[iv] 



offices, and funtlions in the ftruïïurt of a horfe 

 with thofe of human nature ', was a fujjicient allure- 

 ment to invite gentlemen to take them under a more 

 mature confederation, and to refcue the noble ani- 

 mals from the hands of the, moft illiterate empi- 

 rics. 



I do not intend to expatiate upon the ufe and im- 

 portance of thefe animals in life, as they are evi- 

 dent already to every obferver ; / mean only to give 

 fome little account of the improvements made by 

 the Sieur la Fojfe upon farriery in the following 

 treatife -, which 1 am the more ready to do that 

 thofe of my countrymen, whofe concerns require the 

 employment of horfes, may profit of it in their ma- 

 nagement and the cure of their difeafes. 



Nor would I in the leaft forget the fen/ible trea- 

 tifes wrote and publifloed by our own authors Gib- 

 fon, Bracken, and Bartlet, who have treated the 

 fubjetl in a learned manner, and who made 

 early and ingenious fleps towards reducing it to a ra- 

 tional fyfl em, well knowing it was a matter of 

 weight enough to engage the mojl faga clous in the 

 improvement ofan art, from which Jo confiderable 

 a benefit ari/es to the greater, and indeed thefuperior, 

 part of mankind. 



But I Jfoould think myfelf wanting in the duty I 

 ewe my country, if I did not propagate among 

 them, whatever occurred to me that might tend to 

 fuch laudable ends, in the mofil fpeedy and b eft manner 

 I could. And t here fore as foon as this valuable 

 little book come to ray hands, I took care to tak; 



2 the 



