PREFACE. 



It is A due to the^late^ General Sir Frederick Fitzwygram to 

 give credit to his book ; "Horses and Stables/' for very much 

 that is contained in this work, and the author wishes to thank 

 his widow and her son, the present Sir Frederick Fitzwygram, 

 for their kind permission to quote from it. 



" Horses and Stables 7 ' has been the hand-book and guide 

 of the American cavalry officer since the issuance of its first 

 edition, and it is deeply regreted by us all that the fifth edition 

 is to be the last to be revised by its talented author. 



, In the preparation of these notes the works of Dr. James 

 Law, General Carter, Captain Hayes, James Fillis, Gouboux 

 and Barrier, and Captain Seton, and the admirable work of the 

 Department of Agriculture on the "Diseases of the Horse," 

 which have been the author's guide duringiiis service as a cav- 

 alry officer, have also been freely consulted. Whatever ideas 

 he has developed in his experience flow from suggestions re- 

 ceived from these and similar works. Nothing new is claimed or 

 attempted. The effort has been„made to write a comprehen- 

 sive book that will cover, in outline only, all general subjects 

 that a horseman should know. 



All of the anatomical illustrations are taken from "Dis- 

 eases of the Horse," a public document issued by the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry, Department of Agriculture. The pho- 

 tographs for the rest of the illustrations, except as noted, were 

 taken by Mr. W. H. Stockbridge, under the author's supervision, 

 from horses and polo ponies at the Military Academy, and rep- 

 resent ordinary conditions only. No effort is made to discuss 

 the so-called "horse of luxury," which is, after all, only an ex- 

 ceptionally good specimen of the type that ought to be adhered 

 to in purchasing a horse for any special purpose. 



Special thanks is due the editor of "The Rider and Driver," 

 Mr. Samuel Walter Taylor, for his kindness in loaning photo- 

 graphs, and for the cover design. 



United States Military Academy, 

 West Point, New York, 

 January 1, «908. 



