508 Transactions of the American Institute. 



covering. And so it would be were horses exposed, as in their natural 

 condition, to all the inclemencies of the weather. But we take the 

 horse and pare his hoofs, and nail shoes on his feet, and put a bit in 

 his mouth, and fetter him with harness, and make him draw heavy 

 loads or carry us at great speed, and thus having brought him into a 

 condition totally different from his natural one, it is necessary for us 

 to act with him accordingly. All horses do not require clipping, and 

 but few are clipped, and those few are horses which are made to 

 draw heavy*loads or travel at a rapid rate, which are kept in warm 

 stables, and which possess a heavy, coarse -coat of hair. Such horses, 

 brought into a state of profuse sweating by work, are in the condition 

 of a man who has done heavy work while wearing an extra overcoat. 

 Their coats, as his clothing, become saturated with moisture, which 

 is retained, and is unable to escape, except slowly and by evapora- 

 tion. It is well known that in the process of evaporation the tempe- 

 rature is greatly reduced ; hence a severe chill is caused and a cold is 

 the result, which not seldom ends in rheumatism, cramps, colic, con- 

 gestion of the lungs, inflammation or other severe or fatal disorders. 

 To many men a pair of horses is the sole source of their income, the 

 only capital on which they depend for the means of supporting them- 

 selves and their families. To others it represents a large amount of 

 money. Is it consistent with the liberty of the citizen that any of 

 such men, who cannot be charged with designed cruelty to what costs 

 them so dearly, or with utter ignorance of their own business or inter- 

 ests, should be prevented from managing their property in their own 

 way ? If it is, I cannot see why I may not be forbidden to clip my 

 sheep just when I think advisable, by the operation of a similiarlaw 

 to this proposed one. As it has gone forth through the world that 

 this Club indorses the paper read here last week, it is only right that 

 this protest should be made on behalf of all those who think it right 

 and proper to clip their horses as a measure of comfort and safety to 

 them ; and who consider their rights as citizens should not be lightly 

 interfered with at the demand of Mr. Bergh or those who sympathize 

 with him, on a question which hinges on a disputed point, and on 

 which the evidence, to say the least, is very contradictory indeed. 



Mr. F. D. Curtis — Mr. Stewart is an amiable and kind-hearted 

 gentleman ; he would take «good care himself of his horse. In this 

 city it is different. Not one gentleman in fifty gives his horses his 

 personal attention, and they are left to the tender mercies of the 

 hostler. I saw a pair of clipped horses standing in the street last 

 week, one of the coldest days, drawn up and shivering, with no 



