Preface. vii. 



want of adequate support. What it has already published, 

 however, demonstrates the completeness attainable, when 

 the work is undertaken by those, who having a special 

 knowledge of the subject, devote their time and attention 

 to it. 



I have endeavoured in the following pages to supply the 

 subject of Hippology, and it is believed that in them will 

 be found a fuller and more trustworthy reference on the 

 subject of the Genus Equus and everything appertaining 

 to it than has before been published. 



Some years ago, being then a collector of curious and 

 scarce books on the Horse, I was induced to compile for 

 my own satisfaction and use, a catalogue containing very 

 full bibliographical details of the works on that subject in 

 my own possession. It was afterwards suggested to me to 

 extend the scope of my catalogue, and form an index on 

 the bibliography of the Horse. Acting on this, I increased 

 by long-continued and troublesome research, the number 

 of books tenfold, and as the work grew in size, I expunged 

 all superfluous remarks ; details which however interesting 

 to myself, would not have compensated for the increased 

 bulk entailed in their retention. So at least I judged at 

 the time, and though I have since sometimes regretted 

 having done so, it is now too late again to change the 

 character of the work. But although I have endeavoured 

 to condense this volume to the utmost limit of its utility, 

 by the excision of all superfluous matter, I have but rarely 

 curtailed the title of any work that has come under my 



