2 THE INFLUENCE OF HORSE SHOWS. 



The novice, wishing to establish a stable, encounters so 

 many pitfalls, and has, usually, so little advice offered except 

 by interested and designing persons, that the author has 

 been led to believe that there are many who will wel- 

 come and use some timely counsel on the establishment 

 and management of a private stable. In the arrangement 

 of the text every effort has been made to present the sub- 

 jects systematically with a view to rendering them explicit 

 to a beginner and convenient for reference. No attempt 

 has been made to define the details of appointments; but 

 those which characterize the winning entries at the National 

 Horse Show or that are followed by well known owners have 

 been given as a guide to the prospective exhibitor. The 

 opinions of authorities vary to such an extent that the estab- 

 lishment of a recognized standard to cover all the small 

 points seems very remote. The reader should consider him- 

 self free to indulge his own preferences, provided that they 

 do not result in introducing details which are impractical 

 or displeasing. 



The welfare and comfort of the horse have been carefully 

 considered, as many of the pains which our patient four- 

 footed friend is forced to bear are brought upon him through 

 the unpardonable ignorance of those whom he so faithfully 

 serves. A bit made unnecessarily severe, a collar that im- 

 pedes the breathing or chafes the shoulders, a bearing-rein 

 that cramps the muscles of the neck, injudicious feeding or 

 heartless exposure, are the cause of some of the sufferings 

 which the autho hopes he may be instrumental in alleviating. 



The indifference of owners regarding their stables has one 

 very general effect, that of engendering carelessness, vary- 

 ing in degree according to the characters of the stable- 



