ENGLISH OPINIONS. 49 



nine months. This is six months shorter than at previous period in the life of 

 our omnibus horses. Our American horses cost from £26 to £36, and partly 

 because the voyage seems to upset them cost a further £10 before they can be 

 considered fit for the heavy work of our streets. 



The Irish horses are the most delicate we get. They seem to be underfed or 

 poorly fed, and they can not stand our rich feeding. 



American horses of this class seem to have more stock or bone. I never pur- 

 chase one under 8£ inches at the smallest part above the fetlocks. Yet, there is 

 the fact, despite these advantages, of their shorter life at our hard work. Amer- 

 ican breeders should if possible get more stamina in the strain. We do not like 

 the Percheron strain; we never buy them; they are unfitted for our work. 



Mr. R. T. Kingham, secretary to the London General Omnibus 

 Company, Limited, said: 



We have 14,000 horses, whose average life in the company's service is five years. 

 We buy Canadian horses at an average price of about £30. The voyage undoubt- 

 edly affects them, and it usually requires an expenditure of £8 to £10 before the 

 animal is fit for the company's work. 



Among horse auctioneers the same general run of opinions exists. 

 The manager at Aldridge's horse repository said: 



Opinion among those who buy American horses here, and many hundreds pass 

 our hammer every year, is divided. Some of our customers say they never again 

 will buy American horses — their legs and feet can not stand the rough work of 

 English towns and cities; others are entirely satisfied. I am satisfied, after several 

 years' experience, however, that American horses are hardly given a fair show. 

 They are undeniably affected by the voyage. On the average they are sold here 

 within a week after being landed. If dealers took more time to get them accus- 

 tomed to this climate, to English corn and water, the horses would bring better 

 prices, and I don't think you would hear many complaints. I know a great many 

 cases where American horses have been kept for three or four months, their tails 

 docked and manes combed, etc., and then sold at high prices as English or Irish, 

 and nobody but the sellers knew they were American. If I were to give any 

 advice to American shippers I should say: Do not send so many misfits to London; 

 send better quality animals. The result will be better prices and a sounder trade. 

 And do not dispose of the horse so quickly on landing him; delay to put him into 

 better condition will more than return what it costs. 



CARRIAGE HORSES. 



The above expert opinions refer to army and draft horses. The 

 principal class remaining is that of carriage horses. On this point I 

 sought the opinion, among others, of Mr. Reekie, manager to Messrs. 

 Withers & Co., Limited, the leading fashionable job masters of Lon- 

 don. Mr. Reekie said: 



The chief defect of American horses is their lack of action. If American 

 breeders want to breed for profit in this market let them breed from a good trot- 

 ting—not a racing stallion— long, level, and with action. Whatever they do let 

 them breed from action, and never from a horse with drooping quarters. On no 

 account jhould they breed from Percherons for this market; the get of the Perch- 

 eron, as sent here from the United States, is always soft. 



Vanners, bus, and tram horses are, of course, cheap. A good American carriage 

 horse will fetch from £90 to £110. We have over and over again paid these prices 

 8, Poc, 35- 4 



