8 PREFACE. 



erage human form as divinely beautiful as the Apollo 

 Belvidere or the Venus de Medici; or, at least, to reject 

 as models for the student in sculpture or painting all 

 subjects not "" thoroughly up to the mark." Nobody, 

 nothing, is perfect according to our own artificial stan- 

 dards; but with a little attention to practical detail, as 

 laid down by men of experience, and a large allowance 

 of common sense, we may find the tools for our work. 



There are few horses that would stand the strict test 

 of examination for purposes of unqualified warranty, 

 even among those that have not been worked; but few 

 indeed would be those that had been worked that would 

 not fall under the denomination of unsound. 



One of the most experienced men in the business, who 

 dealt for many years in horses for those who can and will 

 have the best animals in the country, said, "Not one in 

 three of fresh. unused horses would pass an examination; 

 and when a horse has reached five years without work, 

 reject him. Do not trouble yourself to find out what it 

 is, there is certainly something wrong about the brute." 

 My experience bears out this counsel. In quadrupeds 

 and men destined to labor, there must be some inherent 

 deficiency in them if they go long without work. 



It should be borne in mind that, even where " price is 

 no object," the purchaser cannot insure the possession of 

 a perfect animal, according to any abstract standard. 

 There are very few really bad horses, and, providing horses 

 are properly " placed," that is, put to their right use 

 the use to which nature fitted them all difficulties in 

 dealing in horse-flesh will vanish. There is not a grain 

 of sense or truth in the assertion that the horses of to-day 

 are far inferior to the "well-bred horse of old." Again, 

 exceptions do not always prove the rule, and the references 

 to one or more old beauties amongst a lot of young and 

 not beautiful animals go for nothing; or prove no more 

 than that the favorites of older days were not over- 



