184 STRING HALT. 



1820. He was got by Hamjxlcu out of a Sir Hariy Dimsdale raare. In 

 1828, and being two years old, and the ])roperty of the Duke of Richmond, 

 he won a 50Z. plate at Goodwood. In 1829, and belonging to Lord W. 

 Lennox, he won 55 guineas at Hampton. Being then transferred to Mr. 

 Coleman, he won 50 guineas at Guildford ; and in the same year, having 

 been purchased by Mr. Pearce, he won 60 guineas at Basingstoke. 



In the course of this year stringhalt began to appear in a slight degree, 

 and it evidently, although slowly, increased. There soon began to be a 

 little difficulty in getting him off; but when he had once started, neither 

 his speed nor his stoutness appeared to be in the shghtest degree im- 

 paired. He continued on the turf until 1836, and won for his different 

 owners seventeen races, the produce of Avhich, exclusive of bets, amounted 

 to 1,435L 



The difficulty and loss of advantage in starting had now increased to a 

 degree which rendered it pru.dent to withdraw him from the turf, and he 

 came into the possession of Dockeray, who used him for the purpose of 

 leading the young horses that he had under training. This is well known 

 to be hard work, and his rider was a man of some weight. In addition to 

 this, he was generally hunted twice in the week. His first starting into 

 a gallop had something singular about it. It was a horrible kind of con- 

 vulsive action, and so violent, that he frequently knocked off his shoes on 

 the very day that they were put on ; but when he got a little warmed, 

 all this disappeared. He galloped beautifully, and was a very sure fencer. 

 The sport, however, being over, and he returning to a slow pace, the 

 stringhalt was as bad as ever. 



At length the old horse became artful, and it was "with great difficulty 

 that he could be made to lead. Sometimes he refused it altogether. In 

 consequence of this, he was sent to St. Martin's Lane to be sold. The 

 highest bidding for him was 37. 14s., and the hero of the turf and the field 

 was doomed to the omnibus. There he was cruelly used, and this spasmodic 

 convulsion of his hind legs sadly aggravated his torture. The skin was 

 presently rubbed from his shoulders, his hips and haunches Avere bruised 

 in every part, and his stifles were continually and painfully coming in 

 contact with the pole. 



In this situation he was seen by the veterinary surgeon to ' The Society 

 for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.' There is a fund at the disposal 

 of that society for the purchase of worn-out horses, who are immediately 

 released from their misery by the pole-axe of the knacker. The horse 

 was bought for this purpose, another and laudable motive influencing the 

 pui'chase — the wish to ascertain what light the dissection of an animal 

 that had had stringhalt to such an aggravated extent, and for ijo long a 

 period, would cast on the nature of this disease. 



The author of this work saw him a little while before he was slaughtered. 

 He was still a noble"- looking animal, and seemed to possess all his former 

 strength and spirit unimpaired ; but he was sadly scarred all over, in con- 

 sequence of his being put to a kind of work for which his spasmodic 

 complaint so entirely incapacitated him. So aggravated a case of string- 

 halt had rarely been seen. Both hind legs were affected, and both in an 

 equal degree ; and the belly was forcibly struck by the pastern joiats every 

 time the hind feet were lifted. The belly and the pastern joint were both 

 denuded of hair in consequence of this constant battering. 



He was destroyed by the injection of prussic acid into the jugular vein, 

 and the dissection of him was conducted by Professor Spooner, of the 

 Royal Veterinary College. 



On taking off the skin, all the muscles presented their perfect healthy 

 character. There Avas not the slightest enlargement or discoloration of 



