are All
supplied with the nerves OF sensation
and of volitiOn. To prepare horse tor
docking. the common procedure IS 10 Sc
cure him firmly by twitch on ms nose,
TO raise one Of his fore legs 10 MS breast
and 10 tie il there, to cut the hair from
around the stump of the tail. and to tie
a string, or piece of catgut, above the
vcrtebrae which are TO be removed.
Finally. after the severance Of the tan
by the docking instrument, the red-hot
iron IA applied TO stop the bleeding. AS
regards the torture, the behavior OF the
animal while undergoing the operation Is
sufficient evidence The horses nrst ac-
ton is to jerk his head as violently as
he can, but that movement is soon con-
trolled by the tWitch on his nose. of itself
an Instrument Of torture. he then crouch
es nearly TO the ground and screams or
means with pain. The operation enaeu'
he is found TO be dripping with sweat.
As witnesses express II, THE water idlIly
runs off him
The practice Of docking was introduced
into this country many years ago from
England. That the custom Is an OLD one
we learn from Hartmann IN his Iralte
des Haras d. "a, who reports that the
Council of Calchyd, which met IN Eng
land towards the close OF the eighth
century, prohibited the practice OF dock
ing horses, on the ground that 1t was "a
DiTDIIOuN
country docking has been condemned
by the most prominent veterinarians and
horsemen, and also by the United States
Veterinary Medical Association at their
thirty-hrst annual meeting at Philadel-
phia. Pa. September 20. 1884, \ standing
reward of a large sum is offered by our
Society for the arrest and conviction OF
any person found docking horses.
The usual arguments for the mutila-
fsUf q
nearly, if not quite painless. owing to
the low degree of se1Sibility possessed by
the tail, and to the rapidity with which
the amputaton is effected" second, that
removing some inches OF the tail pre-
vents harnessed horses from throwing
II over the reins, and consequently run
| ming away or kicking" These arguments
are answered by Or. George Fleming IN
a way that may be regarded as con-
elusive
Nothing says she author, "can be
I further from the truth than the assertion
that the tail Is endowed with little sensi-
! bility. 1t is composed OF bones. muscles.
nerves and blcod-vcssels as abundantly
an any other part Of the body. From in
| quir.es instituted during many years and
| from personal experience, we find that
when horses have run away or kicked,
! owing 10 the rcins getting under the tail,
| they have nearly always been 'docked,'
and their behavior was no doubt due TO
their remembering the painful operation
ana consequent dread Of anything touch
ing the tail. A short tail Is more readily
thrown over the reins than long one,
as IL Is more horizontal and the reins
can more readily drop under it. Besides,
a person who would allow the reins 10
drop under his horses tail Is not fit TO
be a driver
From an artistic point of view docking
is a disagreement which destroys the con-
tours of the body. When IL Is preferred
that the horses tail be short, banging
the hairs close 10 the stump IS all that Is
necessary. There is. in fact no single
valid argument i'm favor Of docking for
any reason but disease Of the tail. On
the other hand however. the diseases
that may result from docking deserve
special mention.
To those who claim that in the hands
Of an experienced person the operation is
often painless. we wish to state that one
hundred and two well-defined cases of
lockjaw were reported in 1881 by the off,
GERS Of the Royal $. r. c. A., with GER
tiicate In each case from the veterinary
surgeon an ATTENDANCE that the disease
had been caused by docking; and we beg
20 submit the following opinions OF vet
Urinary surgeons
There is no justification for docking,
unless the tail is deformed or diseased. -
Professor Pritchard, Royal College OF
Veterinary Surgeons
Docking horses IS cruel, barbarous,
unnecessary, and discOuntenanced by tho
profession DIR William l.. Zuill, Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania.
1.-The operation is one employed 10 meet
the demands Of fashion 1t IS needless,
painful. and cruel. dausing the animal
much suffering. and depriving IL of its
only means of defence against flies and
insects. In my opinion no language too
strong can be employed condemning this
cruel operation. pr. Samuel X. Johnson,
Chief Surgeon New York Veterinary Hos
pttal
Il hope the day may soon arrive when
veterinarians will refuse TO perform the
operation. With them. / believe rests
the solution of the problem whether or
not docking will remain as il Is. a use
less, worthless, and inhumane mutila-
ton" Professor A. Ldautard, NJ. ID. V.
NJ.
Those who practice docking do 1t
clandestinely and cannot Justify the act
That docking, or the mutiatiOn of TAIL
inllicts much pain and suffering, cannot
be denied The structure inVolyed--skin.
muscles nerves. biood-vessels and bones
cannot be lacerated. and then scared with
a red-hot iron without causing intense
and often prolonged pain. l.. Nc
Lean. NJ. r. c. V. 5.
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