PREFACE. 



In the commencement of the year 1848, I 

 published a number of Letters on the Horse, in 

 the columns o£ the Londonderri/ Standard, They 

 attracted the attention of Mr. Shaw, Editor of 

 the London Farmer's Magazine, who kindly of- 

 fered them a place in his valuable and important 

 periodical, provided I would throw them into 

 a connected shape. Before I had time to 

 do so, however, Mr. Shaw was cut off by the 

 hand of death; and I never thouo^ht of commu- 

 nicating with his successor on the subject. 

 The substance of these Letters is here produced* 

 with numerous additions, in a connected and 

 permanent form. The conciseness and simpli- 

 city of this little work must be its chief re- 

 commendation. I have intentionally written 

 it in that rough-and-ready style which has the 

 immense advantage of rendering the subject 

 perfectly intelligible to every class of the 

 community. 



CoLERAiNE, Ireland, 

 Aiml, 1859. 



