PREFACE. 



IN presenting this book to the public, I wish to say that I 

 have no hobby or pet theory to advertise, but have striven 

 to give, in a condensed form, all that I know of this noble and 

 useful animal, the horse, after having made him a study for 

 more than half a century ; embracing what I have learned of 

 him from history, both verbal and written, and from observa- 

 tion and experience, as well. 



This said experience embraces a period of nearly sixty 

 years ; during which time I have ridden, driven, worked, bred, 

 handled, trained, bought, sold, traded, castrated, and doctored, 

 perhaps no less than five thousand animals. I have owned and 

 handled for stock purposes some quite good stallions, and in all 

 cases of a quality to materially improve the horse stock of the 

 .section in which they stood for service. 



I have been personally acquainted with many of the most 

 noted horsemen of America for the last forty years, and knew 

 most of the old time notable trotters; but after all, as my 

 friend, the late Dr. Levi Herr, once said : " The practical and 

 experienced, as well as the aged horsemen and breeders, are 



under the tuition of professional lawyers, such as- — ," 



naming several of that time, — "who have learned more by 

 studying law on horsemanship, breeding, training, etc., than 

 we who have made a life study of the same. They have sud- 

 denly jumped their professions and are now professors- of breed- 

 ing, training, and horsemanship in full." 



My own experience with horses, in both the United States 

 and Canada, embraces castration, conditioning, and many years 

 of general veterinary practice which has proven very success- 

 ful, and I believe in all cases satisfactory to my patrons. Still, 

 I am not a«professional veterinary surgeon, sporting a diploma ; 

 neither am I a professional driver in races. I have bred many 

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