Tail Docking (clydesdales) In The Uk..?

appaIoosa

appaIoosa

appaloosa
Jan 10, 2007
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CANADA
groups.yahoo.com
Hi all,

I'm trying to find information on whether tail docking of Clydesdale horses is banned or illegal in the UK.

Is this true? Is this actually in the law books? I seem to remember reading somewhere that tail docking of draft breeds (Clydes, Shires, Belgians, etc) was banned (and it is now illegal to do so) - but I'm not 100% sure.

Can someone confirm (rulebook, or web site where this is written down, etc)

Thanks for any and all help.

~app
 
Yes, it is illegal andhas been for some years. It is not illegal in France so it is possible any docked horses in the UK may have come from there.

The Horse Docking and Nicking Act was passed in 1949 .
 
This is the Defra website in the UK (Government Agency) if you type 'docking' into the search box it will give you links to the Animal Welfare Bill and some of the arguments.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/

BTW Docking of dogs is not yet illegal in the UK, since 1991 it has been illegal for anyone other than a qualified vet to dock puppies. Docking is going to be illegal under Scottish Law. Docking of dogs is illegal in many other European Countries.
 
ambatt said:
This is the Defra website in the UK (Government Agency) if you type 'docking' into the search box it will give you links to the Animal Welfare Bill and some of the arguments.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/

BTW Docking of dogs is not yet illegal in the UK, since 1991 it has been illegal for anyone other than a qualified vet to dock puppies. Docking is going to be illegal under Scottish Law. Docking of dogs is illegal in many other European Countries.
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i think it is illegal to dock dogs tails unless you can prove they are working dogs. one of our local vet has just been suspended for a month for docking tails!!!!
 
I think Poohsmate is right. Working dogs can apparently benefit from having the length of the tail reduced, to avoid it getting trapped. I was under the impression that even vets could get into trouble for unnecessarily docking tails as "fashion". I don't think horses have been docked in this country for a long time, as the number of actual working horses has drastically reduced. I believe that heavy horses were docked to prevent the tail getting tangled up in equipment when they were working the land... might be wrong though! :D
 
You will see Clydesdales and other draft horses who have had their tail hair trimmed level with the end of the dock. This is not docking as no opperation has been carried out. Trimming a tail level with the end of the dock is totaly legal and lots of showing /work horse people do it. The idea is that the tail won't get tangled in reins or lines. If a driving horse swishes its tail, gets a rein or line under it, then clamps it down total panic is the end result. Imagine a horse bolting with a plough or logging arc... that is why this is done.

Showing people do it as it accentuates the fullness of the rump and shows off the leggs.

I don't trim my heavy horses tails because I like them to have something to swish the flies away with as they live out all summer.
 
saying that about dogs, I cant think of the last time I saw a dolberman,rotty, & very few springer & jack russells with undocked tails. Infact my old neighbour had to hunt high and low up the country to find a dolberman undocked, and seemed to pay a premium for it!

I fell out with an old head groom who docked her own JR litter using elastic bands over a period of time.

as far as horses goes I havent seen one with a docked tail for a long long time, hopefully the practice is over with so few being proper work horses now, more of a show horses in draft as sez said I to believe thats why it was docked because of it getting tangled in equipment. Must of been awful for them in summer not being able to swish the flys of... I expect they must of got pretty agitated
 
Must of been awful for them in summer not being able to swish the flys of... I expect they must of got pretty agitated
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I always remember crying as a child when I read Black Beauty - Sir Oliver's speech about his docked tail still gets to me now, in particular the part about the flies.
Black Beauty said:
It was not only the indignity of having my best ornament taken from me, though that was bad; but it was this, how could I ever brush the flies off my sides and my hind legs any more? You who have tails just whisk the flies off without thinking about it, and you can't tell what a torment it is to have them settle upon you and sting and sting, and have nothing in the world to lash them off with.
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awwe sez you will start me of !- that book and the film also ( orginal film) make me cry everytime I read/watch it. I think its a wonderfully touching story tho

sob sob:cool:
 
In most country shows the rules state that no horse with a docked tail may be show, Unless it is accompanied by a vet's certificate to say the operation was done wholly in the interests of medical benefit.

If you imported a docked horse from another country where docking for fashion and convenience was legal, you would not be able to show it at county level.

I don not know whether this applies to nicking as well as is fashionable with some US breeds.
 
I cant think of the last time I saw a dolberman,rotty, & very few springer & jack russells with undocked tails. Infact my old neighbour had to hunt high and low up the country to find a dolberman undocked, and seemed to pay a premium for it!
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I have a jack with an undocked tail :D Can't find a pic right now.

Whats Nicking?
 
Nicking is what they do to some US breeds of Wlking horses sometimes to make the tail stick up in the air.
 
Blimey thats awful, I do feel sorry for animals...all done in the art of the human eyes vanity

Leave them be!


When I went to get my JR he had his tail docked, however he was also near death and riddled with fox mite/pussy eyes/skin and bone.

After a heated argument...where the breeder wouldnt even show me his parents!! ( dump of an old farm in cornwall) I paid the money just to get him out of her hands.

I then informed her I was contacting the RSPCA and sped of straight to my vets.

The vet said he was barely 4 weeks old, and was hospitlised and on a drip.

He lost all his hair... but came right in the end with various special diets.

Some people said I was wrong for paying for him, BUT I was there on my own and couldnt get him of the WITCH.

My vet sent a report for the RSPCA backup and said the rest of the litter would of been infected probabley mother to.

Hopefully she got what she deserved.

As it turned out he wasnt even a pure bred JR ( not that it matters I love him all the same) I used to take him to work in my pocket he was like a hamster!


Why do**SOME breeders feel they can treat animals like this! I was disgusted.. some people breed for the love of the animals..then you get the rouges with pound signs in there eyes

This is Benji now! what a sweetie...not sure what breeding he could be! some people have said westiexJR or yorkieXJR

who knows!!
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Docking horses' tails was made illegal in GB in 1951
RE Blackbeauty. I cannot read that book without crying. My mum first read me the story when I was very young and I've read it several times over. Such a very sad story.​
 
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*Sez* said:
I think Poohsmate is right. Working dogs can apparently benefit from having the length of the tail reduced, to avoid it getting trapped. I was under the impression that even vets could get into trouble for unnecessarily docking tails as "fashion".
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I can't comment on horses as I don't know anything about that I'm afriad but with regard to the docking of dogs tails - I know a little about this ;) and in english law it is not illegal to dock a dog of any kind. However, it has to be done by a vet and done with so many days of the litter being born i think about 3-days (but I'm open to correction) I only know this as I got a lecture of the reception at my vets when I took in my docked Rottie for it's 1st jabs about how she was going to report me :mad: :mad: But I'd researched this prior to buying my dog and confirmed with vet that it wasn't illegal just a little frowned upon these days, silly woman :mad: :mad: :rolleyes:

It is definitely a "fashion" and "breed" thing and not necessarily a practice I agree but I was told by the vet if done correctly and within the time frame, as I say i think 3-days old it is actually quite a painless proceadure for the pup - how true that is I don't know :confused: :confused: Not having a tail or ever being docked can't say for sure that there right. If you are looking for a breed which is traditionally docked you will pay a premium for it as you will have to get i early before they're born and with a huge deposit because if it's left on and then you back out the breeder will find it hard to sell :(
 
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