Of all the beasts of the field, which we are told, the Lord formed out
of the earth, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call
them, none has more engaged the attention of the historian and the
philosopher--none has figured more in poetry, in war and in love, than
the horse.
None of the writing, to which we could point the reader, contains more
frequent mention, or more glowing descriptions of the power and beauty
of the horse, than the great Book of Books.
The Bible teaches us, that from whatever land this animal may have
been originally brought into Egypt, that country had already become
a great horse market, even before horses were known in Arabia, the
country with which we are apt to associate all that is most interesting
of this noble beast. Geological researches, however, have discovered
fossil remains of the horse in almost ever part of the world--from
the tropical plains of India, to the frozen regions of Siberia--from
the northern extremities of the new world, to the southern point of
America. But among the Hebrews, horses were rare previous to the
days of Solomon, who had horses brought out of Egypt, after his
marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh, and so rapidly did he multiply
them by purchase and by breeding, that those kept for his own use
required, as it is written, “four thousand stables, and forty thousand
stalls.” Hence, when honored by a visit from the beautiful queen of
Sheba, bringing with her, camels bearing spices, and very much gold
and precious stones, it was doubtless in the contemplation of his
magnificent stud of horses and chariots, kept for the amusement of his
wives and concubines, as well as for his other vast displays of power
and magnificence, that her majesty exclaimed, in the fulness of her
admiration: “Howbeit, I believed not the words, until I came and mine
eyes had seen it, and behold the half was not told unto me.”
Veterinary science has also made great progress from that time down
to the present, and in particular, in the last half century, the
structure of the horse--injuries and diseases to which he is subject,
and the treatment of these, have been investigated, in this country
and abroad, with much diligence and success, both in colleges and in
societies devoted to the cultivation of veterinary knowledge, and by
practitioners, whose education and experience render their observations
worthy of great respect; but notwithstanding all this, there has always
been, to the present time, one point overlooked, which is of greater
importance, than any one that has ever been investigated. I refer here
to a complete treatise on the Mare and Foal at the time of delivery.
This has long been felt as a real want. Not a single engraving,
illustrating this subject has ever been handed to the public, and very
little has been written on the treatment of the mare and the foal at
the time of delivery. When the best authors come to this point, they
say, “call in a veterinary Surgeon.” But, I would ask, where is the
veterinary Surgeon to obtain his information? And yet, not only the
surgeon, but every farmer and breeder should possess a full knowledge
of it.
The man that first enters the stable should be able to administer to
the wants of the mare and the foal. There is no time to be lost--no
time now to obtain information, or to proceed four or five miles for
a surgeon. If all is right, in five minutes all will be well, but if
a false position is presented, the first person that approaches the
animal should be able to administer to the wants of the mare and foal.
If not, there is much danger for the life of the foal, and in a few
hours much danger is to be feared for the safety of the mare.
I have had a very extensive practice in the veterinary business for
more than nineteen years, and found it almost universally to be the
case, that in the event of mal-presentation, the foal had suffocated
before I could reach the spot, although I was but a very few miles
distant. If the foal is raised from its locality, it must be exposed
to the free atmosphere in twenty minutes or it will suffocate, and the
life of the mare will be much in danger. Often, after I had extracted
the foal, I could have obtained twenty dollars for restoring its life.
I have frequently been urged by farmers and breeders, to give them full
instructions on this subject, and especially, at such times, when a
difficult case presented itself, but I always found it impracticable,
as verbal instruction would soon be forgotten, and as no work,
illustrating this subject was in existence. I was induced, therefore,
in order to benefit the farmer and breeder, to publish a complete
treatise on the mare and foal, at the time of delivery, illustrated
by engravings. I had made an effort about seven years ago, but that
little instrument, the “pen,” in my hand, is what the yoke is to the
ox, and so I abandoned it for that time. The cart-whip in my hand is
a fine instrument, but the pen is my abhorrence. Notwithstanding, at
the earnest request of numerous dealers in horses, I was induced in the
Spring of 1869, to offer this work to the public, for the benefit of
the farmer and breeder, and in mercy to the mare and foal.
This work, as the reader will discover, embraces every particular
connected with the subject upon which it treats, with ample engravings,
illustrating the different positions in which a foal is presented--its
natural delivery--false presentations, etc., with lucid explanations
and instructions.