Thursday , 17th March, 1898. 
His Honor Sir John Goldnuy, President, in the Chair. 
The following Paper was read : — 
ON THE CARE OF HORSES. 
By Frank Pocson, M.R.C.V.S., &c., &c. 
W HEX asked by the Management of this Institution to read 
' ' a paper on the care of horses, my first thought after I had 
consented to do so, was “ Where shall I start and where shall I 
stop ? my second thought was, “ Who am I going to lecture to 
— owners of horses or coachmen and grooms V After due con- 
sideration I decided to try and speak on subjects which l thought 
might interest, both" parties. I shall first speak on the subject 
of buying a horse. There is no one who has mixed much in 
general society but has found, front prince to peasant, that one 
of the tenderest points of a Britisher’s self opinion is touched by 
the bare supposition that he “knows nothing about a horse; 
yet how few have really studied the subject .closely, anti how 
many less have possessed the opportunity of a technical ac- 
quaintance even with the leading points necessary to form a fair 
and just judgment of a horse’s capabilities, powers and suitable- 
ness tor which he is required. Next to choosing a wife, miying 
a horse to carry you “for better or for worse” is the affair in 
i e that requires most deliberate circumspection. True, the 
tormer is proverbially “ » lottery,” but there is no reason that the 
attei need be, for the man who will study the subject, 
need not, in suiting himself with a horse, buy one with 
such serious defects as. may make him feel he is sold again and 
money paid Let me say here that any “person in search of* 
r se, should look rather for the good qualities, as you wou 
t, ' lend or trust y servant, than mere beauty for 
"Whoe'er expects a perfect 'horse ’ to see. 
Kxpects what never was, or is, or e’er will be.” 
over ^J l00 ^ n y a fmrse. Firstly, we will suppose that you are not 
e-ood ICU fU ' as to colour > and that the venerable saw, ‘ * 
fensil r’™. 1S ° f il bad colou '--” has its due weight with a 
are food of 3 ’ ll T/ ’ c ^ estnut . roan, bay, brown, or black, there 
and °white t. •' , Jl ' e T s are handsome, but as they grow older 
much more s . am . t h e msel ves so frequently by lying down th® 
Xnwht T1 w neeessar yi add to which, their hoofs are 
horse 3 Whl T e ’ 7 *° teV and d «nse than those of blackfooted 
difficult. 1 l e !?;: be a g° ud *ort of horse is perhaps not 
y good sort of horse cannot well be put q« lte 
