EFFECT OF SEA VOYAGE ON HORSES. 



47 



Before referring to the present conditions of the trade it will be as 

 well to consult one more contribution from the board of trade — the 

 details of last year's American imports : 



Classes of imports, 1896. 



As far as can be ascertained with any approach to accuracy, of the 

 total number (40,677) of horses imported into Great Britain in 1896 a 

 little over 7,000 were reexported, mainly to the Continent. Of these 

 about 1,000 are presumed by dealers to have been animals of United 

 States origin. 



EFFECT OF A SEA VOYAGE. 



Horses are undoubtedly affected as are human beings by a sea voy- 

 age — some improve by it, the majority are upset by it. And to those 

 upset by the motion the longer the voyage the more lasting the dete- 

 rioration. For this reason the swifter the vessel the better for the 

 horse. Further, it is common to find a large number of cattle in 

 steamers conveying horses, in which case it is safe to assume the 

 ventilation is bad, with possibly serious effects on the health of the 

 horse. While of late years there has been a great improvement in 

 the quality and temper of the attendants hired to look after horses 

 en route, there still remains something to be accomplished in this 

 direction. The more nearly a horse is treated like a saloon passen- 

 ger — that is, with unremitting attention — the better he will come out 

 of his Atlantic ordeal. Some further improvement also seems desir- 

 able in regard to the ship stall. While the headboard as at present 

 used is an absolute necessity, some device is imperative whereby 

 the animal will not rub off a part of his mane in feeding, as is now 

 too often the case. 



These' improvements in transportation arrangements are all the 

 more necessary in view of the fact that American horses brought to 

 England are invariably more or less affected by the change of climate, 

 water, and food. The more nearly thoroughbred the greater the 

 effect seems to be in this connection. The English trainers of Amer- 

 ican race horses at Newmarket informed me that they could not 

 expect to get out the best that was in an American horse under a year. 

 In the case of carriage and draft horses from two weeks to six months 

 was the period mentioned before the American horse could be con- 

 sidered acclimatized. It becomes imperative, therefore, in view of 

 facts of this character, that the voyage hither should be made under 



