2 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



purpofe, far fuperior to the races of all other 

 nations ; and it is obvious, that our national 

 improvement in equeftrian fcience, according 

 to the invariable laws of nature, has been gra- 

 dual and progreflive, and that it can only arrive 

 at its ultimate point of attainable perfection, 

 through the unwearied labour and recorded ex- 

 perience of fucceflive practical writers. 



Upon a fubjeci, then, of fuch extent as that 

 of the Horfe, taken in all his various points of 

 view — fuch as the genus, and its different fpe- 

 cies ; his natural rights, in other words, his 

 claims as an animal endowed with fellow feel- 

 ing, on the moral juftice and humanity of man; 

 the molt advantageous felection and applica- 

 tion of the various fpecies, with their improve- 

 ment ; the proper management of all whilfl; in 

 health, and employed in pleafure or bufinefs ; 

 their juft proportional relation with the medi- 

 cal and healing art in a ftate of difeafe ; their 

 confequence as an article of commerce — it is 

 fcarce pofTible but that fomething both new 

 and ufeful may be offered. Allowing a juft 

 and ample portion of defert to former Writers, 

 whether ancient or modern, they muff necefla- 

 rily be fuppofed to have partaken of the com- 

 mon imperfections of men, and cannot have 

 intirely exhaufled the fubjecl:. Even the 

 changes unavoidably effected by the mere lapfe 

 of time, and the various and conftant improve- 

 ments 



