Docking—Amputation of the distal part of the boney part of the tail. ... In some cases 'docking' is used interchangeably with trimming to refer only to shortening of tail hair. Nicking—Cutting tail tendons to cause an elevated carriage of the tail3 (pricking).
Is it cruel to dock a horses tail?
Even without complications, tail alteration is cruel because it changes the way a horse can use his tail and sometimes prevents him from using it at all. ... In addition to using his tail to swat flies, a horse may clamp it down to protect sensitive, hairless areas from cold winds, and he raises his tail to defecate.
Does docking hurt horses?
Docked tails were safer for the horses
A horse's tail caught in the leader will injury the horse and may even cause permanent damage. To prevent this type of problem the most natural solution was to dock the tail and remove the safety concerns.
