FREE LECTURES. 

 'A conference on Shoeing, intended for experts and well attended by 

 them, was held by the Association in February, and afterward, on suc- 

 cessive Friday Evenings, a course of Free Lectures was delivered as 

 follows: 



Mr. a. B. Root — " The Shoeing of Horses." 

 Dr. Frank L. Sullivan — " Common Equine Diseases." 

 / Mr. W. D. Quimby — " Harness." 



} Dr. W. L. LaBaw — " The Age of Horses and the Care of 

 ( Their Teeth." 



Mr. M. B. Conway — " Feeding and Watering." 

 Dr. D. L. Bolger — " Diseases of the Feet." 

 Mr. C. a. Campbell — " Driving." 

 Hon. George G. Crocker — " Rules of the Road." 

 Mr. Thomas Langlan — " Experiences as a Humane Agent." 



The lectures were attended by extremely attentive audiences, and 

 the Association hereby expresses its thanks to the lecturers, and its hope 

 that their addresses will be repeated next winter. 



THE STABLE COMPETITION. 



Entries were accepted this year from stables of every kind, and they 

 were judged, not in competition, but accordingly as they satisfied the 

 standard fixed by the Judges. Among the points considered were: 

 quality of hay and grain, bedding, blanketing, grooming, ventilation, 

 stalls, sanitary condition of stable, and last, but not least, the handling of 

 the horses by drivers and grooms, including the condition in which the 

 horses are returned to the stable by the drivers. There were forty entries. 

 and the names of the stables and stable foremen winning prizes are stated 

 below. The stables and the foremen are not always graded alike. Some- 

 times, a foreman makes poor use of the facilities at his command, and in 

 other cases a good foreman has to struggle against bad drivers, poor 

 facilities, or a stingy owner. 



The stable competitions of this and the previous year have disclosed 

 the fact that man}' owners absolutely waste capital which they have 

 invested in horses by neglecting to take proper care of them, to say 

 nothing of humanity. The following matters especially have been forced 

 upon the attention of the Judges : 



I. That if the men are on good terms with the employer, the horses 

 are usually well treated ; whereas, if the men are dissatisfied, the horses are 

 always badly treated. 



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