SUPERSTITION OF THE HORSESHOE 285 



cause it hates to speak or think of automobiles 

 comes near to being grotesque. We are con- 

 fronted by hard facts that cannot be avoided, and 

 whether we like them or not they nevertheless 

 must force us to realise what is happening. 



Shall I be charged with indulging a flight of 

 imagination if I venture to declare that, before 

 three decades more have passed, the horse will 

 have become so completely dethroned that it will 

 be with us only for racing purposes and to assist 

 us in the artificial chase ? 



If about the year 2030 some student of past 

 history shall come upon these lines I trust that 

 he will quote them with appropriate comment. 



Horses famous in history other than that of 

 the Turf occur but rarely in the records of the 

 last century or so. Lord Cardigan had a chest- 

 nut thoroughbred that carried him unscathed 

 through the memorable Balaclava Charge, but 

 there does not appear to be any story of interest 

 attaching to the animal — it had two white stock- 

 ings and its name was Ronald. 



I have tried to trace the origin of the super- 

 stitious belief that the possession of a horseshoe 

 must bring luck, but without any very satisfactory 

 result. The superstition reached its height ap- 



