employed by us, and a confidential report of any defects in the treatment 

 of the horses or in the management of the stable is made to the proprietor. 

 The stable is inspected again, and perhaps three or four times, — as often 

 as may be necessary. 



The prizes are unlimited in number and consist chiefly of silver medals 

 awarded to foremen and nightmen. The number of horses in the stables 

 inspected every year is about 4000. The form of stable report to be filled 

 out by the inspector will be found on a subsequent page. 



We are indebted to the following inspectors for their careful and con- 

 scientious work: — E. F. Coldwell, J. B. Matthews, John H. Jewett and 

 Robert Mason. 



THE EQUINE SHOWER BATH 



For the past three years, during excessively hot weather, this Associa- 

 tion has maintained nine showering stations where horses were showered 

 with water from hose attached to a hydrant, or w^ere sponged off by means 

 of water pails and sponges. These stations were last year at Andrew- 

 Square, Upham's Corner, Copley Square, Park Square, 728 Tremont 

 St., Charles St., Cambridge St., Minot St., Portland St., Scollay Square, 

 and Dock Square. We are indebted to the following persons and corpora- 

 tions for the free use of their water and hose last year, and, in behalf of 

 the horses, we most earnestly thank them: — the City of Boston, Ceme- 

 tery Department; City of Boston, Fire Department; the Pilgrim Congre- 

 gational Church, the Bay State Trust Company, M. F. Hanson & Co., 

 the Boston Wine and Spirit Company, the Oriental Tea Company, W. D. 

 Quimby, Guy A. Raffa. Thousands of animals were refreshed in this 

 manner, and often a long line of panting horses, exhausted by the heat, 

 were waiting their turn. 



This year the showering will be continued and drivers' buckets will 

 be filled from the hose, but our buckets and sponges will have to be dis- 

 pensed with, in accordance with the regulations of the Commissioner 

 of Animal Industry. 



ASSISTANCE TO PURCHASERS OF HORSES 



The frauds perpetrated upon buyers of horses, and the cruelties in- 

 flicted upon worn-out animals in order to prepare them for sale, have greatly 

 increased during recent years. Four-fifths of the horse advertisements 

 in the Sunday papers are fraudulent. To combat these evils, the following 

 scheme has been devised : — We have made a contract with several of the 

 leading, reputable dealers in Boston and the vicinity by which they agree 



