MR. COLLINS 47 



at fault. By accident, my friend, having heard of Mr. 

 Colhns' arrival, sent his horse to him for treatment. 

 Mr. Collins happened to be in the yard when the horse 

 was being led in, but was ignorant as to whose horse 

 it was. Glancing at it, he remarked, ' I don't know to 

 whom that horse belongs, but it has not only got 

 navicular very badly in one foot, but the other foot is 

 also affected.' The owner had the horse shot ; and 

 the feet, preserved, may be seen at Mr. Collins', diseased 

 just exactly as he described them to be. Nor have I 

 ever known him wrong in his opinion, even in intricate 

 cases in which other veterinary surgeons were opposed 

 to him. 



I have had at different periods of my life some 

 exceptionally good mares which never threw a bad 

 foal, no matter what horse they were put to ; and in 

 those days to which I refer the breeders had not the 

 same choice of stallions as is now at their service. 

 These mares were selected from Birdcatcher, Navarino, 

 Arthur, Artillery, Bashful, King Dan, Mayboy, Star of 

 Erin, and Marquis strains of blood, and when put to 

 such horses as Artillery, Birdcatcher, etc., they pro- 

 duced horses such as we now but seldom see — long, 

 low animals, which could stay for a week. I have met 

 but very few amongst our own tenants or even other 

 breeders who really understood how to correct faults 

 in breeding. I consider that it is a subject which the 

 judges at our shows would do well to study a little 

 more ; and I have no doubt that if they do so their 

 awards will be somewhat less surprising than is often 

 the case, and most certainly more satisfactory. 



I do not believe that farmers will ever be successful 

 as breeders, until a course of lectures on the subject is 



