MR. THOMAS HODGSON 195 



two days a week in the forest and among the wood- 

 lands. Mr. Little Gilmour at this period determined to 

 retire from Leicestershire, and the Marquis of Waterford, 

 after making Melton and other parts of Leicestershire 

 ring with his exploits, announced his intention of hence- 

 forward hunting in Ireland. 



Soon after the close of the season 1839-40, there 

 died in Leicestershire Mr. Rowland, the veterinary sur- 

 geon, who for something like half a century had enjoyed 

 an enormous practice among the owners of the better 

 class of steeds, and it was said that no man could better 

 keep a "screw" sound, or cure a horse which had met 

 with an accident. His memory was for many years affec- 

 tionately cherished in Leicestershire, from the fact that 

 he brought about, if not a revolution, at least a reform 

 in the shoeing of horses. Before his time prickings in 

 shoeing were so common that it came almost to be 

 regarded as a matter of course in one horse out of about 

 three. Mr. Rowland, however, insisting on greater 

 caution, asked for a slightly improved rate of remunera- 

 tion, and in due time induced all the local farriers to 

 take more pains, with the result that pricking became 

 almost as rare as it is now. 



Firing Mr. Rowland disliked, but when he used 

 the irons, he used them, as Sir Harry Goodricke once 

 said, "with such judgment and effect that rendered their 

 application rather ornamental than otherwise." His zeal 

 for his business appears to have been as great as his 

 love for hunting, for it is said that he had been known 

 to ride fifty miles to see patients, meet the Ouorn 

 hounds, change his horse, and then take another long 

 journey on professional rounds. The story goes that 

 one day Lord Suffield despatched Mr. Rowland to see 

 a lame horse of his which was lying out somewhere near 

 Birmingham, and on seeing him at the covert-side, re- 

 proached him for having neglected his professional duties 



