PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



During the years I spent trying to get illustrations for 

 the first edition of this book, I laboured under the great 

 disadvantage — as regards my readers in England — of 

 living abroad in countries where it was difficult or 

 impossible to find many of the types of horseflesh, the photo- 

 graphic reproduction of which I knew was necessary for 

 the attainment of the best result Not being able to afford, 

 from a monetary point of view, the luxury of a further post- 

 ponement of publication, I issued the work, which was so 

 kindly accepted by the public that the entire edition was 

 exhausted within six months. Having by that time settled 

 down in Melton Mowbray, I became aware that not alone 

 were the illustrations in the book far from complete ; but 

 that, to do the subject justice, I required to renew my 

 acquaintance with certain classes of English horses, and 

 especially with hunters. Hence, instead of meeting the 

 demands of the literary market by an immediate reprint, I 

 continued my studies among horses for two years in 

 Leicestershire and one year in Cheshire ; hunting, breaking, 

 training, and practising as a veterinary surgeon. All that 

 time I kept the needs of a new edition in view, and received 

 such great kindness from owners of horses and from owners 

 of photographs of horses, that I am now able to present to 

 my readers 142 new reproductions of photographs out of the 

 209 contained in the present edition. I trust that the new 

 material I have been able to put in the letterpress will prove 

 as useful as the additions to the illustrations. 



