To Dock or Not To Dock… That Is the Question

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Most people are familiar with the bobbed tails of the draft horse breeds, which are commonly docked, usually at birth or shortly after.

Brenda Hunter could wreak havoc if a tail got too close.

Last year, Pfizer Canada announced to their network of equine ranchers that they were prohibiting the practice of tail docking to fall in line with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) Code of Practice and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) welfare positions, as well as applicable legislation.

The equine ranching industry in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is highly regulated. Ranchers are contracted by Pfizer to provide a raw product – pregnant mares’ urine, which contains estrogen, to make Premarin used in hormone replacement therapy for peri-menopausal and menopausal women. Therefore, the ranchers must comply with the conditions set forth by Pfizer in their contracts which are subject to change at any given time.

What this ruling means for equine ranchers, is that any foal they sell at public auction, by private treaty or otherwise, is forbidden to leave their premises with a docked tail. To do so, would put the continuation of their contract, in jeopardy. Horses already in their possession with docked tails prior to the ruling, are exempt.

While the reasons vary throughout other species of livestock and some domestic pets as to why docking is done, the main reasons for it to continue in the draft horse world, is that of tradition, as well as safety.

In fact, many believe that this is the reason that tail docking originally began. Legend has it that tails were sometimes completely lost from getting caught in the heavy, fast-moving belting used to drive threshing machines back in the day. The position of the teams pulling up with the stook racks were such that it put them in close proximity to the drive belts which

Of course, that is not the case today. However, there are still the lines to contend with. Any Google search for equine tail docking suggests that it is done to keep a horse’s long tail from becoming entangled in harness, lines and/or equipment which could result in disaster.

“There is no documented evidence that driving horses with full tails is dangerous,” said Dr. Chris Bell, President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association about the theory that leaving a tail intact may create a safety risk. “The main question here is: does the procedure benefit the animal in a manner that outweighs the potential for pain and other complications? In the case of tail docking of horses, our position is that it does not.”

However, one does not have to search very far to uncover experienced teamsters who would disagree with this statement and who have in fact, fallen victim to a runaway horse, the result of a line caught under a tail.

The methods of tail docking range depending on the age of the animal and the preference of the person performing the procedure. The most common ways are surgical removal, also known as caudectomy or by ligature; a constrictive rubber elastrator band being placed on the tail of young horses causing the distal part of the tail to eventually necrose and fall away. Both are said to be relatively safe and effective if done correctly and cause the horse little to no visible distress. Most species of animals have their tails docked at a very young age since it is thought to result in less pain and provides for more rapid healing.

In Canada, the only province without a ban on tail docking on any species is Ontario. The Canadian national Codes of Practice states that tail docking and alteration is prohibited in beef cattle and in horses, and is acceptable only with strict guidelines for pigs and sheep. (Dec. 1, 2016)

There are certainly more animal species than just the draft horse to come under fire for docking practices. Domestic pets like dogs and cats especially, as well as several livestock species such as sheep, pigs and cattle have come under scrutiny in recent years.

According to documentation, tail docking is a common industry practice in pork production to reduce tail biting - a destructive chewing of the tails in groups of pigs - which can compromise pig welfare, but can also lead to economic losses. Tail docking of sheep is done to reduce the incidence of blowfly strike that may result from urine and fecal staining of the perineum. The stated goals of tail docking in dairy cows include improved comfort for milking personnel, enhanced udder cleanliness, reduced incidence of mastitis, and improved milk quality and milk hygiene. There is a continuing tradition of docking working dogs’ tails with the goal of preventing tail injury during activities such as hunting or herding.

“Tail docking is a relevant agriculture issue because of the thousands of animals which it affects every year,” said an anonymous source.

Of course, part of being a horse owner is the responsibility to properly care for your animal(s) and most of this takes common sense. Much to the chagrin of full-time breeders and ranchers whom own horses as part of their livelihood: who make careful and calculated breeding decisions; who consider animal husbandry a duty and a privilege; who go about their daily routines such as feeding, vetting, caring for, addressing the safety and wellbeing of their animals with a passion only those who walk a similar path can understand, having the “rules” neatly laid out for them in a handy dandy government document, is deemed somewhat reprehensible.

“We, as rural hands-on operators, are being ruled by an urban population,” another anonymous breeder stated.