INTKODUCTION. 11 



One is no more expected to be able to treat intricate and 

 dangerous diseases of his horse, than he is to shoe him, fire him, 

 or cut him up for the kennel, when in the course of time he may 

 chance to die. Any man I should hold an ass, who, his valuable 

 animal being decidedly ailing, would not send for the best far- 

 rier within his reach ; therefore, and in one word, I beg to state 

 that this work is meant only to assist the horseman ; not to 

 supersede, in two volumes, however full of matter, what can 

 scarcely be contained in half a library. 



Such as it is, in a word, I intend it to be, and I hope it is, 

 thorough I and, as such, I have the pleasure to offer it to my 

 friends and the public — if, which I trust is not the case, I am 

 not bound to make a distinction between them. 



The First Yolume will be found to contain a brief history, 

 with some account of the natural history, of the horse ; a history 

 of the English, and of the American, thoroughbred horse ; some 

 accounts of the original thoroughbred stock of different States 

 and regions of the United States ; memoirs and descriptions of 

 several of the most distinguished racers of the United States, 

 with full and original accounts of their most remarkable races ; 

 essays on the breeding of the thoroughbred horse ; estimates 

 and views, both English and American, of the comparative 

 qualities of the English and American race-horse ; essays on the 

 points of the thoroughbred horse for racing purposes, and on 

 the true utility of the thoroughbred horse ; a list, as complete as 

 could be furnished, from the available means of information, of 

 the thoroughbred stallions and mares imported to this country, 

 from the earliest date to the close of the year 1856 ; a set of tables, 

 carefully compiled, showing the comparative number of winners, 

 with their comparative performances, respectively got by native 

 and imported stallions, within the last twenty-seven years ; and 

 a summary of the results to be deduced from those tables. 



