viii PEEFACE. 



Hence it is invaluable to me as a work of reference, for if 

 I had not written it, I would have probably forgotten at 

 least half of what I had seen, heard and read. I trust 

 that it will be of equal benefit to my readers, whether they 

 are horsemen of ordinary education or veterinary surgeons. 

 The fact that I have spent a large portion of my life in 

 many foreign countries, ought to make this book of special 

 use to English horse-owners who live abroad. 



I have employed type of different sizes, with the object 

 of maintaining the character of this book as a means of 

 ready reference for non-professional readers, without having 

 to exclude information which they might consider to be too 

 abstruse for their requirements ; but which might prove 

 useful to horse-owners possessing more scientific knowledge. 

 This edition is to a large extent a new book, because I 

 spent three years revising it, and have added much new 

 matter and 123 new illustrations from photographs I took. 

 In the building up of this literary structure, I have been 

 greatly aided by the valuable hints and kindly criticisms 

 which I obtained from Veterinary-Surgeon Desmond, Colonel 

 Nunn, Deputy-Director-General A.V.D., Mr. J. S. Barber, 

 M.R.C.V.S., Mr. Reginald Over, M.R.C.V.S., and other learned 

 friends. In making a collection of horses' heads of authentic 

 ages for the illustrations in Chapter XXXIII. , I am particu- 

 larly indebted to Mr. W. Shaw, F.R.C.V.S., Mr. Wharam, 

 M.R.C.V.S., Mr. E. H. Leach, F.R.C.V.S., Professor Hobday, 

 F.R.C.V.S., Mr. Hiles, M.R.C.V.S., and other confreres. 

 Thanks to the generous help of these gentlemen, I have 

 succeeded in a photographic task which, as far as I can 

 ascertain, has never before been accomplished. Mr. Barber 

 and Mr. Willis, M.R.C.V.S., were most kind in lending me 

 many interesting specimens to photograph. 



To facilitate reference, I have tried to make the index as 

 complete as possible. 



As a chemist's shop is not always within easy reach, 



