2 PREFACE, 



dition, &c., and showing how far he might ven- 

 ture to treat him when diseased. What is here 

 written has been gained by study from works 

 of others, * and what professional men have 

 taught me, interspersed throughout with my 

 own observations. Proceeding from an undi- 

 ploma'd hand, these are not supposed to be in- 

 fallible; but though errors may exist, they will 

 not lead far out of the right path, and perhaps 

 will aid a novice when buying, and afterwards 

 tend to prevent him ruining his horse by inju- 



* This acknowledgment was the cause of my book^ when in 

 manuscript, being much depreciated, and by one of the very 

 persons who, no doubt, will most benefit by it. " Compile ! " 

 said he, ''^any body can compile." Now, discoveries of this 

 kind are of a greeji, and also of a jealous hue. How are our 

 ideas confirmed, and how is our information got, if not' from 

 books ? All amateur waitings must of necessity be more or 

 less compiled ; but it is only amateurs who have studied, and 

 reflected, and had practice on such a subject as horseflesh, that 

 are capable of translating scientific and technical English for 

 the understanding of their brethren. Nearly the whole of the 

 last part of this work, to say nothing of much of the preceding 

 parts, will be a compilation, then, if you like, from various pro- 

 fessional and other authors ; but as I have had some little expe- 

 rience, I reserve to myself the liberty of extracting from those 

 whose opinions approach nearest my own. 



