THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS AND HACKS. 201 



}i8 disappointed owner of a disqualified horse, as the 

 )rofessional opinion of^he College-man. It is scarcely 

 air, in fact/to place gentlemen who give their services 

 the Society in so invidious a position — one that often 

 enders them Jiahle to much gratuitous ahuse. I would 

 iot; however, have the veterinary inspector of the meet- 

 'i.g in any way interfere or intrude upon the judges when 



work. His duty is to see that none but sound horses 

 ""^efore them, and there to limit his responsibility, 

 ietimes it will happen that the jadge will associate the 

 ./o offices in his own proper person ; but as a rule it is 

 tetter that the Society should appoint its own veterinary 

 sitrgeon. Of course, such an examination should not be 

 confined to'the ' stallions', but extended to every class of 

 horses in the entry. It is somewhat significant to reflect 

 jow resolutely this plan has been resisted in certain 

 i]uarters, and by certain exhibitors, not merely at the 

 meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society. I know "at 

 this moment of a country show of some repute where the 

 presence of the veterinary-inspector has been for year& 

 successfully tabooed, imtilthe number of unsound animals 

 exhibited has jnstly come to create some alarin for the 

 character of the breed. I am speaking here rather of 

 cart-horses than riding stock, v/liile I am glad to see that 

 a leading* member of the direction has put himself to 

 reform this too-flattering fashion of making up a show, 

 and that a preliminary veterinary examination is now 

 embodied in the rules and regulations. 



It is very clear that within the last few years the 

 proper stimulus has been" given for breeding a better 

 description of " nag-horse,' ' and I am sanguine of stiU- 

 continued improvement in this way. I have seen most 

 of the famous horse-shov/s, and had the i)leasure of being 



