Prevalence of Roaring. 35 



indeed. Thoroughbred horses appear to be most predis- 

 posed to become Roarers, and three-parts or half-bred 

 hunters and carriage-horses come next. Among saddle and 

 light harness horses, Roarers are to be found in considerable 

 proportion, and draught-horses, heavy and light, are by no 

 means exempt ; but among small-sized horses and ponies 

 the defect may be said to be somewhat rare. Certain breeds 

 of horses, and even certain strains, would appear to have a 

 tendency to become affected when exposed to exciting 

 causes. 



But to what extent the morbid state which produces the 

 noise prevails generally, there is no positive evidence to 

 show, except that to be obtained by examining the statis- 

 tical records of British army horses. These may afford an 

 approximate notion of the prevalence of Roaring among the 

 lighter horses in the United Kingdom, though only to a 

 certain extent ; for many troop-horses which make a noise 

 in respiration, if not much distressed during severe exertion, 

 are not reported, and are retained in the army until cast and 

 sold because of age, or for some other reason — they conse- 

 quently do not appear in the Casting Returns as Roarers. 

 I find that the number of troop-horses cast from the Service 

 owing to this defect was, in 



1881 — 20 with an average service of 7 years. 

 1882—27 „ „ 5|- 



1883—35 „ ,, 4f 



1884—92 „ „ 5j\ 



1885—55 „ „ SiV 



1886—83 „ „ m 



1887—61 „ „ 5j\ 



showing a total of 373 horses during the seven years, the 

 annual strength of the army in horses being about 12,000. 

 Taking four cavalry regiments stationed at Aldershot in 



1 During this year many horses returned from Egypt affected with 

 Roaring, contracted in that country, and the worst cases were cast and 

 sold. 



3-2 



