Prevalence of Roaring. 29 



is a Eoarer, but his stock which I have seen are sound. I 

 am quite sure that Roarers improve in this country, and, 

 that this is owing to the dry climate." 



The Commissioner of Police, from inquiries among his 

 inspectors, who had experience of horses for many years in 

 the eastern provinces of the colony, the Transkei, Basuto- 

 land, etc., as well as his own long experience among all 

 classes of horses under a variety of circumstances, con- 

 cludes that " Eoaring is a disease to which colonial-bred 

 horses are not hable." The officer commanding the Cape 

 Mounted Rifles for ten years had not found more than three 

 Roarers during that period. Mr. Hutcheon's experience is 

 to the same effect. He writes : " I have also inquired of 

 the various jockeys, and their united testimony is that 

 Roaring is very rare out here, Woldman being the only 

 colonial-bred racer known to have become a Roarer. I re- 

 member an imported horse (Excelsior) becoming a Roarer in 

 the early part of 1883. I attended him for Strangles when 

 a colt in 1881. Buxton, an imported horse, ran from liScSO 

 to 1883, sound, with an unbeaten record. I saw him the 

 morning before he ran his last race in 1883 ; he was ill — 

 suffering from a catarrhal condition of the whole mucous 

 membranes, with a tinge of jaundice. His jockey landed 

 him a winner, but the horse could scarcely stand when he 

 came into the .paddock. In less than a fortnight after he 

 was a rank Roarer, and never ran again. Paul, brother of 

 Peter, came out here in ]885 a Roarer. He ran at one 

 meeting, won the trial stakes, but ruptured a small blood- 

 vessel when running a second race. He was then put to the 

 stud, and, notwithstanding his services there, I saw him at 

 the Cape meeting recently ; he ran well for five furlongs, 

 but could do no more, so that I do not think he has im- 

 proved. On the other hand, taking into consideration that 

 he has been serving at the stud for three seasons, he is not 

 any Avorse, so far as Roaring is concerned. Amongst or- 

 dinary-bred horses out here, I have ^ever met with, one 



