Embarking and Disembarking Horses. 79 



practice which they have had, has made them 

 extremely quick at this work. The only 

 fault I had to find with them, is that the 

 Kaffirs who put on and take off the slings, 

 use the horses very roughly, especially in 

 the matter of striking them about the muzzle, 

 which is a particularly cruel trick. Mr. 

 Desmond, Chief Veterinary Surgeon to the 

 Government of Adelaide, South Australia, 

 whom I had the pleasure of meeting at 

 Port Elizabeth, aptly remarked to me that 

 if these Kaffirs were supplied with strong 

 boots, they would not be so inclined to 

 strike the horses, which have an unfortunate 

 tendency to tread on the toes of their 

 attendants. 



Lighters into which horses are put, either 

 for embarkation or disembarkation, should 



