AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



About twenty years ago many people pressed me much to 

 write a treatise on Horses; but I then refused, thinking that 

 one of my own family would succeed me in the business of a 

 Farrier ; but my hopes are cut off, and now, at the age of near- 

 ly ninety years, it is my duty to do what I can to benefit my 

 fellow-creatures, and I thank my God that it is both in my 

 heart and in my power to do so. For this reason this little 

 book is sent out into the world, and it is my hope that many 

 may be benefited by it. Should it be an instrument of good to 

 one poor man's horse, it will be a blessing ; but it may be use- 

 ful in saving thousands. A true explanation of the disorders, 

 and safe and easy medicines for the cure of horses, are laid 

 down in it in the plainest language — not that of a learned writer. 

 but for a poor man's reading. I do not mean to make easy 

 things hard, but hard things easy ; and hope that my readers 

 will be candid enough to consider well before they cast any re- 

 flections upon it. I do not know that there are errors in it, but 

 possibly there may be, considering my old age. I can truly say 

 it is written from experience alone, as there is not one borrowed 

 receipt in it, therefore it must be new to the world : and I have 

 no other motive than to do good. One word as to drugs. When 

 you buy them, be careful to have them good, as druggists are 

 not always to be depended on for having good articles. The 

 safest way is to buy them in their natural state, and to powder 

 them as you want them. Do not be too hasty in giving medi- 

 cines, but let one operate before you give another. Great hurt 

 is often done by being too hasty. I wish also to caution you 

 against taking advice of people who neither know the disorders 

 of Horses nor how to prescribe a remedy for them. No man 

 can prescribe proper medicines except he has a true knowledge 

 of herbs, roots, minerals and compounds, and how they operate. 

 The first thing a Horse-doctor should do when he begins busi- 

 ness, is to get well acquainted with drugs, and then with the 

 disorders ; but these things cannot be done without much prac- 

 tice. Some people are very fluent at the tongue ; and if they 

 know the names of a few drugs, and a disorder or two, they 

 blow up loudly, and bring forward the names of the drugs they 

 have learnt, whether they are good for the disorder or not ; but 

 in this little treatise there is not one thing mentioned that will 

 not bear the strictest scrutiny. 



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