Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-12-20
DOCKING is CRUEL
HUMANE CORRESPONDENT oP-
POSES THE CUSTOM.
BARBARiSM
IMPORTED
Horses That Had not Been Manned
Ignored at Recent Chicago Show,
Though Fashions Mandate Is
Against the LAVA Timely Letter
Against the Fad.

A writer in the Cherry Circle. the
official organ of the Chicago Athletic
club, criticises the attitude of the
management of the recent horse show
in that city in regard to docked
horses. The writer objects strenuous
ly to the custom of docking horses and
refers to the defeat of a long tailed
pair in the carriage horse classes to IL
lustrate his charge against the judges.
1.-THE point of criticism" he states,
"lies in the fact that the Chicago
horse show was an imitation of the
New York horse show. which, in turn,
is a cheap imitation of the London
horse show. Not on original point
was to be observed. although Chicago
has the reputation of being the great
est horse market in the world, and
certainly is the home of the finest
horses in America.
Another point of criticism, and a
serious one, is that every horse with
long tail. no matter how beautiful, was
turned down. because. as the society
judges stated. they were not in form,
meaning that their tails had not been
mutilated. This in face of the fact
that the show was held in Illinois. and
Illinois has a state law against dock
ing horses tails. The verdict of the
judges was in spirit direct violation
of the law and an insult to the state.
The spectacle of scores of fine horses
with their poor mutilated tails raised
in the air and quivering as If with pain
was a sickening sight to all humane
people.
1T has been observed that no horse
with his tail locked and pricked ever
acts naturally. And no wonder. Did
any of the readers of the Cherry Circle
ever witness the operation of docking
horses tail? The bone or solid por'
tion of the tail is large and strong;
yet, without anaesthetics, the poor,
harmless animal is compelled to un-
dergo the torture of having it cut, af-
ter being thrown and bound down.
Painful as this operation is, it is moth
ing to what is to follow. He is fast
ened in q stall so that he can scarcely
move; the bleeding stump is bound
and a strong cord tied to the end; this
cord is thrown over a crossbar at the
back of the stall and attached to a
heavy weight, which pulls the stump
up to nearly a perpendicular position.
The pain is so great that horse sell
dom lies down, unless it becomes ex-
hausted, and some have been known
to remain upon their feet for two or
three weeks while the remnant of the
tail was becoming set.
This was the old-fashioned way;
more modern methods admit of the
use of cocaine in the cutting and pull
leys. etc, in the setting operation, but
the cruelty IS horrible at the best 1t
is little wonder that the disposition of
most horses is ruined after such. brutal
treatment.
Under the head of Revised Stat
utes, 1899, Criminal Code of the state
vi lliiuOlSs II 10 plONluCu llial W hOCNCt
cuts the solid part of the tail of any
horse in the operation known as dock
ing, or by any other operation per-
formed for the purpose of shortening
the tail, shall be punished
by Imprisonment in the county Jail not
eceeding one year or by a fine of not
less than S25 nor more than 5000
Notwithstanding this. the Judges OF
the Chicago horse show declared that
an exceptionally fine team with beau
tiful long tails could not get even hon
orable mention because the horses
We're not in form and the owner told
them he would not cut his horses tails
for all the prizes in the horse show.
The laws of Colorado and Mas
sachusetts are even more strict. Colo
RADIO has forbidden the docking OF any
horses tail or causing the same to be
locked; the importation or bringing
into the state of any locked horses;
requires a registry of every locked
horse in the state, and prohibits the
use of any unregistered locked horses,
under a penalty of from $500 to $500
fine or Imprisonment in the county
Jail for from thirty to ninety days. or
both, for each offense
Massachusetts has passed a similar
law to prevent the mutilation of
horses tails. and fixes penalty of inn
prisonment for a term not exceeding
one year and a fine of not to exceed
$500. This punishment also reaches
any person who assists in or is pres
ent at such cutting or mutilation.
Most people of refined sensibilities
and humane instincts think that the
docking of a horses tail makes him
look vulgar and undignified. No one
can pretend that it adds to his beauty.
The only defense that has been at.
tempted is that it makes horse look
stylish AS well might ii be said that
cutting a coachman's ears of would
make him look stylish. and | have no
doubt that this might be attempted in
New York il the Prince of Wales
would Spf fhn eNamnla