MAN'S FRIEND AND COMPANION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 42

MAN'S FRIEND AND COMPANION.

AN APPEAL FOR BETTER TREATMENT OF THE NOBLE HORSE.

Public attention was called by tho New Zealand Times the other day to a very serious evil, which every humane-minded person should do his best to remedy for tho sake of tho poor sufferers who are unable to speak for themselves. A correspondent, whoso letter wo publish below, makes a suggestion which, if adopted, should at all events greatly lesson tho ovil. But thero is another reason why there are so many lame horses in the city, and, indeed, it may bo set down as ono of tho principal causes. It is a common practice for largo cases containing goods of various descriptions to bo opened on tho road-way, and portions of the lid, with a dozen or so of nails sticking out of it, thrown into the street. An unfortunate horse comes along, treads on this piece of case, and ho is lamed.

Only the other day a case happened in one of tho principal thoroughfares. A nail had entered so far into the frog of a horse’s foot that a claw hammer had to bo procured to withdraw it. The great majority of horses are injured through running on nails, screws, pieces of wire and hoop-iron, and in some instances the injuries they receive result in their death. Let tho authorities appeal to the cabmen and expressmen for corroboration on this point. There is a by-law which prohibits “ packing or unpacking any goods upon any street, footway or public place whatever,” but, like many other regulations, it is more honoured in the breach than Ihe observance. But the law should go further, and protect one of man’s best servants by making it an offence to leave such articles as wo have described on Hie public highwav. In tlie interest of humanity, something should bo dono to lessen tho risks that these poor dumb creatures run "l maiming themselves. This is what our correspondent says : TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—l am pleased to see " I lie I at Contributor ” taking up the causo of illused horses, and I consider that worthy beast (tho horse) shoul I have a deal mote care and protection bestowed upon it than it at present gets. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have done good work in tho past, and it. is now my wish to point out to that Society and to you ono form of gross cruelty under which horses now suffer, and, as far as I know, no attempt to expose or relievo has yet been made in this country. So I ask your kind indulgence to lay plain this evil, hoping that some abler pen than mine will go into the matter. . The form of cruelty I wish to refer to is bad shoeing. Very few people have the least idea of the amount of suffering which horses have to endure in New Zealand through this very common mode of torture. I would suggest that some law bo brought in compelling every man to bo lawfully qualified before being allowed to shoe horses. He should bo compelled to pass an examination, proving to tho satisfaction of a veterinary surgeon (appointed for the purpose) that he was proficient iu

tho art of farriery, and then registered as such. When that is done far fewer froggy and ruined horses would bo seen in our midst, for ono would hardly credit tho amount of suffering these poor boasts have to endure through tho very rude shooing that a great many of them have to put up with. And it is surprising how many novice horso-shoers thorn aro daily adding thoir quota to tho sufferings and torture of these unhappy horses, it is quite time tho novico shoor went. Yours truly, Geo. Robinson. Levin, May 11th, 1896. Mr Robinson encloses a cutting from Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, for March loth, bearing on this subject. It shows a practical means of remedying tho evil, and reads i All lovers of horses must acknowledge that it is timo shoeing smiths wero properly qualified, and wo aro glad to noto that tho Manchester Technical School, in conjunction with the Farriers’ Company, London, is doing excellent work iu this direction. The report of the examination for registration just received is most encouraging, tho 13 students who presented themselves all passing, 11 as shooing smiths, and two as doormen. Tho Manchester Corporation lent, their forges for the purposes of tho examination, which consisted of practical work in shoeing and knowledge of tho structure of the foot of the horse. The examiner, Mr F. W. Wragge, ex-president of tho Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, congratulated tho school, and the lecturer and instructor, Mr W. Jones Austey, very warmly on tho success attained, sinco the averago number o' passes in other parts of ‘.he kingdom fur the past year was only about fifty per cm!, of llioso examined. This speaks volumes lor the energy and knowledge of the Manchester instructor. The successful students, now entitled to put, II.JS. afKr their names, aro Messrs Hill, Mason, H. Barker, Leah, S. Chon'ton, E. Price, J. Friday, A. Gregory, Alex, Henshaw, Tims. ilcnslia w and G. Wild, with Messrs H. Copeland and T. H-.8-ts as Registered Doorman.