40 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



country in public inftitutions. The French 

 have long had the advantage of a public vete- 

 rinary fchool, which has produced feveral very 

 eminent writers. In the laft century we had 

 no writer on farriery to put in competition 

 with Soleyfell, unlefs we except Snape, who 

 wrote but little. Whence then has it hap- 

 pened, that notwithftanding all thefe advan- 

 tages, with that of a milder climate fuperadded, 

 the balance of improvement has all along gone 

 with this country ? Let the French themfelves, 

 and the world at large, judge of the fact, who 

 have invariably given a preference to Englifh 

 Horfes. Whence has it happened, that not- 

 withflanding their numerous learned treatifes, 

 and their veterinary hofpitals and fchools, their 

 liable ceconomy fhould in general have been 

 fo bad, even at the manfions of their princes, 

 that thoufands of fine Englifh Horfes have ac- 

 tually fallen a facrifice to it? 



I can folve this difficulty in no other way, 

 than by attributing our fuperiority to that 

 almofl univerfal paffion for Horfes, not only as 

 objefts of utility, but of pleafure and fport, 

 which has fo long prevailed in this country ; it 

 has ferved to diffufe a practical knowledge of 

 the proper treatment of thefe animals, through- 

 out all ranks and degrees of the people. The 

 French are more confined in the ufe of the 

 Horfe than the Englifh ; and the {lately manege 



excepted, 



