THE HOME OF REST FOR HORSES.
[TO THY EDITOR OF THY •• 131.CTA1OR.1 Sta,—Yon have moat kindly from time to time aided in giving publicity to the work that has during the last year been taken up by the "Home of Rest for Horses." It is now some time since we have appeared in your columns. May I trespass upon your kindness to be allowed to give a short sketch of the work we have done, and our hopes and prospects for the future P As your readers may remember, our objects are to succour both man and beast. We receive the homes of cabmen and others for a few weeks' rest and treatment, on subscribers' letters ; the horses have a loose-box, exercise for some hours daily when advisable in the meadows, and two feeds a day, so that they may not lose condition, but be ready for work immediately on being returned to their owners. Most people would find it very hard to realise the wonderful amount of benefit these poor overworked animals derive from so simple a remedy, though when necessary they are slightly blistered. We also find what they most often need is to have their teeth filed ; they get poor, and their owners declare they will not feed, and the cause frequently proves to be that the teeth have, from age very often, become so sharp and pointed that the cheek, in conse- quence, is severely lacerated when they try to feed, so that the poor animal will half-starve himself rather than endure the torture. A case in point was that of an old pony, admitted about two months ago. It was so weak, that the poor woman to whom it belonged could hardly get it down the three miles to Neasden, and arrived with her arms round its neck trying to support it, and in tears herself, as she was very fond of it. The poor little animal's teeth were very bad, and had to be thoroughly filed, which made them so tender, he was fed for a week on the inside of Mr. Goode's forage-cakes. He gradually came round, and at the end of a month, just before he left, he set to work kicking up his heels in the paddock one morning, and driving all the other horses into a corner, where he kept them till he grew tired of the game ; his owner's delight when she came for him may well be imagined. Then I may quote another equally deserving case of a poor cabman who brought his horse with two chapped heels, quite unable to go any farther. Inflammation and erysipelas had set up in the legs, and Mr. South, our veterinary-surgeon, said gangrene would soon have followed. Prompt and careful treat- ment, as well as rest, was the only chance of saving him. The poor cabman told Mr. South, in despair, that he had driven the horse till he could go no longer, to strive to keep his home together and to find bread for his children ; but now they had both come to a stand-still together, and he was well-nigh hope- less ! Of course, this was really a hospital case, and Mr. South, who takes in the horses at the stud-farm,Neasden,is not expected, for the fee he receives, to undertake cases requiring so much atten- tion as this one ; but he thought it so sad that he could not refuse the poor man, and tells me at the end of a few weeks the horse will be returned quite well from hie illness, and, of course, infinitely benefited by his rest and good feeding.
I am now working very hard, as honorary secretary of the Horse-Purchase Fund, to raise the amount required to carry out more efficiently this part of our scheme. We have now a per- manent stud of four horses, which have been purchased by means of special collections, and these we let out at 10s. 6d. per week to those whose own horses are resting in the home. The branch I am now so anxious to start is one to allow the men to have horses on the hire-pnrchase system. This would occasion too great a strain on our very slender finances—as, of course, con- siderable risk must be incurred—for the committee to sanction the attempt from the general funds. I am, therefore, trying by a special appeal to our supporters to obtain the amount required. I have begun by purchasing a horse myself, for which I imme- diately received four applications, but could, of course, only give it to one man, who is to pay 15s. a week, or as much more ae he can manage, till fifteen guineas has been paid for a good-looking animal six years old.. Surely this is a deserving scheme in all its branches, and one that merits support. We had for four months upwards of twenty horses in the home, but for want of funds the numbers are now considerably reduced. Between seventy and eighty horses have passed through our bands this year. The charity is in thorough working order, and we have proved beyond a doubt that it does meet a great want, both among animals themselves and the men we wish to serve. When once a cabman loses his horse, he finds it very difficult to procure another, as he can so seldom put down cash to buy a decent animal on the spot. At Sudbury, near Harrow, we have another home to receive old favourites of the wealthy for life at 225 a year. Members' horses requiring rest are also received by the week at a fixed tariff. If all your readers would send me a tiny Christmas-box, even one shilling each, how soon I should be able to buy another horse, and give another poor family the chance of earning an honest living, and of spending a more hopeful Christmas Day ! All particulars of the Society can be obtained from S. S. Safford, Esq., 13 Victoria Buildings, S.W.—I am,
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